Awake and watching the snow fall.  I have my book to finish reading but thought I might just get another recipe in here so I will have it at hand if an when I am ready for trying it out.  This one just sort of fascinates me two things I like and seems like together they would either be awesome or really weird. Seeing that it is snowing , it will probably be a while before I try it, it calls for grilling and I really don’t cherish the idea of shoveling the area around the grill or shoveling the grill off either.

Coffee Rubbed Steak

1/4 c. finely ground coffee beans or espresso powder

2 Tblsp. packed brown sugar

2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

2 boneless beef top sirloin steaks  (1 inch thick 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 lb  each)

1. In a small bowl , mix dry ingredients together. Rub generously on steaks to evenly coat both sides. Leftover rub can  be put in sealed container and frozen for another use.
2. Grill covered 8-12 minutes until desired doneness

Wow last night was one hell of a storm, winds were gusting up to 65 mph and that the weather reporter got that from a near by town because the weather trackers in the city were knocked out.  The electricity was on and off most of the evening and the rain was unbelievable. It was a lot like a tropical storm.

Lots of damage left behind too, nothing really bad in our yard, but some trees sure took a beating and a lot of really tall trees are down in the woods.  It cleared out a lot of snow to make room for more.  In fact as I just looked out it is snowing, and it is a weird snow, looks like the stuff they spray around wreaths and trees at Christmas time , fake snow.

The other day  I got a message on Facebook from someone I haven’t seen or heard from in  at least 20 years. What a kick. Went to school with this lady from baby grades on , looked at her profile photo she hasn’t changed all that much. Still think I would recognize her on the street if I saw her.  Responded to friend request and passed a few messages back and forth .

A lot of miles traveled since then.

My sister thinks ,it’s great to have an old friend come back into your life and that you can pick up from there.  I have no delusions about that, all this time has passed, be lucky if you would remain an acquaintance.

It’s like an entirely different lifetime .

I mentioned before that my sister brought me a treasure box of older cooking magazines and the little specialty category booklets, such as  Potluck Recipes, Grilling and Marinades etc. Slowly I’ve been going through them picking out recipes I want to keep and giving away the books after. Sometimes I keep the entire book if there is enough recipes worth the book taking up more space in this already cluttered space.  Mostly I will pick a few and pass them along . I have some put aside that I’ll be doing some recipe cards with , just need the energy to do it with.  There are some awesome kits come out from Designs by Kristine, that are just begging me to  make into recipe cards with some of these culinary finds from my “treasure box”.

Some of them I just add here to have a quick reference when the mood strikes to cook something a bit different. Here is one of those .

Pulled Beef Sandwiches

1 Large Onion, chopped

1 Cup Barbecue Sauce

1/2 Cup. French Dressing

1/2 Cup Condensed Beef  Broth (from a can)

1 Boneless  Beef Chuck (3 1/2 – 4 lb)

12 Burger Buns , split

1. Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix onion, barbecue sauce , dressing and broth in slow cooker. Add beef ;stir to coat.
2. Cover; cook on LOW heat setting 8-10 hours.
3. Remove beef from slow cooker; skim fat from sauce. Using slotted spoon, place 1/2 cup mixture on bottom of each bun. Cover with tops of buns.

This one I found in a 2008 Pillsbury Potlucks  magazine

Easy meal to do up for Saturday evening or for a crowd watching the ball game at your home.

I love my slow cooker, some great things come out of it , using those inexpensive cuts of meat.

What possesses someone to get out of a warm bed in in the late days of February on a rainy night?  It’s certainly not sanity, more likely the middle age ramblings of hormonally unbalanced female, who wakes up with menopausal hot flashes.

So I headed off to the second bedroom and opened the window to cool off a bit. I sat there waiting and listening to the rain and my mind churns with random thoughts. Nothing profound or witty, just random stuff.

I sat there thinking for awhile and recalled how I used to use to write a great deal, nothing of any matter really. Poetry , short stories, thoughts, crafty project ideas and doodles of course .  I had notebooks all the time , just the simple spiral ringed dollar store bargains , and lots of pens, because they would always run out of ink at inconvenient times.

One time I wanted to be a writer and I guess that still sits in the back of my mind sometimes. However the art of writing and just the thought of pens and papers has practically disappeared from life in general. So now instead of just sitting and writing all sorts of useless bits and bobs , I wait  for the computer to boot . You would think that would give one the chance to get the thoughts into some sort of order, but it doesn’t really they just still come random and goddess knows what will come out. Difference being between writing in a notebook no one will see and writing on a blog is that now it goes out for someone to see, if they care to look.

