Say yes.

My girls come to me every once in a while for cooking advice or recipe clarification, especially the younger one.  However, she came across a soup recipe years ago that is one of the best I have … Chicken Taco Soup for the crockpot.  If you haven’t had this soup, Google it, or find it at the link below.  You won’t be sorry to have this one up your sleeve.  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/70343/slow-cooker-chicken-taco-soup/

Back to life on the lake.  It’s been cold this week, bitterly cold, as you know if you live in the Midwest to Northeast.  It dumped some snow, is now calming down and will be back to mild in a couple of days.  Little dog varies from wanting to go on an adventure in the yard to not making a move off the front step.

I sit at the office window and watch deer cross our drive and tip toe in to our small woods, cross the busy road and somehow manage to make it through the neighbor’s yard and beyond without causing much of a scene or screeching tires.  Sometimes only one or two, sometimes up to six.  The lake side of the house is a bit more still.  It’s relaxing to have nothing going on, but, I am very ready for the next season, a little pizazz to my day.
 

Even though pretty darn cold and raw, we drove about an hour to see our great nephew play a game of hockey over the weekend, which was successful for him, yay, and then stopped for lunch at a place hubs has been wanting to try.  He sometimes has business to attend to over there and the need to take someone to lunch.  So, we tried it, it was fine and casual. We were back in the car in under an hour.  As we headed back towards home, we reminisced about our rare New Year’s Eve out and decided to swing by the hotel bar to have a drink, something warm and sweet.  We again had the place almost to ourselves, had the same nice young man as bartender and enjoyed a little break.   Now, this has not been our life, folks..we don’t do this.  It was fun, it was spontaneous and it was great. It’s nice to be at a time in our life that we can be these new people.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this “time” in our life.  It’s more like us than ever to say “Wanna go to ____ “ or “Wanna stop here?” The “I’ve been curious about this place” is more often heard in the car now than “What time is it? How far do we have to go?”  A few weeks ago we noticed a neon sign way off the highway as we were coming back from a visit to the grandkids.  “What do you suppose is back there?” I said.  “Well, let’s go find out”.   Turned out to be a bait shop, of all things, but it led to a half hour drive around a lake we had no knowledge of, took us off the beaten path for a bit and now, we know.

We can be a bit more relaxed about things, a bit spontaneous if we wish, less tied to the clock or the calendar.  Oh, hubs is always going to be more reserved and not throw caution to the wind quite like I do, and you know, he isn’t retired, but, it’s a good time to be us.  Yes, we still plan and we budget and we make lists, but, it is so nice to go rogue, to go off course and a little unscheduled.  If you can do it, do it.  I know not all of you are quite here yet but, trust me, you’ll like it when it comes. 

Lofty goals, lofty lists

I am looking out my office window this morning after a fresh snow and it is beautiful…stunning really.  White, crisp…I can tell it’s cold and I’m glad to be inside.  I did shovel a pathway for little dog to have a place to “go”  and shoveling is not usually my chore, so it is a bit janky.  When I look out like this, into the woods, it is easy to become a bit overwhelmed by the spring to-do list.  We are taking on some big projects and while I am excited, sometimes I think “What are we doing?”

I have several lists going including construction, landscaping, boating, summer, travel.  Things I want to accomplish or at least consider seriously.  I am an old lady, I think to myself, why am I making such ambitious lists?  I have to admit that I am very much enjoying the planning.  I like making lists, I like adding to lists or taking things off, scratching things out.  I do it with budgets, too, every day.  Most of the time it is helpful, some of the time it is depressing other times, overwhelming.  Like today.

I get so behind and I check the lists.  I use spiral memo books, along with my spreadsheet, for lists.  I have too many of these in current circulation and have somewhat lost control.  I found one the other day that I had started my Christmas list in…not for things I wanted, but, for things to buy others.  I purchased not one of those things for Christmas because I set that memo book down somewhere and started a new one, with a new list, when something occurred to me as a great idea.  You know what? That first book had some really great gift ideas in it, that may or may not hold true for next Christmas, so I set that book aside for later.  Remember how I said I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions? Well, if I did, my 2016 resolution would be to keep track of my memo books!

One spiral notebook I have going right now is from when I talk to a provider of services…particularly the cable company who tends to slam my bill with charges, promises to credit and then never does.  Nor does anyone I speak to there seem to make a note on the account like they promise. Which sets a bad tone for me…seriously bad.  I develop quite an attitude when I call again and no one seems to know what I am talking about.  So, I have a black spiral memo book that I make notes in regarding my calls to the wireless provider, the internet service provider, my doctors billing office…anyone who wants money from me for some reason.  Should I need to call back I am armed with my little black spiral memo book, which is black cause I am serious, like Johnny Cash serious.  Oh, they do hate it when you say “Yes, I spoke with Jane on 12/3/2015 and she provided me this information and promised blah, blah, blah...”  The key here is to make really clear notes because I sometimes doodle and abbreviate or only write down one or two words.  I’ve learned that I cannot remember like I use to, like I use to pride myself on, so write it down, Cindi, write it down.

I had a red spiral notebook for years, and I mean years and years, that held my credit card information.  In 2009, when things got nasty with the whole world’s finances, including ours, I had to make more notes than I care to admit for credit conversations and agreements, who I spoke with, what the deal was going to be.   We are past that now, thank God. I came across my little red spiral notebook, with my account numbers and passwords, and columns of figures for payments and balances.  Pages of notes, numbers and dates.  I considered tearing it apart and shredding the pages, but, it was gratifying to look through and not recognize any of those accounts or institutions, to know that list is complete.   I decided to hang on to it as a reminder as I am adding to my already lofty goals not to let things get away from us. 

A perfect little friend in the kitchen.

I have made a product recommendation in this blog a few times over the years…the big yellow bowl, the nested green strainers, the red spatula.  I believe in each of these things and use them every day. 

While preparing dinner last night I felt a wave of affection for my paring knife.  Chicago Cutlery circa 1977 and may have been a gift from my mother-in-law who had a few favorites of her own. This paring/boning knife is their smaller version – super skinny 3" steel blade that runs down into the wood handle.  This little beauty if perfectly balanced, is sharp as it can be and well, just an all-around great paring knife. I understand it is still made, the Walnut Tradition 102S.  If you don't have one, consider one...or gift one. 

My fondest memory of this paring knife is dinner at my in-laws on Sunday.  She would set out a big bowl, and I mean big, of lettuce and many small bowls.  On the top of the lettuce would be a full cucumber, a tomato and nearby, this Chicago Cutlery paring knife.  If you wanted either or both of those extra items in your salad, it was up to you to take care of it.  There were also several varieties of salad dressing on the table.  Just short of a stampede, this would happen about 20 minutes, before dinner was ready.  This was so different than the way my own mother would set out salad, in little bowls and set at your place at the table.  It took me by surprise the first time, as we leisurely went about our salads, in front of the TV, or out on the porch, gathering up the bowls as we finished and ready for the main meal.  I loved those days. 

The paring knife played a vital role in the coming together of the salad as there would be knife wielders of all skill levels.  Some sliced, some diced, but the trick was to leave enough for everyone who might want some cucumber, some tomato.  You couldn’t be haphazard as these were like the fishes and loaves and had to feed a multitude.  A sharp knife was needed so the slices and cubes were reasonable, not chunks. 

As we get ready to start the Grand Remodeling Project, including updating cabinets, I have started to think about the things I will be changing and considering things to replace or give up.  I held that sharp little knife in my hand and thought there may be 10 knives in my existing kitchen that I can do without, but not you, my little friend.  You will always have a home here.