FROST.....Thick - Heavy - Beautiful

I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful our valley was on December 8th & 9th.  I've seen thick frost, but never this thick.  It was so heavy it actually broke off a big branch from our birch tree.  Some of it looks like snow, but it was ALL frost!  I actually had over 50 photos loaded to post but I figured that was totally an overload so I cut it way back.  I took 145 photos and I thought cutting it to 50 was doing good, but then I cut two more times.  Beautiful, beautiful...no other words can describe it.  Even pictures can't tell the beauty of what we were able to witness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

And yes, that is my husband out there working in the heavy frost, trying to clear out old, dead trees.

 

 

 

 

The sun shining at the bottom of this bush almost made it look like it was on fire. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where Did My E-mails Go?!

Late afternoon, yesterday, I went to check my emails, and this is what pulled up.

N.O.T.H.I.N.G......I had absolutely nothing on my screen.  Every single e-mail, along with all my folders were gone.  I went in to check if there were any deleted files, sent files, junk files, drafts, etc...again, nothing.  All that I could see was "There are no items in this view" on the main screen and 981 Unread feeds.  I checked to see what the Unread feeds were and they were all from MSNBC News, USA.gov Updates: News and Features, Popular Government Questions from USA.gov, Microsoft at Work, and Microsoft at Home.  I called a technician and he had no idea what had happened but he stated that there was  no way to get it back.  All my folders.....aghhhhhhh....I had numerous folders with things pertaining to my little grandson, family, recipes, church, photography, etc.  Gone, all gone.............breaks my heart!

UPDATE.....Short but awesome story, my emails plus are all back!

Dominion Griddle - The Best

Is there anything better on an early, Saturday morning, than pancakes on the griddle and fried eggs?  Actually, yes.......I also like bacon (didn't have any) and hash browns (after thought).  But if nothing else, the pancakes and eggs were great.

And, the best griddle I have every had, is one that has to be, I'm thinking, at least 40-50 years old (for a surety, 35 years old).  It was my husbands mothers griddle and she passed away in 1982, so how long she had it before that time, I do not know.  One thing I do know, is it is the best, ever.  I've used it a L.O.T in the years since her passing and it cooks everything great.  It has even heating throughout the entire cooking space.

It is very well seasoned and by the few scratches it has, I don't think that the top was originally black.  It has seen its day.  When I first started using it, it did not have a temperature dial on it so I took the face plate off of an old wrist watch and adhered it in place so I would know where to place the setting for pancakes and then if I cook something else, I adjust accordingly.  When I got it where I liked it for pancakes, I put the watch face plate where I needed it so the number 3 space (my lucky number) would be my cooking spot.  It's gotten a bit grungy over the years, but hey, it works.

The name brand is "Dominion" and it was manufactured in Mansfield, Ohio.  Oh how I wish I could find another one of these....you know....just to put in storage just in case something does happen to this one.

It is on its last leg, literally.  Both of the legs have been broken and mended a few times using liquid weld.

This leg actually got a dose of liquid weld this morning, after its busy morning of making pancakes.

Sausage and Cabbage Soup

If you like cabbage soup, then you are going to LOVE This Recipe that I found on the Spend with Pennies, blog.  Her photos alone make you want to devour this soup, even if you don't like cabbage. 
I cannot eat onions, which she has in her recipe and she also uses heavy cream, which I rarely have on hand.  Because of those two reasons, I changed up the recipe, added different spices and a few other ingredients and for us, it is the perfect soup.  I say this because it is now classified as one of my favorite soups.....really.

SAUSAGE & CABBAGE SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1 - 14oz. pkg. Hillshire Farm smoked sausage, cubed or sliced

2 tablespoons butter

1 tsp. dried minced garlic

2 - 14.5oz. cans chicken broth

3 medium potatoes; cubed

2 carrots, sliced

3-4 cups cabbage, chopped

1 stalk celery, sliced (optional)  I put this in if I have it on hand.

1/2 - 1 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tablespoon dried parsley (crushed a little in your hand)

1 tsp. McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning

CREAM MIXTURE:

1/2 cup (1 Cube) butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour mixed with 2 tablespoons powdered milk

2 cups milk

DIRECTIONS:

1.Cook sausage in butter on medium heat until fat has cooked off.

2. While sausage is cooking, cube, slice, and chop the potatoes, carrots, cabbage & celery.

3. When sausage is done cooking, add broth, garlic, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, celery, sea salt, pepper, parsley, and McCormick  seasoning.

4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

5. Melt butter in a small saucepan.  Stir in the flour and powdered milk mixture and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes.

6. Add milk and whisk until smooth.  Continue whisking until thick and bubbly.

7. Add milk mixture to the soup and stir well.

8. Allow to simmer 5 minutes.