I have no thought that anyone is really reading this blog, all though on occasion there will be a comment shared by a friend and that is just fine with me, blogging is for me anyway it has taken the place of the pen and paper.  I am thinking there is something lost in the process though. It’s sort of like the difference between holding and reading a hard copy book or reading an e-book. Something is lost in the satisfaction of it. I love the instantaneous fix of an ebook, but it just looses the “comfort ” of holding a book and reading. So it is with writing in a blog on the computer. There is the wonderful spell checker that makes it read better in a computer journal and the fact that  my penmanship has gone to the dogs , chances are no one could read it now, not then anyone would want to, but it is pretty bad, when you can’t really read your own writing any more.

All those years of grade school penmanship practice, and little gold stars on paperwork for having great penmanship has pretty much gone . Not just the gold stars , you can get those at that dollar store too, but when you can’t read your own writing, wow no gold stars here any more.

Just maybe it is time to head back to the dollar store and stock up on notebooks and pens again. Just for the satisfaction of writing again and see what comes of it. Maybe with practice I might  want to get some little gold stars for the paper too.

There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something ever more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another which states that this has already happened…..The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

Spent today just recovering  from the dang intestinal thing. Kicked back watch some television and this  too funny with the cast of Red Dwarf and Ainsley Harriot Can’t Smeg , Won’t Smeg found on You Tube

enjoy.  I am off to bed, hoping to be more myself tomorrow.

I’ve really become quite addicted to the Three Pines Mystery Series by Louise Penny. Awesome Canadian writer love the mysteries that I been reading by her. Best part being in my mind is that unlike so many modern mystery writers the murder doesn’t happen in the first chapter you are well introduced to a lot of the characters in the story before the murder occurs.  It also hauls you back to high school French classes.  It’s a fun read with interesting main characters.  Her story telling reminds me much of Agatha Christie style. Like a good mystery do check her out, she has a blog too.

Since I am still feeling blah and warn down I am taking my current book by her and headed to bed with tea  and a warm fur baby.

Got the awful intestinal virus thing that is going around been stuck between laying down and running to the outhouse, don’t need more info then that. It really wipes you out too. Can’t seem to keep anything down but moxie/ coke and Maalox. What a cocktail. Tried some dried toast today and still being queasy. Spent some time up today did the farm thing and am now headed back to bed. Getting blasted with snow today and tonight and will be cleaning off the car very early in morning before the snow plow arrives and the car needs to be moved. SO taking my cooties and headed back to bed with a Louise Penny novel.

My sister sent me a box of recipe magazines and I been going through them , keeping recipes I like and passing on the magazines to my sister in law and others. Last thing this place needs is more stuff hanging  around. So any way in one magazine came across this scone recipe , haven’t made them yet but I intend to soon.

Apple Cheddar Scones

1-3/4 cups All- Purpose Flour

2 Tblsp. Sugar

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/3 Cup cold Butter

1 cup Buttermilk

1 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 C. Diced Apples

In a bowl combine the first five ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Gently fold in cheese and apples. Turn onto floured surface and knead 10 times.

Pat into 9-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Separate wedges and place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 -degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8

Just had to call an ambulance for Bill, and send him to the ED . Not sure what is happening , he was not looking good, and having cold sweats. I am sitting here waiting  and waiting. When I go to the emergency department with him it seems to make him more nervous and he worries about me being there.

The visiting nurse was here this morning and everything was pretty good, and he has been eating during the day and just doing his normal activities.

They found that he was allergic to the anti biotic he was sent out of the hospital with and took him off that and started him on prednisone  (sp?).

He has SVTs (Supraventricular tachycardia) he has an an extra electrical pathway to the heart that is a birth defect and they have suggested an ablation, but with the cancer  it was decided to wait off on it.

When I am stressed I blog  and blog nonsense it but it seems to get me thru the stress by concentrating on something else.  There are a lot worse things I could be doing no doubt. Which I can think of several right now but would only create more stress down the road.

He just called from the hospital and said they got him back in rhythm in the ambulance and they are doing blood work and chest x-ray for the pneumonia . He is getting antsy and wants to get out .  Grumpy beats complacency.