tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80474804511459523022024-02-23T18:01:45.042-08:00Through The Spice RackA cooking challenge, first time gardening, travel, photography, and blog about the spice of lifeBarbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.comBlogger280125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-87274322230341685982021-11-26T11:30:00.001-08:002021-11-26T11:30:49.196-08:00A day in Boston<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">It’s easy to take the train (MBTA) into Boston for a day trip. This time, I drove to one of the end-of-the-line stations near me; next time, I will try the commuter rail and compare the experiences. You can buy “T” tickets from kiosks for one ride or several.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCpaDfTdfnvjLWCnXedK1XtmiADzQNRW6iJiAjLovHO0sq7lPmcD34zodrIJMMPbVrfYS6joMS4JNN-MSqC4IFEDYrwjONrNTjWOmqxwtS1pbNIMOaBmLdlVVLMkxitTqahTr1Sjzz5s0/s2048/IMG_8907.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCpaDfTdfnvjLWCnXedK1XtmiADzQNRW6iJiAjLovHO0sq7lPmcD34zodrIJMMPbVrfYS6joMS4JNN-MSqC4IFEDYrwjONrNTjWOmqxwtS1pbNIMOaBmLdlVVLMkxitTqahTr1Sjzz5s0/s320/IMG_8907.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston Public Garden</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I walked around the North End, with a destination of “Mike’s Pastry”. I originally planned to get a cannoli, but when I saw that they were $5 each (probably worth it), I decided to get a “Napoleon”, which looked fabulous (and tasted marvelous) for the same price. I was going to get a cocoa at Caffé Vittoria and use the rest room there, but the plan changed a bit when the wait staff took the orders for a group of male customers who sat down next to me after I arrived, and completely ignored me. When more male friends of the neighboring table arrived, I gave them my table, used the rest room, and left. This ended up being a good thing, as you will shortly see.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsLEQfLOIG_jo2hrHzEDfbhCqIBpPeGfN6TEC6bEkcCHB_TbZUlug99FwcCUX0w-r1cLaqQ70tDL912zYg6CVIiVXIJO72eyQFFzkk2yNWdDMF9LJE9kecHtK6-g_KxeKj-7bf5JqBHIg/s2048/IMG_8912+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsLEQfLOIG_jo2hrHzEDfbhCqIBpPeGfN6TEC6bEkcCHB_TbZUlug99FwcCUX0w-r1cLaqQ70tDL912zYg6CVIiVXIJO72eyQFFzkk2yNWdDMF9LJE9kecHtK6-g_KxeKj-7bf5JqBHIg/s320/IMG_8912+2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephanie's Restaurant</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I walked through the farmer’s market and wished I had a wheelie cart with me like many other shoppers did, because I was hesitant to lug around bags of affordable fruits and veggies for the rest of the day. Faneuil Hall has many name-brand shops now and fewer local places as in years past. The food stalls looked great but it was crowded and I decided to look for a restaurant with tables where I could relax a bit. I walked past Park Street Church and through the Boston Common, pausing to admire the trees and the State House.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRhVIMG0SWHT75KXaD9jRxkkSRsFfIz-m3xKtckQGx6d1sOl2NLNGL3J8j4Hr64gr0WcnvnTjKwEEVz9q0ZflZl7qh2tGt4X7rOBabaN-hGwIWF9Cd7VtNIqAYq2bHSqhOr95S1JhrXkJ/s2048/IMG_8914.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRhVIMG0SWHT75KXaD9jRxkkSRsFfIz-m3xKtckQGx6d1sOl2NLNGL3J8j4Hr64gr0WcnvnTjKwEEVz9q0ZflZl7qh2tGt4X7rOBabaN-hGwIWF9Cd7VtNIqAYq2bHSqhOr95S1JhrXkJ/s320/IMG_8914.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copley Square, Trinity Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">In the Boston Public Garden, I found a bench and decided to sample the pastry I got earlier. In the blink of an eye, a large squirrel climbed onto the bench near me and leaned against my bag in an effort to snag some dessert! My phone was in a zippered pocket so I didn’t get a photo of the squirrel, but it seemed to understand “no” (like my cats do!), and it lumbered off without any human snacks. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyhS_duCRXLw7ju8PstKMoHtrDGi3Cicn-9SI_V6MDV3rAYQFZxlneuxsZvQdEJeNQ8keu6HRbtWvIV_faDXygz1winOoK27jFQ-V2p4y1SfaWTLbmYS415c7hS-B30TsWdGMVTrVudAz/s2048/IMG_8898.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyhS_duCRXLw7ju8PstKMoHtrDGi3Cicn-9SI_V6MDV3rAYQFZxlneuxsZvQdEJeNQ8keu6HRbtWvIV_faDXygz1winOoK27jFQ-V2p4y1SfaWTLbmYS415c7hS-B30TsWdGMVTrVudAz/s320/IMG_8898.