Zucchini-palooza 2014

It's that time of the year again.

They're coming on fast and furious and they just. don't. stop. The other day there were just a few, maybe 3 or 4, little green zucchini in the whole garden. Today I picked a dozen zucchini of varying sizes. And it's only just begun...

Time to start figuring out what to do with all these beauties.

And did you know that August 8 is Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor's Porch Day? I'm gonna celebrate that one!

First pick of the season...the dirty dozen!

Palindrome Week 2014

Palindrome...a word, line, verse, number, sentence, etc., reading the same backward as forward. Familiar examples include Madam, I'm Adam and racecar.

Bring on April 2014...the 4th month and the year 2014, which in a standard dateline format is 4/14 and right there is a palindrome. Add in the dates that have ones in them (10 through 19) and there you have datelines that are reversible.

It seemed like lots of people were all abuzz about palindrome week but there were 10 days of palindromic dates in April. A bit of heaven for those of us who savor symmetry!

Some cool tidbits for April 10 through April 19:

April 10 is written 4/10/14 but can also use the entire year to make yet another palindrome: 

4/10/2014

Yep...look at that and it's the same going forward and backwards. Pretty cool...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

April 14...4/14/14...it's the 4th month, the 14th day, in the year 2014. Lots of 4s in that one. Maybe the "palindromiest" day of the year?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

April 15...4/15/14...an eventful day: last day to send in taxes on time, a lunar eclipse and a spring snowfall (hopefully Mother Nature's last hurrah until next winter comes around).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

With this series of reversible datelines comes some math fun, too. Adding up every digit in that day's dateline equals the same number as that day of the month. For example:

4/17/14: 4+1+7+1+4 = 17

Try it with any of the dates. It works. And it's the only month every 100 years that does that.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So those named Hannah and Anna and Bob were totally on the "level" when they celebrated these palindrome dates by listening to ABBA. 

Leaving you with one last palindrome...

Taco cat

Valentines Day ♥

It's Valentines Day...fill your hearts with love!

Four hearts for four kids ~ 

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.
~ Charles M. Schulz
(Esther Price Sea Salt Caramels...enough said!)

And what would Valentines Day be without a homemade
card with a cheesy message...

XOXOXO

– ♥ –

World Nutella Day 2014

World Nutella Day...it's real and today is its 8th anniversary!

Last night Dayton, OH experienced another significant weather event and this morning we woke up with 5 inches of snow on the ground. The snow had an inch of ice over the top. It was heavy...and my driveway is big. I didn't give World Nutella Day a thought, until I noticed it marked on my calendar. After spending a few hours shoveling my driveway, I was cold and tired and really didn't want to get creative with a Nutella cooking project. I could have taken the easy way out and eaten Nutella straight from the jar, but instead, chose another easy way and made a mug of Nutella hot chocolate. With each sip, liquid chocolatiness warmed my insides and relaxed my tired shoulders and aching back. 

It's been a long winter...cheers to Nutella!

Snow Ice Cream

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

When Mother Nature dumps snow on you, make snow ice cream.

The Midwest got walloped with another polar vortex this week...more frigid temps and more snow. So many people complain about the snow and the cold, but you know what, it’s winter in Ohio, folks. This is what happens. 

So life has given us snow. Before this white fluffy snow turns into icky gray slush, I’m going to get myself outside, scoop up some clean snow, and make snow ice cream. The recipe is easy...5 ingredients and 4 of them should be in your kitchen: milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.

This is a sweet reward for shoveling the driveway for the umpteenth time. And yes, I will look out for the yellow snow! Beware of brain freeze, too.

Simple ingredients for this special treat

Milk + sugar + vanilla + pinch of salt = yumminess

Snow in my grandma's measuring cup. She would be smiling!

Snow ice cream!

Topping of choice: maple syrup

Snow Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 cup milk (any kind)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

8 cups clean snow or shaved ice (more or less depending on the density of the snow)

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk milk, sugar, vanilla and salt together until combined. 

Go scoop up some fresh (clean!) snow, and immediately stir it into the milk mixture until you reach your desired consistency. Top with sprinkles or other ice cream toppings if desired.

The ice cream should be fluffy and not runny, but it melts quickly, so dive in right away!

Resolutions

Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve...roughly six weeks of loosening our self-discipline and our belt buckles. From turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing, to frequent parties with all kinds of yummy hors d'oeuvres and drinks, to Christmas cookies and egg nog, it's an eating celebration with few regrets.

Until January 1.

It's a new year and time to get back to a more disciplined life. Here come the resolutions: Go on a diet, get organized, quit smoking, start an exercise program, etc., etc., etc....

Been there, done that, too many times, except for the quit smoking. (I've never smoked).

People tend to create resolutions as a punishment for their over-indulgent behavior, but a person can endure punishment for only so long. People also tend to create resolutions that are too big and broad, and those are hard to meet. And then it's February 1 and the resolutions have gone by the wayside.

