I learned the hard way that it really DOES matter what order you put the ingredients into the bread machine. Oh well...the dog, cat and chicken still loved it. This is the second loaf...done correctly. I'm not sure why Maggie thought you needed an apple to get an idea of the correct bread height. Second loaf is almost finished so I just made a whole wheat sourdough loaf. Smells heavenly!

This is tonight's dinner. There's a story behind this meal. Today I baked corned beef, potatoes and cabbage in my new Romertopf clay baker. When dinnertime was only a half-hour away, the meat was still tough and far from being done...but the cabbage and potatoes were finished. So I quickly pan-fried some tilapia (takes 3 minutes to thaw 10 fillets in warm water!) and stirred up some cocktail sauce. I was already sauteeing some celeriac.

What is celeriac? It is a kind of celery grown as a root vegetable. You eat the bulb, not the stems and leaves. Reminds me of jicama. Celeriac is good for you...and contains very little starch, unlike most root veggies. Tastes and smells like celery. Yummy!

Tonight at 9 pm, I finally took the corned beef out of the oven, and it was delicious! Tender but not falling apart. The recipe calls for 2/3 cup of red wine.

I used this burgundy wine that I buy from the Navy Exchange. I hope I don't offend anyone with this picture. Our family never drinks wine but I do use it occasionally for cooking. (Cooking wine has too much salt.) I also use this Livingston Cellars wine because most other wines use casein (dairy product) in the production of wines. LC does not.

Anyhow, the burgundy wine gave the meat a really nice flavor. Hubby loved it!
Here's a quick picture of a jello mold I made yesterday. Hubby and I loved it...but my children couldn't even swallow it! It contains lime jello, cucumber, horseradish, vinegar, onion and salt. As I read the recipe to type this, I learned that it also contains mayo! I forgot to put it in...and it was good without. Oh well.

Today we met Sarah, Abigail, and my parents for the usual thrift shop and Burger King get-together. Abigail loves to shop. Sorry, no pics. You can only take so many pictures of the same event! But I will show you our thrift shop finds this week. Of course, anything with Texas on it is a definite must-buy...especially when it is cheap!

Judging by the inkstains on the inside, this is a pen holder.

Another jar with my favorite clip-top to add to my collection for 25 cents.

I also bought this sewing basket for $3. Every time the girls do hand sewing, I get nervous with the loose needles, pins and scissors. Hopefully this basket will help.

The basket opens like this. I have been trying to find a sewing basket that stands on the floor. I will keep looking.

Couldn't resist for 75 cents. Can't be reminded enough.

Today we stopped by a favorite amish quilt store off the beaten path. I should've taken pics. Next time. Anyhow, we went in search of a quilt template for Anna. I had bought one from this store about 12 years ago that got worn out. Mary Hertzler (store owner) had many choices, but not the meandering pattern that we wanted. So she gave us her catalog from last year so we could order it for ourselves! This is a thick catalog. I can't wait for an hour to sit and browse through it!

For you local folks who sew, Mary sells gingher scissors for excellent prices. Even cheaper than Joann's Fabrics' half off sale. If you want directions, send me an email.

Walmart had apples on sale this week, so I stocked up. Don't they look delicious? They aren't...they are gala and granny smiths. :-)

The week is flying by. Today is the last cold day before a gradual warming up. I noticed the amish are tilling their fields in a big way. Won't be long til spring!

Many blessings ~ Kathie