Random Goodness

I haven't been around much lately, because our PC crashed last week.  I'm not sure when things will be running smoothly again, but wanted to say hello today from J's laptop.  The muscari or grape hyacinth have joined the daffodils in blooming this warm February. 

Some of you may remember my desire to do a random act of kindness on my last birthday.  This woman took it to a whole new level, inspiring lots of folks along the way.  I love finding stories of goodness online.  Thanks, Jennifer, for inspiring the title, and Pinning the story.

The Green Industrial Revolution

Today, I want to share the new website and facebook page of New Earth Fabricators.  Joseph and Rick have been hard at work, doing biofuel-related projects, as well as other fun jobs, including a base for a table destined for a lakehouse.  Check out their website here, and like them on fb, to keep up with their latest adventures here.  Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

A Little Bit of Winter

I hope your weekend was a good one. We attended a 50th birthday party/dinner/roast, with some excellent local food and drink. One of the offerings was Lisa's Chocolate Stout Cake. She and Dave have recently opened a cafe, and are soon to open the first of several rooms of their B&B.  Joseph and I were fortunate to have had lunch there recently.  They use a great deal of local foods to make some delicious fare.

Finally, we had a taste of winter with a wet snowfall last night.  By this morning, most had melted, but the pups got their first taste of snow.  This is a sneak peek of the walkway we're working on.  More to come!

A Little Different Ranch Dressing

It was a gorgeous walk to the mailbox this morning.  Fairly warm, blue skies, with the sound of spring peepers down at the pond.  I've tried several new recipes recently.  There were 3 keepers and one not so much.  I was reminded that any recipe including both apples and onions is not going to be to my liking.  But, I'll share one of the keepers.  The original recipe is here.  It's a Buttermilk Ranch dressing, which I tweaked to use kefir and fresh herbs.  I've only recently come to appreciate Ranch dressing, the good homemade sort anyway.

Ranch Dressing

1/2c kefir (substitute buttermilk if you'd like)
1/2c mayonnaise
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
a nice handful of parsley, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp lemon juice

Whisk together the ingredients, and store in a jar for up to one week.  Shake before serving.

It's easy to make a substitute for buttermilk, if you only have milk on hand. Just add 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to the 1/2c milk (1 tbs for 1 c milk, etc), and in about 10 minutes, it will have curdled.  Use just the same in any recipe calling for buttermilk.  I've been making progress pruning trees and bushes this week.  I'm looking forward to getting out there again on this lovely day.  Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Of All Sorts

                    May love of all sorts surround you this day.

A Muffin Kind of Morning

No snow yet, but it is definitely wintry here, with a low last night and tonight at 20 degrees.  I woke up thinking it was a blueberry muffin kind of morning.  A little extra heat from the oven, to supplement the woodstove, is welcome on this kind of morning.  I spent the day helping out at Whynot Pottery yesterday, doing some waxing and a little work on a project of my own.  No matter what I do there, it's always enjoyable.  A pretty setting, beautiful handcrafted objects, plus wonderful folks equals good times.  They grow some lovely daffodils too, don't you think?

A Fine Good Morning

While enjoying a cup of coffee this morning, I found that Meredith had given me a Versatile Blogger Award.  Well, thanks for that!  As this needs to be passed on, here are a few of the talented folks I enjoy reading.

Anne at Blue Hen Pottery
Stephanie at Peace, Love, and Home
Jennifer at Under the BIG Blue Sky
Deb at Homespun Living
Lesley at The Bower  
Meredith at Phoebe Hollow 

So, here are a few wonderful & talented bloggers.  I learn much, laugh more, and get lots of inspiration from them.  I enjoy keeping up with all the folks on my blogroll, and hope you'll visit the others too.  OK, now for a few random things about me:

-I'm left-handed
-I'm much more tolerant of hunters as a vegetarian than I was before (respectful ones)
-I'd really love a pair of handmade shoes, flats not heels, size 4 1/2
-I do at times hug trees
-I took the name of a great-grandmother after my divorce, as a way to honor my feminine ancestors and myself, as a strong, single woman
-My brother makes me laugh more than anyone I know

Off to take care of some not so fun things, so I can get to the fun things.  Happy National Bagels & Lox Day!

MidWinter

The weekend was a raw, gray one.  By Saturday evening, I had a bit of winter doldrums.  To counter that yesterday, there was more than the usual lighting on in the house, some candles lit, a batch of blueberry pancakes, music playing, and a new pink gerbera daisy on the table.  How do you cope with midwinter?

Choose Love

The faces on this Save The Children scarf remind me of the message in this beautiful and uplifting video, A Message of Hope.  There's some fascinating science, along with gorgeous imagery, and wisdom from a number of noteworthy people.  Watch it full-screen when you have a few minutes.  It's worth it. 

Almost all of the mending is done.  That was quite a basket full!  I transplanted 3 lemon balm plants into a fairly shady area, as I read that it's an herb that does well in shade.  Shiso is another one, and I tossed seeds I gathered in the fall here as well.  I'm hoping this area, next to the path to the house, will begin to fill in this year.  Have a wonderful weekend, friends!