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I walked along Commonwealth Avenue, where crews were wrapping trees with sparkly lights. I didn’t do any shopping, but wanted to experience Newbury Street, and found a restaurant I’d been to many years ago. This resulted in a stupendous hot cocoa that was every bit worth the calories, along with a tasty sandwich in a comfortable place to warm up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLrhxU6n7ydU7lWrJIYlbsqnql44uw1tl5-FkdAboSi9Db2lubiqdwkQhSh2JqZsqm3LHIAoJCqhPGM5Kgwk34OjSjwVojoGRnkHRaG-CLkAaSpTWAu1CVa7dWA05sPbzIdNe5SAuuqu9/s2048/IMG_8915.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLrhxU6n7ydU7lWrJIYlbsqnql44uw1tl5-FkdAboSi9Db2lubiqdwkQhSh2JqZsqm3LHIAoJCqhPGM5Kgwk34OjSjwVojoGRnkHRaG-CLkAaSpTWAu1CVa7dWA05sPbzIdNe5SAuuqu9/s320/IMG_8915.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston Public Library</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I walked along Boylston Street for a few blocks, then caught the T back to my car. FYI, train parking garages have a payment system by app, which is not the same app as other town parking apps, such as Salem. Of course not! Anyway, it was wonderful reconnecting with Boston, and I look forward to future visits to museums, a walk along the Charles River, Harvard Square and more.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-55431261791596273802021-11-11T04:17:00.000-08:002021-11-11T04:17:08.064-08:00Donations are getting more difficult <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Donations are getting more difficult <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I realized that it’s going to be more challenging to post a weekly list of what I passed along. At this point, monthly might be more reasonable since I gave away the “easier” items already. I’ve continued to sort through letters and even my high school graduation program. Now it gets tough. I’ve been mulling over my high school yearbooks- stay or go?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJuwQmmIoMIzFbM2ULLFx0f-Y-5EQEs8EwTyqwQeY95c2HASOOZr6K0y2PFK2Ffi8bPSy5FsY0vf4QIIWwrwatS61kSfCKtxOSqBf3QqSwuNm2cJi-Y7-EzhwFqAvYUvMSlB3guGOXG6z/s2048/IMG_8821.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJuwQmmIoMIzFbM2ULLFx0f-Y-5EQEs8EwTyqwQeY95c2HASOOZr6K0y2PFK2Ffi8bPSy5FsY0vf4QIIWwrwatS61kSfCKtxOSqBf3QqSwuNm2cJi-Y7-EzhwFqAvYUvMSlB3guGOXG6z/s320/IMG_8821.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloucester, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I donated some children’s books last time and am now struggling with keeping my very favorite ones. They can stay as I continue to sort through other books. I have a pile of papers to shred, and buying a shredder is on my list. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3uysX6neLvVrP4OTQLzd0mOQJsqtdw69JgdUTHmD6wiIVDUjqca0PSLdlvVMk2sCuj0FNe0P8tchspFHRKJv-ZKO-dRUqF1VYzGRdig49hVO_ABORIjiMs7KVCAp3NqyPZvhkMJyhQF-/s2048/IMG_8775.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3uysX6neLvVrP4OTQLzd0mOQJsqtdw69JgdUTHmD6wiIVDUjqca0PSLdlvVMk2sCuj0FNe0P8tchspFHRKJv-ZKO-dRUqF1VYzGRdig49hVO_ABORIjiMs7KVCAp3NqyPZvhkMJyhQF-/s320/IMG_8775.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salem, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Are you a “saver”? I’ve found two other things that I’ve saved, and am ready to stop saving them for now. In addition to the body care items I mentioned previously- it’s great to have 4 containers nearly empty, almost to the recycling bin with toothpaste, lotion, eye cream, etc., I have stockpiled travel snacks for years. Not to say that one exact item was saved for years, but that I’ve had a “travel” storage area for years, and there has been an increasing amount of nonperishable food items in it, and that’s stopping as of now. I started bringing my own coffee on trips when I discovered a fabulous German invention of individual packets of coffee that already had powdered milk, sugar, and/or a spoonful of cocoa in the packet! Even lactose free! Some hotel breakfasts are robust with healthy options, while others (in the US) have relatively unhealthy options, especially since COVID. With an increase in Air B & B’s and hotels with microwaves and mini-fridges, I’ve been bringing my own packets of oatmeal, single-serving tubes of peanut butter (some even come with half a tube of jelly attached!), crackers, etc. Most of those items are good for a long time, but I don’t have any travel on the horizon, so it’s time to enjoy them at home. Here’s to 9 mini peanut butter packets and a bunch of oatmeal/grits envelopes. And a pile of mini-toothpastes from the dentist that might as well get used instead of saved for trips!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">25 pounds went out the door last week!