Another Day of Graaay!

Evie's Valentine Cookies

Up at 6:15, a dusting of snow on the ground, when I picked up the paper.  It seemed colder than the 29º, a high today of 32º, very windy, with snow showers, not a very nice day to be outside.  The lake is one vast gray surface, partly snow covered off towards Bemus.  I can hear the wind howl as I write and listen to Morning Joe.

8:00 and Gray

Yesterday started with Yin Yoga, only five of us in class, so once again, we were able to use the wall, pick out what parts of the body we wanted to emphasize; for me, it's always the lower back.  It was a good class, as we did various poses with the wall, as well as some I had never done before.  After yoga, I went off to Bon Ton, the local department store, to buy a 5 quart  Enamel Dutch Oven, advertised price, $140.00, sale price, $50.00.  It was just what wanted for my No Knead Bread recipes, which I intend on perfecting over the next month.  Basically, you mix the flour, water, salt and yeast for 30 seconds, let it sit for up to 18 hours, knead briefly, let sit for two hours, then put it in the hot Dutch Oven, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, easy.  I will keep you updated on how it goes.  I am optimistic.

New Dutch Oven

No Knead Bread Rising

While I was shopping, Evie made Soft Lemon Sugar cookies, all heart shapes, and decorated them in pink to send to Nick and Marlena, our grandchildren, in Kansas City, for Valentine's Day.  The Albarrans and Bissells will be here on Friday, so we made some for them as well but won't send them.  The cookies turned out fantastic, just like Mom used to make, and I loved the pink decorations that Evie created.  Our grandchildren are lucky to have a Granny like Evie.  My contribution...I mailed them at the Stow Post Office.  Mid afternoon, Evie went to work out at the YMCA and shop some for our coming weekend with our kids and grandchildren.  We both are getting excited about their visit and want to have the house and meals ready for them to enjoy.  Today is another big shopping day, once we decide on what meals we are having for the first three days.  Decisions!

For dinner, we had the leftover chicken curry from last Friday, still good and filling, with jasmine rice.  We watched the next two hours of Downton Abbey, a surprising uplifting episode as most of the troubles worked out for the best.  Bates is out of prison, and Thomas, the gay butler, is outed but ends up keeping his job.  It ended with a cricket match between the town and Downton Abbey, reminiscent of the Kennedy clan's touch football games.

Yoga is cancelled today, unfortunately, as our teacher has a bum knee.  I would have thought he could have still taught class, just not done the poses with us.  A bump in my day, which yoga like, I will not let upset me.  Grrrr.