We really enjoyed our little snowstorm ~ all two inches! But it was enough to give the schoolchildren 1-3/4 days off. Allen's Tang Soo Do class was canceled.


I love living in the country when it snows. Everything is so beautifully white. Because we have a well that runs on electricity, I asked Allen to fill up our white, plastic 55-gallon drum with water, and place it to the left of the basement door. Well, he thought I meant outside the basement door...so now we have a huge block of ice that is supposed to be used for potty water in an emergency. What a laugh.
Lizzie's homemade fence looks pretty nice.

The birdies like their new feeder I bought at the thrift shop for 50 cents.
Yesterday was our day to cook for Grandaddy's church because last week the pipes froze and broke. Normally we cook on the third Wednesday. Grandaddy is on his way home from Texas right now (and sick with a flu bug), so the rest of the clan pitched in. Simba was in charge. Our theme for the night was Mexican Food. Everyone seemed to like it more than usual. Simba made the best fajitas ~ beef, chicken and shrimp. We also had mexican rice, refried beans, several kinds of salsas, cornbread (a real hit...and it was the only thing we made from a box!), and for the non-mexican folks (bless their poor souls) we had hotdogs and chili.
My contribution was 6 quarts of homemade salsa. I was asked for the recipe several times. I should have known better and typed up some cards. I always get asked for the recipe.
My secret ingredient for both my salsa and my salad dressing, is this brown rice vinegar from Emperor's Kitchen. I buy it from my co-op, but I've seen it in health food stores.
I took my food processor to see if I could make light work of all the chopping. What a good decision!

I have a Cuisinart 14-cup processor that I love. I bought it in 1995, and just last week I had to replace a small $20 part. But that's okay, this processor has been a workhorse in my kitchen. And it was very easy to replace the part by ordering online. The only feature I wish it had is a continuous flow chute. But that is an expensive feature.

The other good decision I made was to take my own sharp knives. I bought these knife covers a few years ago, and I've used them many times since. I bought them at a clearance store, but you can buy them here also.

Here's Allen with my nephew Cody. Cody and his Dad, Floyd, showed up to be taste testers. My nephew, Dustin (my brother Mike's son), also showed up to do his share of work.

Ruthie always enjoys working at Saysf. The only person missing was darling Abby (9 months now!) because her Momma is a sensible person and kept her home out of the freezing rain. Boo hoo.

After all the chopping, slicing and dicing was done, the children played volleyball in the gym. We all had such a great time working together. We weren't sure what kind of night it would be because of the snow and fog, but Saysf had a business meeting scheduled for after dinner, which usually draws large crowds. There were only 50-60 people.
This morning Allen ate a burrito with rice, black beans, lettuce and chicken. It sure smelled good! I came home with two gallons of leftover chili, so I froze it and will take it to church this Sunday for our fellowship dinner.

While it was snowing this week, I took the chance to make Sourdough Focaccia. It took longer than usual to rise, so it wasn't done until late at night. Everyone said it was delicious. I just couldn't bear to eat carmelized onions that late at night.

Cantaloups are on sale at Walmart for $2 each, so I made some fruit salad with grapes, cantaloup, pineapple and orange slices. Yummy! The cantaloups are very sweet. Walmart also has avocados on sale for .68 each...so treat yourself to some guacamole! Just a note about our super Walmart here in California, MD. You always have to watch the checkout process. It is not unusual for the regular prices to come up on sale items. Yes, it's a bother.

Anna just talked to Grandad. He's doing much better, all over with his sickness. They are already in Richmond. He made the entire trip from Corpus Christi to Richmond with one 10 minute nap in Louisiana. That's a record! It's amazing how quickly Grandad healed when he learned he couldn't see darling Abby if he wasn't well!

So that's our busy week so far. Today we are catching up on laundry, cleaning, schoolwork and music practice. Our snow is quickly disappearing.

Many blessings ~ Kathie