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-6962828843633655472021-11-02T13:56:00.000-07:002021-11-02T13:56:29.666-07:00Letting go of the past in week 5<span style="font-family: courier;">In my favorite basement a few years ago, cute storage boxes organized everything from old school papers to Christmas decorations to tax records. This recent move included:<br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->6 waterproof hanging file folder bins <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->5 small “apple green” boxes with music and other paper/storage items <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->5 white and black boxes with old calendars/journals/other stuff (2 large, 3 small)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->9 medium sized charcoal-colored boxes with Christmas items and other stored things <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjQJMeYos_cOwfsTtNx1N8Lkgoz2m1r-IzFrgXF-M3Qd2VS04ZDuJct_OISOzWtIlQeguEZ-uHcfm_CpmO6ZvcmEnUYDs796Rmrr_s4mVE25VoTh72pef6wgXkiEBC7hcNwhSCC1pzjaH/s2048/IMG_8759.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjQJMeYos_cOwfsTtNx1N8Lkgoz2m1r-IzFrgXF-M3Qd2VS04ZDuJct_OISOzWtIlQeguEZ-uHcfm_CpmO6ZvcmEnUYDs796Rmrr_s4mVE25VoTh72pef6wgXkiEBC7hcNwhSCC1pzjaH/s320/IMG_8759.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topsfield, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: courier;">They all sure looked good in that former basement, fitting perfectly between the shelves.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: courier;">And now, they take up a lot of space in a basement-less place. The weight challenge started as a physical invitation for me to feel relieved when sharing items with other people, such as photo frames last week. Now the weight feels more emotional. I am not going to weigh a bag of letters that I wrote to my Mom, which she kept for decades, and then I kept when cleaning out her apartment. After looking through them, I realized that I cannot keep 25 storage boxes of history for the rest of my life. I was going to scan the letters I sent to my Mom years ago, before setting them lovingly in the trash compactor, but admitted that I would probably never read scores of scanned letters again. It was good to see sketches of former gardens that I made for her, and reports of vacations to exotic destinations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSf75Tpw-hGAPkaQ2uUo43isVr0x0P2JZ9xtQeWPyb9Y8ZTHI_yti_NLAO7-xfPBZtALs69654O6UGCrAY6aSSSoaLQ45kdsmyCkusbW2enjtFtRfdpqom0mkadw8iGZKiD5WPH4VpQrdn/s2048/IMG_8761.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSf75Tpw-hGAPkaQ2uUo43isVr0x0P2JZ9xtQeWPyb9Y8ZTHI_yti_NLAO7-xfPBZtALs69654O6UGCrAY6aSSSoaLQ45kdsmyCkusbW2enjtFtRfdpqom0mkadw8iGZKiD5WPH4VpQrdn/s320/IMG_8761.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topsfield, MA<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I’ve also begun going through a box with old journals. I am not asking myself to toss them all right away, but I found a few that it’s ok to part with, such as reports from summer camp in junior high. They brought a smile to my face, and although it’s sad to part with parts of myself, as represented in those journals, I’d like to free up some floor space that is filled with boxes because the closets are full. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKEHZPujlN_nFTPOuB7GBTSHJtXeV8X0Gm56j9V0XjWyQ1vCX4Ih9f1bxceTfCgs7TqqybEzAFIVzNauwFxxGr7xrDQNgedfQBunsFcE-qniX0QscXUUGRHZqLw2MNfN5yypfr_nEpHnB/s2048/IMG_8628.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKEHZPujlN_nFTPOuB7GBTSHJtXeV8X0Gm56j9V0XjWyQ1vCX4Ih9f1bxceTfCgs7TqqybEzAFIVzNauwFxxGr7xrDQNgedfQBunsFcE-qniX0QscXUUGRHZqLw2MNfN5yypfr_nEpHnB/s320/IMG_8628.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloucester, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I’m still glad to have the charity donation bag with items to weigh, and am finding more uncomfortable shoes in said closet, no matter how good they look! For those of you who have kept history, do you have a ritual for letting them go?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;">20 lbs donated this week, not including bags of letters unweighed but let go of.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-57682845082160358432021-10-24T17:41:00.002-07:002021-10-24T17:41:57.203-07:00Best cheesecake ever?