Hot Nuts

A terrific party snack or hostess gift -- quick and easy...and addictive.

You'll need a pound of pecan halves (the pictures show a doubled recipe,) 3 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons salt, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more to taste,) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or less, should just get a hint of it,) and a good dash or so of Tabasco sauce.

Melt the butter in a heavy frying pan, stir in salt and pecans, toss till coated. Add the other ingredients and toss again.  Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Don't overbrown.  Cool on paper towels and store in airtight container.

 

And  while we're on the subject, does anyone else remember Doug Clark and his Hot Nuts (click on the name) -- a raunchy fraternity party favorite in the South back in the 60's? 

 

Winter Solstice

The sun has ranged to the southern end of its journey along our horizon... tomorrow it will rise just a little earlier and just a hair to the west . . . the beginning of a six month journey . . .

Summer solstice will find the sun rising just behind those trees on the left . . .
it's a long way to go...

So in this dark season we deck the house with lights and evergreens and red ....
 a  potent charm against the long nights and sometimes gloomy days..

 
And a little hard cider doesn't hurt . . .

Skies -- No Words Needed

 

 

 

 

Home Improvement...with Kittehs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bare Ruined Choirs . . .

That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.

In me thou see'st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.

In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the deathbed whereon it must expire,
Consumed with that which it was nourished by.

This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which there must leave ere long.

Sonnet 73 by William Shakespeare

 

Continuing On . . .

Lots more stuff to go on the tree. For many years we had no glass at all on the tree but it does lend a nice sparkle.  

 

Because the kittehs are an unknown quantity, re tree, I opted to display in a bowl the glass ornaments that were my parents' and use just the cheap and easily replaceable red globes. 

Several ornaments needed new hanging loops and one of my very favorites -- the pig and piglet -- suffered dog damage last year. . . Someone (I suspect William) removed Mama Pig's ears and tail as well as the hanging loop.

 So I performed an ear transplant -- removing the pink felt ears from one of the kittehs' toy mice (yes, I felt a little bad about this,) trimming them to pig ear shape (a leftover scrap worked for a tail,) and sewing them in place.

 

And there they are, back where they belong!

.
 Cory was not amused by the kitteh ornament

Finding a place for everything. . .

No ornament left behind . . .


Hand crafted by Justin in third grade . . .

Hand painted by a friend (on a tiny gourd she grew.)

A good message -- whatever your religion or lack thereof. The spirit of Christmas -- the rejoicing and the giving -- could warm most any heart, however cold.

 

Empty ornament boxes are quickly repurposed to a higher use. 

And I declare the tree done!

 

Christmas Decorating with Friends and Kittehs

Getting ready for Christmas takes several days and lots of help . . .

Inspecting the lights . . .

A closer look . . .

John got the tree at the Farmers' Market . . .

Our trees are always secured with a stout rope . . .

Inspecting the stout rope . . .

Inspecting the tub for the tree . . .

Inspecting the tree . . .

From all angles . . .

Cory's inspection completed, Angeline takes over. . .

A negative reaction?

Sunday . . . friends and family gather for the traditional stringing of the popcorn and cranberries -- there's the traditional grumbling over the task  . . .

But before long, we have a nice long string . . .

Some family members don't participate . . .

Instead of Christmas carols and cocoa, there's football and beer and cider . . .

And all the popcorn you can eat.

This crew is adept at hanging the string to my exacting specifications. . .

It requires a good eye and a certain amount of athleticism.

 
When supper time arrived, there were two lasagnes -- a red one with Italian sausage and a green and white one with spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, and peppers.

 

A spinach salad with tangerines, green onions and an amazing oil and vinegar, curry and lemon dressing, as well as homemade bread and home-churned butter . . . and wine . . . and port . . .


After which, there was a total lack of interest in hanging more stuff on the tree.

No matter, the difficult bit's done -- I'll finish up tomorrow...