The Pile Up

This picture was taken in October little did we know what we had in store…

These pictures were taken yesterday and February has just begun…

This is our “garden spot” in the backyard. The fencing that is just peeking out is about 4 feet tall.

Finally, here is our Subaru I think that its safe to say its going to have a long winters nap sleep tight little Subi we will see you in the spring…

Yet another snow storm

Yesterday we woke up to more snow and our internet and TV was down. Yikes! We didn’t know what to do with ourselves. So I took up a baking project and Gary went out for a ride on the sled. I made an Espresso Angel Food Cake with Cinnamon Cream Anglaise. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it weren’t for this miserable cold that has been beating me down all week. Can’t really taste things. Gary seemed to like it though he had two servings. Our TV came back just in time to watch the Superbowl. I’m one of those people who enjoy the commercials and half time more than the game. I thought the Shaq commercial where he was a jockey was hilarious.

Anyhow here is the recipe for the dessert from the February issue of Sunset Magazine. It’s pretty easy the hardest part is having enough eggs. Creme Anglaise is the perfect solution for what to do with all those remaining egg yolks. I used the basic recipe out of the Joy of Cooking and added some cinnamon.

Cinnamon Creme Anglaise

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups whole milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Combine the yolks, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl. Warm the milk in a sauce pan over med heat just until bubbles form on the edges. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg yolks and sugar. I stress slowly because you don’t want to cook your egg yolks. Return this mixture to the saucepan. Rinse out and dry the mixing bowl and set a fine mesh sieve over the top. Place the saucepan over low heat. Using wooden spoon stir the sauce gently but constantly sweeping the entire pan bottom and reaching into the corners. Again, you don’t want to over cook (scramble) your egg yolks so as soon as the sauce is slightly thickened, remove the pan from heat and stir gently to complete the cooking. You could try the “custard spoon test” to know if your sauce is done. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream. Pour the sauce through the sieve let cool and then cover and chill.

Another Day in Paradise

Well it’s snowing again and Gary has the fever for powder so he is out playing in the snow this morning. Ellie and I are trying to keep ourselves busy. So far Ellie has enjoyed bath time, swing time, Baby Einstein time (just while I fix lunch I swear), and hopefully some nap time soon. As for me I have managed to get sucked into the internet vortex. This happens quite often to me as we only have the “Rabbit Ear Network” for TV. I can only imagine the brain drain I would have if we actually had cable. Although I find it interesting that we are going to be able to watch the Super Bowl this weekend but we definitely can’t watch any presidential candidate debates. Something fishy about that. So, I have decided to post about my internet carousing so I don’t feel like my time spent this morning is for not. So to start with I’d like to share some of my favorite websites…

Radio Paradise – A California based internet radio station that has excellent taste in music. I can’t get enough, love it.

Design*Sponge – A classy little blog that has all kinds of great links to trendy things. (warning makes you want to shop)

Not Martha – Need I say more?

Ikea Hacker – Lots of goodies here if only I had a bigger house.

Garden Punks – Gary found this gem of a blog the other day still getting to know it but love it so far.

Alright now go surf away :0) …

Winter Wonderland

I got a new camera! Yahoo it is so fun. I’m so excited now my pictures will be FABULOUS errr well lets not get ahead of ourselves. I’m no professional but they will definitely be better relative to our previous credit card reward point camera. Here is our first set of experimental shots of yesterdays fun in the snow enjoy…

Adirondack Packbasket

For Christmas Grandma and Grandpa Marcoccia gave all of us an Adirondack Packbasket kit. Sarah discovered these excellent little Adirondack Mountain treasure while attending school at Paul Smiths. She took a class and got to be good friends with the women (Tracy) who puts these together. Since the winter weather has us cozied up in our little cabin I decided to finish the job, wasn’t that difficult really. It feels really good to get a project done seems as though I have many unfinished projects building up (sigh).

We started our baskets together while we were in NY but ran out of time to finish them. The hardest part was weaving but that was just more time consuming than anything. Once the basket was done putting on the rim and skids and then lashing them seemed to go by fast. (Ahem, Danielle and Jill)

Sarah finished hers first before she went on to her adventures in Asheville. Honestly, she could be the packbasket poster girl don’t you think?

And here is our little Ellie enjoying the finished product. I can’t wait to take her out in it once she can stand up. We will look like true Mountain Folk carrying our wee one around Adirondack style. The Farmer’s Market is going to be so much fun this summer now that we have a special basket for our goods.