Hello everyone :)
Look at my Carrot Cake! :) I hope you're all having a nice weekend. It's snowing today and the snowmobiling neighbours left early to go back to the city, so everything is nice and quiet! :) I have a chicken brining and we're going to have a roasted chicken dinner tonight. What's on your plate these days?
I didn't realize how much of that cream cheese frosting I'd loaded on top until we cut it! I'm challenging myself to try a new recipe each week and I'll post about that on Sundays. The new recipe I tried was Cheddar and Cauliflower Soup.
It was really good though it needs a sharper Cheddar next time. For fun I made these bread bowls too. February 2nd is not just Groundhog Day. :) It's also a celebration called Imbolc. My ancestors celebrated this day to welcome the coming of spring and the beginning of the agricultural cycle and the lambing season. At this time of year, my ancestors would eat whatever was lingering in the root cellars and the pantry so I wanted to make a dinner with veggies and grains to honour them. :)
It's been cold and sunny here in the Laurentians! Do you believe weather lore? See the clouds in the left photo? Here is some weather lore to go along with that photo:
“Trace in the sky the painter’s brush, the winds around you soon will rush." The “painter’s brush” are those thin and wispy cirrus clouds. These clouds usually appear before the approach of a storm system. I took that photo on Friday, we had a huge windstorm on Saturday and today we have a snow storm. Kind of cool! :)
I decided to start my own tradition to welcome spring. I wanted to plant some seeds. Our winters are so long that I thought it would be nice to have some flowers and herbs growing by the window. I finally organized my seeds too!
I have four types of flowers and 4 herbs planted! See the burgundy on the pots? Plant cozies! :) I'm trying to give the plants a little help with some extra warmth...who knows if it'll work or not? I have three more to knit! The window is very sunny during the day so that's not a problem, it's the cold nights where I worry that the plants might not be too happy. Wouldn't it be lovely to have flowers growing in about a month or so?
When Stella first arrived here in September, her and Charlie were severe enemies...always fighting. But look at them now, sharing the cage at bedtime. :)
Oscar and me. :) Lately Oscar has been sitting on my lap and watching "bird television" on You Tube with me. He loves it! When I turn it off though, he walks behind the laptop trying to find out where they went!
I love the way you structure you life (and food!) around the seasons and celebrations. Seems very natural, the way it should be.
ReplyDeleteI'm working on my garden plan this morning so it was fun to see the little seeds you've started. Also going to go through my seeds and order what I'll need . . . which I don't think will be very much. (Yes, I'm quite tardy in doing that this year.)
The pictures of the dogs (I think that shows you and Alex have created a very secure environment for them) and cat on your lap watching "bird television" put a big smile on my face. :o]
Happy Sunday to you both!
Good looking cake, you have put me in the mood for carrot cake and luckily this time I actually have some.
ReplyDeleteSnow, sleet and freezing rain here.
Man oh man, look at that cream cheese frosting -- yowza! Love your soup bread bowls too. And Oscar is so cute! HRH also used to watch movies in bed with My Rare One and her laptop.
ReplyDeleteLol-when I saw the cake slice I thought 'she's like me! the cake is there to hold up the frosting' then I read what you wrote.
ReplyDeleteYour soup bowls are neat. I'm not a brave cook, tend to only make the same things.
Your predicting clouds remind me of the halo around the moon forecasting rain - although I never kept track to confirm the accuracy of that.
Love your seed organizing! And putting them with the gardening books; I may steal this idea. ;)
My neighbor's cat was in the wood shed this morning. Trigger was very angry at the invasion and loudly protested. I don't know if cats ever make friends like dogs will.
If I could reach through this screen, your carrot cake would go mysteriously missing!
ReplyDeleteI love how your cat uses the computer. :)
That carrot cake looks sooo good!
ReplyDeleteEs un placer pasar por su blog, Saludos
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun, dog house tent. LOVE the thick layer of frosting on your carrot cake; yummy! And I love your seeds set up. I want to grow something in our kitchen sill where some of the best light is.
