Baking

We've decided to try baking our own bread for awhile, its cheaper and tastes better so why not. The only problem is because is tastes better, we eat more, hence it feels like I'm always in the kitchen making bread. Now, on top of that, we keep having company for dinner and I'm in the middle of holiday baking, so I think I really am spending all of my days in the kitchen. It is fun, but for some reason I'm getting tired. Today was laundry, Sweet Orange Christmas bread, and Anise/Springerle Cookies (or as I call them, German Curse Cookies). I've already over cooked one pan full. I can't feel too bad though, I'm only making them this year because my mother-in-law (who has not messed up since I got married) ended up with tougher than usually cookies this year. So, we'll see how mine are, a little too brown might not be too bad. I had them just about right last year, but this year I took the easy method and I'm using a different oven. The cook times really are that delicate that a different oven can make a difference, every minute counts. I think I'll sleep through this weekend again. And now to finish laundry . . .

Chubby

It may be we have several pet squirrels, but they all seem to be large. So we are just going to assume that this is the main squirrel, and I'm naming him Chubby. He might be slim come spring, but he doesn't seem to be starving any now. He is doing a great job of cleaning the Chokecherries off of the trees. I'm sure he is glad that I didn't turn them into jam this year. Last night we even had a visit from two antelope. Only Hubby saw them, but I'm assuming he knows what antelope look like by now. Though he could be having traumatic hallucinations of antelope by now.

Oh Look . .

Oh, look, I am still alive, I forget sometimes. Thanksgiving was good, my folks were here and we played and shopped and ate, and then ate some more.

Lately we have been freezing, most days have been between 0 and -20 after the wind chill. Fuzzy is the only one that wants to go outside. Hubby and I have been huddling by the fire and seeing how fast we can shove insulation into the attic space. We have a about 75% of the accessible attic space done, it feels so much better. At least the upstairs is getting warm, other rooms are still cold, our walls are just too well chilled. I did see wet spots today. We were only supposed to hit 20, but maybe we had areas that broke freezing. It is nice to see the snow melting again.