Living Simply
We are now waiting to hear if our 5th offer on a 5th house has been accepted. Â The deadline we gave them was tomorrow. Â We wished we would have heard sooner but hopefully we’ll hear something tomorrow — even if it’s a rejection.
Isn’t life wonderful?
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On a recent visit to my brother’s house, he made an absolutely made-from-scratch delicious sour cream coffee cake.
Here is the recipe, from The Colonial Garden Bed & Breakfast, so you can try it at home.
Mix Together
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Then mix in:
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
Add apples, pineapple, blueberries or whatever you’d like (ours was blueberry)
Stir all.
Pour into a 13″x9″ greased glass pan
(Optional: sprinkle with brown sugar and crushed nuts)
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set.
Cool slightly before removing.
Absolutely delicious!
The locals call them Minnesota boogers. And we hope to not have any of them as spring approaches.
This is the name given for the snow and ice that accumulates next to your tire that can cause damage to your tires if not taken care of.
On a recent trip from Fargo to Minnesota, a few inches of snow had fallen, it was cold and we were not aware of what was taking place beneath our car — paying more attention to the road.
What was to be a quick stop at a rest stop turned into a rather lengthy stop as we scraped the frozen ice and snow from our tires. The ice had already been scraping against the tire.
When we looked up from our work, we noticed that other drivers were now doing the same thing. Everyone had been so intent on driving that they hadn’t noticed the danger.
It’s always nice when the people you’re visiting make your meal from scratch. Â That’s our Fargo family. Â They have an exceptional cook. Â Our Saturday evening meal was simple but delicious.
Spaghetti with sauce, fresh parmesan cheese, garlic bread, salad and a chocolate cake for my husband’s birthday.
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| Garlic Bread |
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| Spaghetti Meat Sauce |
I should have stirred the meat sauce before taking a picture. Â It was delicious!
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| Betty Crocker Decadent Supreme |
The cake was not made from scratch but only because we decided to visit on short notice. Â It was a very rich cake and had chocolate mousse. Â Here’s the front of the box.
On our recent trip to Fargo, we came across a condiment carousel. Â I had never seen one before and this appeared to be a vintage one.
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| Condiment Carousel |
This one was used for peanuts and worked surprisingly well.
There are many different types. Â Some are made of pewter, silver, etc. Â Very interesting.
The recipe for these muffins was given to me by my brother who recently made it for us when we visited him. Â He found the recipe in the Iowa City Press-Citizen newspaper dated December 25, 2010.
I have not made them yet but have tasted them and want to pass the recipe along quickly so that you can all enjoy it sooner rather than later. Â They are delicious!
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Cinnamon Muffins |
Cinnamon Muffins
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
10 tablespoons butter, melted & slightly cooled (or you can substitute oil for the butter)
For the topping:
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar blended with 1 tsp cinnamon
Grease a 12-cup muffin pan
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Melt the butter and let it cool slightly
Pour the first five ingredients into a large mixing bowl
Add the beaten eggs and melted butter and mix well to combine
Add in the milk stirring just until combined; you will have a thick, rough batter
Fill the muffin pan with the filling, about 3/4 full with the batter for each one
Bake for about 20 minutes
Allow to cool for a few minutes
Then dip the top of each muffin in the melted butter and roll it in the sugar/cinnamon mixture
Serve warm. Â Makes a dozen muffins.
Enjoy!
This is one of the houses we recently went to see in Woodbury, Minnesota. Â It’s in an older development.
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| Woodbury, Minnesota house |
The house is also “older” on the inside and, although the main floors were recently beautifully sanded, the rest of the house needed many updates.
Although we are “thawing,” we have had so much snow in Woodbury that it is taking a long time for the snow to melt. Â So, much of the landscaping is still under snow. Â Meteorologists are predicting another big snowfall this week.