ReplyDeleteRain, your posts are always so much fun to read. I don't even know where to start. Maybe I'll start with the cake...LOL... I love that the dogs have become such good friends. Isn't it heartwarming? Was it insecurity that had them butting heads? An alpha dog competition? Territory dispute? Or an argument on who gets the last piece of your cakes and pies? LOL Just joking. I'm really happy that things have turned out well.
ReplyDeleteVery cool about the clouds. Not so cool that it's coming our way by Wednesday :) We should be getting quite a bit of snow on Wednesday, again on Friday and then some more on Saturday and Sunday. BLEH...so tired of it all. I hope your seeds are successful and you get to enjoy some flowers soon. Hope those flowers up and give the people hope! hehe (Can you guess which movie I'm thinking of?)
Oscar and the bird television...hahahaha...adorable!
i would love that soup bowl recipe! oscar is too cute! you should put cloches on the plants. just use clear plastic cups. that would help a lot! we were supposed to get snow but it became warm and rained. we are heading north on tuesday to a 'snow event' which is now what they call a snow storm! i need a good snow fix. spring will be here too soon.
ReplyDeletethat cake looks amazing!! trying a new recipe everyweek is a great idea , especially on winter when we are a bit bored,, Garry and I had a root cellar, so did our families and we were so fortunate to never buy root vegies, onions, cabbage,, all those long keepers,, when we moved to town, we sold our home with our root cellar and the people that bought our house tore it out and made it into a games room lol,,
ReplyDeleteyour soup in the bread bowls looks so good,, yummo!
It is seed time,, exciting!!
Ohhhhh, the frosting on your cake!!!!!! Yesssss!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNever tried a bread soup bowel, but what a great presentation they make.
Never heard the painter's brush clouds lore. Have heard that 'horses tails' foretell bad weather, though.
Your critters are so cute.
Hope your seedlings will cooperate! And appreciate their 'scarves'...
Like Oscar, Lily walks behind the tv trying to figure out where it is coming from. So funny....I wonder all the time what my babes are thinking. I love that the two dogs are not fighting anymore. That can be stressful in itself. Wow...hoping that you have some beautiful flowers come up. I was reading a blog today about African Violets and thinking just how pretty they are. I used to have a couple but lost them....thinking I need some for my deck this yr. Purple ones! I love Purple flowers and I think I have several different purples in my flower garden.
ReplyDeleteYour bread bowls filled with hot soup and that cake . . . oh my, I would gain 50 pounds or maybe more eating your home cooking. Everything always looks unbelievably good:)
ReplyDeleteStay warm,
Connie :)
Oh my, homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! Reading your posts always gives me cravings. That's cute about your cat looking where the birds went. We've tried bird videos with our cats, too. How was your brined chicken? -Jenn
ReplyDeleteWe love carrot cake here! Your version looks delicious Rain!
ReplyDeleteLove the doggies sleeping together, and that Oscar is just the neatest cat to watch bird-TV.
Busy gal as always -
I haven't even thought about my garden yet - probably because it is firmly encased in snow and ice right now. I just LOVE your pot cosies! What a great idea! Can't wait to see if they make a difference. How nice that the dogs are all getting along. It is such a necessity with five of them. I had an Irish Setter once that used to stare at bird TV, then try to find the birds behind the set when it was turned off.
ReplyDeleteI love that garden window!
ReplyDeleteAlso carrot cake is one of my favourites. I don't want to say diet but I have changed my eating habits since the New Year...eating a lot of lettuce wraps with various things. That soup looks so good but I would not be able to eat the bowl!!!
