Treats from a Fellow Blogger

I was having a rough day today, so it was particularly sweet to receive a prize package from one of the drawings during the “Bloggy Giveaways Carnival” last month. Kathy, author of The Duckabush Blog, graciously sent me a package with a sweet note, a Dove dark chocolate bar (YUM!), and a Starbucks gift card. Thank you, Kathy, for lifting my spirits and sending me a little package of joy! Hip, hip, hooray! Hubby and I reserve Starbucks coffee treats for our traveling adventures, and the gift card will be happily used during our upcoming vacation in the western U.S. The chocolate will probably be consumed sometime this week, LOL.

It has been delightful for me to be introduced to Kathy’s Christian life in the state of Washington, her loving husband, and her adorable children.

New Stir-Fry Recipe

My sweet hubby tried a new recipe last night, compliments of Betty Crocker. It is a stir-fry dish, with a hint of spicy heat. We decided that this recipe was definitely a keeper!

SPICY PEANUT CHICKEN

¼ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp grated gingerroot
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts
2 medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)

Mix broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper. Set aside.

Heat wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add oil; rotate wok to coat side. Add chicken, garlic, and gingerroot. Stir-fry about 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Add bell pepper; stir-dry 1 minute.

Add broth mixture to wok. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until sauce is thickened. Stir in peanuts. Sprinkle with onions.

Makes 4 servings.

On The Mend

I hope that everyone had a nice Easter!

Despite all my precautions, I caught some of the sickness cooties that have been sweeping the nation. I have been down for the count this past week with bronchitis. After a trip to the emergency room Saturday night and obtaining more medicine, I am finally on the mend. I don’t think I have ever coughed so much in my life, and I welcome the day that my ribs are no longer sore, LOL. We have a lot of spring-related activities ahead of us, so I hope to regain my strength back soon.

Jerpoint Abbey

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! One of the fascinating places that we saw when we went to Ireland in 2001 was Jerpoint Abbey. It is located in the southeast part of the island in County Kilkenny, a little south of Thomastown. The abbey dates back to the second half of the twelfth century, and it is well known for its stone carvings.

Getting Fit, A Little at a Time

At the close of the holiday season, we decided that this is our year to get serious about being fit. Now that we are both retired, we can take the time to put our health goals back on track.

At the beginning of the year, we joined a local fitness center not far from our home. It is part of the Snap Fitness chain. The facility is new, clean, convenient, and open 24 hours per day. The manager gal is a sweetheart, and a very patient and cheerful trainer has coached us. We have been going for an hour every day for cardio work on the treadmill (for me) and bike (for hubby) and then fitness workouts.

We are getting a bit stronger and excess weight is starting to come off. We are also eating more sensibly and cutting back on calories. I have now achieved 27% of my weight loss goal since we started. We estimate that it will take us most of 2008 to reach our goals, and then we will begin to make adjustments for maintenance.

There are days that I get discouraged because of all of the aches and pains. I want all the ugly fat to disappear NOW. Wishful thinking, hahaha! It’s just not going to happen that way, since it didn’t get flung on me overnight. Slow and steady is going to win the battle. While I wait, I am happy to see less and less of me in the mirror each morning.

Winter Can Take a Hike

After dinner tonight, I picked a bunch of daffodils and made our first flower bouquet of the year. We are so ready for spring!

The Elusive Woodpecker

We've had a light snow shower today, so there has been a lot of activity at the birdfeeders. Our resident woodpecker has been quite elusive since we discovered his visits a couple of weeks ago. We noticed that he has been paying particular attention to the gazebo wood on the opposite side of our solarium window. So my husband decided to outwit the fellow and turn the feeder around on the post. The clever ploy worked! I was able to snap one picture of the yellow-bellied sapsucker before he spotted me through the glass and flew off.

Daffodils! Hooray!

I vividly remember when I first moved down to Tennessee. I left central Illinois and drove my car, loaded to the gills, on Saturday, March 5, 1977. I had a new job in Chattanooga and was going to start work on Monday. After living in the Midwest all my life, I was astounded to see that daffodils were already blooming!

So the first week of March always means that the daffodils should be peeking out down here in Tennessee to cheer us with their sunny blooms. The flowers this year have not let me down, and today is the first day of their blooms in our flowerbeds! I can’t wait for more to join these first brave little ones so that I can have some beautiful bouquets in the house.

Tweeters

The birds around here keep us entertained. We've gone through a couple hundred pounds of sunflower and thistle seed this winter. We stock up with good quality seed down at a local farmers’ co-op store, and our feathered friends gobble it up in no time flat! My sweet baboo fills up the feeders about every other day. The heat and drought of 2007 in this area were harsh for the wildlife. So that may explain their nonstop hunger.

We have several hanging-style feeders, but the bigger birds love the gazebo one the best. We got it from an Amish woodworker in Pennsylvania about 15 years ago. A yellow-bellied sapsucker has been hammering away at the old wood this season, adding to its weathered charm. He’s a shy fellow, though, who quickly darts away whenever I grab my camera. So you will have to settle for a picture of a beautiful cardinal.

The chickadees are especially fond of the suet cakes.

And, the bluebirds are already scouting out available housing for their new families in 2008.

Spring Will March Right In

I always enjoy turning over the calendar page to the month of March. The worst of the winter is usually behind us here in Tennessee, and we will see the first signs of spring. The daffodils should start blooming this week, and we will be cheered by bouquets at the breakfast table. Daylight saving time will be next weekend on March 9. More daylight into the evening hours will be a welcomed relief.

Of course, we can’t forget that this is the month of the Irish, with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in a couple of weeks. We have been fortunate to visit Ireland twice. The views are breathtaking and the people are delightful. What a glorious country! We plan to visit there one more time before we have to settle into our rocking chairs, LOL.

Here is a lovely valley in Ireland that we saw back in 1999 on a road going from Donegal to Dublin.