This past Friday evening we headed to Fargo, North Dakota to visit family. Â The trip took about 4 1/2 hours since we stopped for a quick dinner in St. Cloud.
We arrived at the Homewood Suites Hilton and checked in. Â They had our reservation ready. Â Seems there was a basketball game at the FARGODOME across the street from the hotel as it was full.
Our room was exceptional. Â It was very clean and had all the toiletries that we needed. Â The bed had a light comforter on it that kept us toasty warm without feeling heavy.
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| Homewood Suites Hilton, Fargo, North Dakota |
Outside the hotel is a sculpture of a bison. Â The staff at the hotel explained that the bison is the mascot of the North Dakota State University.
The hotel accommodations are really great. Â From the service to the room itself, we would definitely stay here again.
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| Bison Sculpture |
After checking out our room, we headed over to visit with family for a couple of hours. Â Behind this door live some of the sweetest people we are privileged to call family.
The next morning, we arrived to a homemade breakfast of fruit, scrambled eggs, and freshly made muffins. Â In addition, the chocolate milk that I had asked for the previous night (and that they didn’t have) suddenly appeared. Â The recipe for the muffins will be posted shortly. Â They were scrumptious.
It is always (I think at the time) at the most inopportune moment that Scriptures I have memorized pop into my head.
When I get upset with someone, lose my patience, want to give “friendly” advice, want to have credit given to me instead of someone else for something I did, want to prove myself right — a Scripture edges itself to the front of my head:
Love is patient, love is kind. Â It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Â Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Â It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Â Love never fails. Â 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
I always take issue with the Scripture and the conversation with God goes something like this:
Are you kidding me God? Â This is not the time to be putting that Scripture in my head. Â You know I should have gotten credit for that. Â How come I have to be the one to apologize for getting angry? Â It’s always me who goes first. Â I’m not boasting. Â I’m not proud. Â I just want the credit due TO ME.
And the response from God this time is:
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Â Matthew 25:40
Another Scripture. Â Another reminder that I am not flawless. Â That I am imperfect. Â And that in spite of the imperfections, He loves me.
I am reminded that 1 Corinthians 13 is the principle that my Father follows in His relationship with me. He asks that I give to others what He has given to me.
It sounds simple on the surface but in practice is sometimes hard for me.
Yet, He’s right and I thank Him for reminding me. Â A reminder that I shouldn’t need every day but somehow I do. Â He gently tells me it’s okay. Â And I compose myself, remembering who I represent, and repair any damage I may have done in my relationships.
I’ve often wondered if all Olive Gardens are the same. Â Seems like the menu with food, salad and drinks is the same. Â This last time we went, we experienced about a 10 minute wait before being seated in a booth. Â In previous times, we’ve had to wait up to 30 minutes.
After being seated, the “usual” Olive Garden atmosphere engulfed us. Â Noisy and bustling. Â I wonder if the types of buildings they buy are more conducive to noise or maybe they cram too many people in one place.
But — the predictability continued. Â We placed our orders and the breaksticks and salad were brought out. Â I have always enjoyed their breadsticks — warm and soft.
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| Olive Garden Breadstick |
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| Olive Garden Salad |
The salad had too much dressing this time.
I decided to get out of my predictability rut (I usually have the Apricot Chicken) and try their Ravioli with Chicken. Â Again, a bit soggy but overall it was okay.
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| Ravioli with Chicken pieces |
My husband had the Stuffed Chicken Marsala with Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes.
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| Stuffed Chicken Marsala with Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes |
Uh, I think it was good. Â I wonder if his palette is not as discerning as mine.
I also had the strawberry mango lemonade which didn’t taste very much like mango and was served in a very tall glass. Â I had to ask the waitress to bring me a “short” glass so I could sip the drink with a straw.
Overall, there are things I like about the Olive Garden. Â But it’s hit and miss with some of the dishes they serve. The service we had was good even though it was crowded. Â This is probably not a place you want to go to for an intimate dinner though.