Wow! Are those three boxes full of seeds? Cute how the cat goes behind the TV to see where the birds were. Coco gets down and barks at the dogs on TV. Love how those two are cuddled in the same kennel. Nancy
ReplyDeleteThat cream cheese frosting looks amazing! I'm sure the carrot cake underneath it was delicious, too. And the weather lore was interesting. My favorite (and oft stated one) is Red skies in morning, sailors take warning, red skies at night, sailors delight. I'm not sure it's lore as much as observation of a natural occurrence, but I feel like an old sage saying it. lol Your animal pictures are adorable, as are the stories behind them. :)
ReplyDeleteAll I want to do is eat that cake!!! It looks delicious!! :)
ReplyDeleteI love honoring the seasons and the foods to go with it. If we just listen to our bodies, it will whisper to us what we need to do for nourishment. Now that we are getting lighter at night, my body is starting to shift to lighter meals. And I am listening to it!
I watch the skies and do find that the clouds tell us what's coming. Druidry is a long time interest of mine and I do dabble in it. They are all about the land, the sky and the sea. :)
Love that the pups are sharing a den! Well done!!
Hi Mama Pea :) Thank you :) I'm so happy that all the dogs are feeling good here and safe - for me the security part is the most important. I don't ever want them to feel abandoned or insecure that we will ship them off somewhere again. Poor souls!
ReplyDeleteI do hope that my flowers and herbs grow in the window! I have high hopes again! :) I think I have enough seeds from last year, except I need starter potatoes, but otherwise, that's my BIG seed order for this year!
Hi Gill :) Thanks! I'm glad you have some cake to eat!
ReplyDeleteHi Debra :) Yeah, I could eat just the cream cheese frosting on its own lol. The cats are so funny. One of ours has zero attention span but the other two can sit for hours in front of the laptop!
ReplyDeleteHi TPals :) That's funny!! I DO believe the cake is there to hold up the frosting lol...but that cream cheese frosting is RICH...I'm sure it would have tasted great on a bagel! :) When I met Alex he had two cats and we added a third. They don't really hang out together, they fight...the dogs though, they become really dependent on each other. At least in our home.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandi :) Oh ha ha! That's where the cake went! ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine :) It WAS good (2 days it lasted). :)
ReplyDeleteGracias José :)
ReplyDeleteHi Stefanie :) This rental is weird. They put all the windows mostly on the North side of the house where there is never any sun...I have two windows facing South, the one in my office and one in the kitchen. I have to squish all the little pots there to get any growth during winter. But the cats love to try to pull it all apart on me too so I have that against me! I really hope my flowers sprout! I need some "summer" soon! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Martha :) I'm so glad you like my posts, thank you! :) Honestly, both Charlie and Stella are unfixed alpha females, yeegods...it took them both a LONG time to get along. Charlie is the alpha female of our pack...Jack is the alpha male, Marlene is in between...but Stella was the alpha in her family and she really suffered I think, trying to figure out her place. Pavlov was easy, give him a pat on the head and he's in love with you lol...but Stella did take these last 4 months to really feel at home and I'm so glad she's happy now. :)
ReplyDeleteThere is a LOT of snow in the forecast here too for this week...I don't want to shovel anymore boo hoo hoo! I'm so tempted to take some savings and get either a snowblower or a snow service...but we're trying to save money so we figured we'd "man up" and do the shoveling ourselves.
Oh you've stumped me! "Hope those flowers up and give the people hope"...please tell me which movie!!!!
