Wednesday, December 14, 2011

My Arm Hurts & Around The House and Gardens & Spicy Pecan Recipe

My arm hurts from standing on a six foot ladder and finally finishing the sky on my living room ceiling.  Next I'm adding a reproduction of the "Creation of Adam" from the Sistine Chapel surrounded by a migration of monarch butterflies...and I'll lie on my couch and enjoy...

sigh not really....I'll probably add a few monarchs flitting about and call it finished finally!  Must say it's worth the deltoid pain...I do like to lie on my sofa and stare up at my "sky" ceiling...
Yesterday as I rushed to Tera's violin lessons I realized...oops!...last lesson before Christmas and no good tidings of joyous gifts to bring...

hmmm...ran back in grabbed a bag and filled it with turnips, mustards, collards, carrots and a head of lettuce....good tidings of joy!  Before I left lessons that night Tera's teacher's wife came in smiling with a tray of cut up seasoned veggies ready for roasting and explanation of what she planned to do with the rest of  the veggies the next day.  I'm still smiling!

I'm also still getting a crop of figs....unbelievable...even with the cold weather the "Alma" variety of fig is still bearing.  Duly impressed....
...I think turnips are lovely....they make me smile....
...with a light frost blanket I've been able to hobble more tomatoes from my large bush.  This vine is still covered with tomatoes in various stages of ripeness.  I pick them as soon as I see a hint of red and let them ripen inside...just in case....
When my Mom-In-Law cleaned out her home we found these cool old ornaments.  I haven't really decorated for Christmas yet.  The girls and I are going to make some natural decorations once they get out of school....but ....I love these old ornaments.  My M.I.L.  thinks she bought them when my husband was small at Audubon Park and Zoo in New Orleans.

Cute little crossed eyed tiger and patient adoring sweet deer....
...mischievous kitty...
...fun loving piggy....with giant overlord bird....
....not disease carrying mouse (unlike the ones currently partying in my attic) with still fresh plastic holly....
...and surprised looking angel with deer herd...
...this is a gift I'm working on....will post when finished.  It's a very easy baby blanket...that is if you can crochet and if you can't....learn!....it's easy too.   Just cut two pieces of groovy flannel the same size (baby blanket size)...put the back sides together and pin....blanket stitch the edges together using crochet thread (size 10)....my tiny steel crochet needle goes through the flannel with little difficulty...do a triple chain stitch around that and then finish with a shell stitch to make it lacy!  I like to use stitches without large openings to keep baby fingers and things from getting caught.  Will post when finished.  But don't you just love these groovy prints....they're from a line called Urban Flannels.

Now here is a spicy pecan recipe for all my garden club friends.  I got it from Martha Stewart's Christmas Cookbook.  Luckily it's simple for Martha.  I didn't have to travel or rob anyone to get the ingredients.

Spicy Pecans

1 tblsp coarse salt
2 tblsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg whites
5 cups pecan halves

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine salt, cayenne, paprika and sugar.
whisk egg whites until foamy.
whisk in spice mixture.
stir in pecans and coat well
spread on baking sheets
bake 15 minutes
reduce heat to 250 degrees F.
Rotate sheets in oven and cook until nuts are browned and fragrant about 10 minutes more.
Transfer to another sheet of parchment and let cool
Yum and addictive!

2 comments:

JeanSkirtGirl said...

Wow u have been busy sister kristi keep up It up love carmencita

Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

We wish we had planted Pecan trees instead of those ornamental pears :o( we would have some Pecans, why is it always too late when you realize what could have been :o(