On January 30 the moon, with Jupiter to its lower right, sit up the night sky. It looked like a full moon but it wasn't. The full moon appeared on February 1. Todd was driving home from Findlay, Ohio. a couple hours north of here, after visiting a friend and his sweet mom who had been hospitalized. As we chatted, all at once an "Ohmygosh, you should see the moon rising!" It was a beauty and it wasn't dark yet. I went to the end of the street, stood in the middle of the cross road and got mooned! The full moon for February is the Snow Moon. It sure lived up to its name this year.
I've kept busy this week making some zines for my grandsons. AJ's birthday party is this weekend so he's getting two - one with the original party theme and one with the updated party theme. I also made one for Owen (3 1/2 years old) thanking him for choosing a loofah of many pastel colors as my Christmas gift. He and his mom went to the Dollar Store for his Christmas shopping spree and he chose all of the gifts for his recipients. In case you're wondering what a zine (pronounced "zeen) is, it's a small handmade book made by folding a single sheet of paper. They're fun to make and fun to receive. The art of writing thank you notes seems to have lost its importance. I grew up writing them and will continue to do so. One of my sons-in-law once commented that he really enjoys receiving my notes and letters. Letter writing is becoming a lost art.
The other day Todd was perusing the Kroger grocery ads and he pointed out that chuck roast was on sale for a good price. (Isn't it time to go to the grocery store...hint, hint?) A pot of beef stew sounded tasty so off to Kroger to find that chunk of chuck roast plus a few vegetable to put in it. I tried a new recipe, one where the meat was browned in a large pot on the stove top, add the vegetables for a few minutes to warm them up, and then put the pot in a low heat (325°) oven for two hours. Wow. It was delicious and will be my go-to beef stew recipe from now on. It made enough for a few leftover meals, too.
The big scuttlebut from yesterday was that the groundhog saw his shadow so six more weeks of winter. Actually Groundhog Day is the midpoint to spring so today marks the downslope to spring.
The birds are busy at the feeders. Such a joy to watch them. Every so often a big flock of grackles comes and takes over the feeders. The other birds sit patiently waiting in the wings for the grackle feeding frenzy to end. Every so often, Todd will open the door and clap his hands to scare them off but they're back in 30 seconds.
I keep thinking of Zeen making. I really should try it. I would add a couple of cups of red wine to the stew - the cheap stuff from Aldi works fine. I made lamb stew yesterday. Saute onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, lamb, spices, red wine and into a 300 degree oven for three hours, added some potatoes to cook for another hour, thickened it with a little butter and flour. Whole Foods had lamb on sale the last time we went to the store.
ReplyDeleteZines are fun. You would enjoy the whole process. Your stew sounds delicious. Slow cooking in the oven really tenderizes the meat.
DeleteWe've been enjoying clear skies and a splendid moon here, too. Your zines are delightful and creative. I sometimes wonder what treasured cards (especially handmade) and letters people will have to look back on on the future. Personal texts and good wishes, no matter how thoughtful, will have long since disappeared as the years passed.
ReplyDeletein the future . . .
DeleteGetting text messages and phone calls are fine for the moment but to have a physical card, even better with a handwritten message, is a treasure. I hope the grandkids' parents will save these. I'm going to look for some "treasure boxes" for them to keep some remembrances.
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