Hi Joyce :) Thanks! I replied on your blog about the soup bread bowls! :) Cloches are good ideas. I will look for those next time I'm out, that creates the greenhouse effect doesn't it? I hope you enjoy your time up north! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Laurie :) Yes, I do want to try something new each week. I'm falling into a pattern where I tend to make all the same stuff and I'm getting a little bored by it. I love to be excited about the food I make, so I'm pushing myself a little! Oh my gosh, I don't know what I would think if someone turned my old root cellar into a games room! I can't wait to have one of my own! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Wisps of Words :) By the way, love your new profile photo! :) I do have scarves for the plants lol...I hope they can handle the cold window. This time of year there is plenty of sun though so fingers crossed! I used to make a spinach dip in a bread bowl too, so you can rip off the bread and dip it in, it was so good, I think I'm going to have to make that again soon! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Pam :) You are right...it was very stressful with Stella and Charlie because they are big dogs and when they fought it was vicious and scary. We always felt like we were watching them and could't relax if they were alone. It's a big relief that they're getting along now. I love purple flowers too, especially pansies :) I hope the flowers bloom too! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Connie :) Thanks! :) Running after the pets would keep you in shape so you could have all the home cookin' here! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn :) The chicken was FALL OFF THE BONE...and I only get that result if I brine it for about 4-6 hours. I just fill up a bowl with cold water, add about a handful of brown sugar and a handful of Kosher salt, mix it up , put the chicken in and it stays in the fridge before I cook it. I will never NOT brine a bird! :) The cats are funny with the bird videos! Especially if a squirrel happens by!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary :) The peaceful pet life is finally here...phewf! It was a stressful few months! Maybe I should be calling the cake a Cream Cheese Cake lol! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Susan :) Oh gosh, yes...my yard is encased in snow too. But I'm really missing some greenery...and flowers. I really hope the cozies help them! LOL, that's cute about your setter. Those are lovely dogs! I babysat for a couple who had a setter once, oh how he drooled.... :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn :) Oh good luck with your new eating plan!!! I know what you mean, the word "diet" has been so skewed into some kind of weird definition since the 80's. It's linked with women losing weight rather than what you actually eat.
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy :) Yes I did it! I organized my seeds :) Now...the outside of the boxes look great! Inside, the seed packets are not in any order! I just put them in little baggies and filed them away. It works for now! :) Coco is so cute, my pugs used to watch any show with a dog in it! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Becki :) Ha! That's funny that you feel like an old sage saying weather lore! It's all based on observation I think :) It's cool though to see it develop before your eyes too. The whole cake was delicious, that recipe I found is a keeper that's for sure! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Dianna :) Sorry my friend, the cake is long gone! lol...I feel the same way, but my body only desires lighter food with the temperature change, light doesn't tell me to stop eating cake and fondue lol :) I think that's very cool that you're into Druidry. I would relate to that very much considering their belief system. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are an amazing cook Rain! My mouth is watering! I believe in weather lore! I think that is so cool about the sky! I will have to watch out for that now! Love that you are planting your seeds! Those plant cozies are special! Your puppies are adorable! I haven't stopped laughing about your cat looking for the birds! LOL! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw that carrot cake my mouth started watering. LOL I knew that would be a hit. YOu are quite the cook. Love the bowls. neat and good too I bet.
ReplyDeleteI love the curiosity of a cat!
Great visit!
Hi Magic Love Crow :) LOVE the "uke" Avatar for your profile! :) Thank you for your comment :) I have become a homemaker, housewife...you name it, I'm all about making home cozy and I really think it starts in the kitchen! I'm really hoping the flowers will bloom more than anything! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jack :) The carrot cake is so good, it's the best recipe I've found, very moist! Of course, I do load on the frosting :) Thanks for visiting here :)
ReplyDeleteOh, that carrot cake look SO good. I am staying away from fats therefore none for me. I looked up pancreatic diet and am trying to follow it and it seems to be better although except for bacon and butter I was already eating pretty healthy or so I thought. I will live vicariously through your "yummies". Are your ancestors Celtic by any chance?
ReplyDeleteLook at you with the gardening and the weather lore...you are such an interesting person, Rain. I'm sorry I have fallen behind in reading your blogs as they are so uplifting and really motivate me! Look at those 2 sleeping together....amazing! It's the love and peace that permeates your home so they feel safe and well cared for.
Absolutely love the bird t.v.....what a hoot! I'm going to go find it on my t.v. for Grace. She actually likes to watch t.v....the only one besides me.
Thanks Sam :) You had a good reason to fall behind, so don't even think twice! I'm glad you're looking into foods that are okay for the pancreas. I was told fat is the major culprit. I hope you're still eating comfort foods though! :) And yes, my ancestors are Celtic! :)
ReplyDelete