I have found that taking a closer look into my life and making smaller, more specific resolutions, success comes more easily. My 2014 resolutions:

READ
Five books are on my reading table:

• Quiet by Susan Cain. It's about being an introvert in a world that can't stop talking.
• My Life in France by Julia Child. Julia Child was a woman who dove into an unfamiliar culture, embraced it, and pursued a passion.
• Inferno by Dan Brown. Brown's 4th book with symbology expert Robert Langdon.
• Cooked by Michael Pollan. How food improves health, connects us with others and the natural world, helps us achieve self-sufficiency.
• Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. A cookbook with beautiful photos, stories, and recipes. Reading and cooking all in one!

FINISH THE AFGHAN

My nephew graduated from high school in May and is now a freshman at Ohio State. I started a hairpin lace afghan right before he graduated with the goal of completing it for his birthday in July. Didn't happen. So then the date of completion was set for when he left for OSU in September. Nope. Christmas. Not finished. It's going to be a good project for this winter and will be done by the time he completes his freshman year.

CROSS SOMETHING OFF MY BUCKET LIST

Actually, I don't call it my bucket list; it's my living list. On my birthday in September, I resolved to do 56 new things before turning 57. I've done 20 so far.

BE MORE DILIGENT WITH MY BLOG

Last year I made 65 posts in House Dust and Wanderlust. My goal for 2014 is 100.

WEAR MORE COLORFUL CLOTHING

I wear a lot of black. It's a go-to when I can't decide what to wear. Particularly for spring and summer, I want to have bright, fun colors in my wardrobe.

RUN A HALF MARATHON

Last year, one of my resolutions was to participate in an organized athletic event and I ran in the Air Force Marathon's 10K. My daughter wants me to run a half marathon with her. 13 miles seems like a long, long way, but I will do it...I CAN do it. 

LEAVE THE COUNTRY

In 2010, hubs and I went to Italy to celebrate our 30th anniversary and ever since then I have be dying to go back to Europe. I have so many possible itineraries planned! As fate would have it, my sister who travels internationally for her job, called and asked me if I wanted to go to Madrid in March! ¡Sí, sí, sí!

New Year's resolutions offer hopefulness and are about embracing the present, the here and now. 

"Approach the new year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day."

~ Michael Josephson

Happy 2014!

Multi-Colored Radishes

Welp, my favorite grocery store (Dorothy Lane Market) got me again with a tantalizing display of multi-colored radishes! As hard as I tried, I could not resist the brightly colored globes in shades of red, purple and white.

Nothing better than dipping a radish in a little bit of salt and then biting into it...ahhh, the crisp, clean crunch followed by the tang and heat of the radish. Beats potato chips any day!

May 4

16th Birthday Fun

 Hi.

My name's Diane and I love Sharpies.

Especially when I get to make signs for special occasions, like my nephew's 16th birthday.

My brother gives me the garage door code, I sneak into the birthday boy's room and have a little bit of fun... 

Happy 16th Birthday

– ♥ –

World Nutella Day

February 5, 2013...World Nutella Day

Seven years ago, two American expats who live in Italy and who have a passion for Nutella decided to start this celebration to unite Nutella lovers for a day. 

So on a cold, gray February day, how would I honor this marvelous chocolatey hazelnut spread? Last year I made Nutella Brownies and they were gooooooood! This year, I thought and thought and thought (thus the reason for this post coming the day AFTER Nutella Day), and decided on the good ole comfort food, bread pudding. And then the idea grew a little more...serve with creme anglaise and balsamic strawberry sauce. Without further adieu, World Nutella Day celebration 2013 ~ 

Challah Bread from Big Sky Bakery

Oh, these smell heavenly!

Cheers to World Nutella Day ~ 

Groundhog Day 2013

February 2...Groundhog Day...When the world-famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, comes out of his home on Gobbler’s Knob, and a crowd watches anxiously to see if this furry Pennsylvania weather prognosticator will see his shadow. According to Groundhog Day legend, if Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. No shadow forecasts an early spring.

Groundhog Day is an astronomical celebration as the Earth orbits around the sun. It takes place between the December solstice (first day of winter) and the March equinox (first day of Spring).

February 2 is also Candlemas Day, where Christian churches bless the candles for use in the church throughout the coming year. It is the feast of the presentation of Christ in the Temple when Simeon hailed him as “A light to lighten the Gentiles.” 

Immigrants from Great Britain and Germany brought the Groundhog Day celebration to the United States. This tradition can be traced to early Christians when a hedgehog supposedly looked for his shadow on Candlemas Day.

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright

Winter will take another flight,

If Candlemas Day be cloud and rain

Winter is gone and will not come again.

One more superstitious tidbit to go along with this holiday...Having your Christmas decorations up after Groundhog Day is supposed to be bad luck.

Winter is half over; thoughts turn to Spring.

Happy Groundhog Day!

PS...Phil did not see his shadow. Ah, Spring...one can only hope!