<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I have shared so many cheesecake recipes here and have made more that didn’t get into posts, I feel like Forrest Gump: <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2021/05/peanut-butter-cheesecake.html" target="_blank">peanut butter and jelly cheesecake</a>, blueberry pie cheesecake, <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2021/05/pecan-pie-cheesecake.html" target="_blank">pecan pie cheesecake</a>, carrot cake cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake, <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2013/11/cheesecake-brownie-cupcakes.html" target="_blank">cupcake cheesecake</a>, brownie crust cheesecake and plain old <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2014/04/lemony-cheesecake.html" target="_blank">regular lemon cheesecake</a>. It is possible that the superlative cheesecake has just been made and consumed this month!I also cannot believe that I forgot to post the pumpkin cheesecake recipe here, as it has been the overall winner so far. I just made it 2 weeks ago but didn't take photos, so I will correct that omission the next time I make it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1O3OQTCtQ-cHL02kdpE8EuZVjmmhaazD9zVdzhIst_d8TPgPWz0GjH_7X7RZ_aIngJ4t1TE2CkYo8iPFdUSZ8JflAxSowcoXNDfpZ_3mJn68RwgltGloI-LOa-ynGcJt0KQRGO4dMryvW/s2048/IMG_8768.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1O3OQTCtQ-cHL02kdpE8EuZVjmmhaazD9zVdzhIst_d8TPgPWz0GjH_7X7RZ_aIngJ4t1TE2CkYo8iPFdUSZ8JflAxSowcoXNDfpZ_3mJn68RwgltGloI-LOa-ynGcJt0KQRGO4dMryvW/s320/IMG_8768.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br />Thanks to the original recipe from <a href="https://omgchocolatedesserts.com/german-chocolate-cheesecake/" style="color: #954f72;">https://omgchocolatedesserts.com/german-chocolate-cheesecake/</a><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I made some modifications and may have to scientifically test the hypothesis that it’s outstanding the next several times I make a cheesecake!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I modified the original “Oreo” crust recipe by using gluten free oreo-type cookies that came in a 10 oz package. I used 1 stick of melted butter and wished I had used a blender to really pulverize the cookies. The old “mash the cookies with a rolling pin or can” (inside a plastic bag) technique was ok, but finer crumbs would have been better. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, spray or grease it, and pop the crust (pressed into the pan) in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEqN4m9I2OoQh4Z6oHmTrftcv4i2fEjePNNXUc85aoxIOiz4xMfCnLwdLxernMNbFje11zA7ffa_iiMaDjOO8b9oGaKut72CQHTQEBNEWsfEKUeMVkt8gHm-lW2vgRzm-sjUOx_9uBPck/s2048/IMG_8766.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEqN4m9I2OoQh4Z6oHmTrftcv4i2fEjePNNXUc85aoxIOiz4xMfCnLwdLxernMNbFje11zA7ffa_iiMaDjOO8b9oGaKut72CQHTQEBNEWsfEKUeMVkt8gHm-lW2vgRzm-sjUOx_9uBPck/s320/IMG_8766.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Preheat the oven to 350.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I used 2 packages of cream cheese (8 ounces each). This made for a thinner cheesecake, but it was so rich that it didn’t need to be super tall. I used less sugar than called for, ¾ of a cup instead of more, and found that to be plenty sweet. 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla, about 8 oz or so of chocolate chips, melted, followed by 3 eggs with a hand mixer - only because I don’t have a stand mixer! When you take the springform pan out of the freezer, wrap a layer of aluminum foil around the bottom and partly up the sides of the pan. Pour the cream cheese mix over the crust and spread it around. Place another pan filled halfway with water on the oven rack under the cheesecake. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly to cool the cheesecake slowly for one hour.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlaqDfHSi9uXSRgWv8Sn51ke8YF6GFz-R4oTUT4cRXK0xX4nfXqZmziFgn_XL6vZ1C3vv66pO2UJF_NI_b2Q2rPt4b4rf1KFepv1MS9t-EUDZWtEQwsF7m7x09wfypJAWTw_donD9EfUT/s2048/IMG_8678.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlaqDfHSi9uXSRgWv8Sn51ke8YF6GFz-R4oTUT4cRXK0xX4nfXqZmziFgn_XL6vZ1C3vv66pO2UJF_NI_b2Q2rPt4b4rf1KFepv1MS9t-EUDZWtEQwsF7m7x09wfypJAWTw_donD9EfUT/s320/IMG_8678.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloucester, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">For the coconut topping, toast ¾ cup pecans and ¾ cup coconut flakes in the oven for 10 minutes. Bring to a gentle boil 1 cup canned coconut milk, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup of brown sugar (this is less than the original recipe), and 3 egg yolks. I stirred it the entire time as it thickened. After at least 10 minutes, turn off the heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla and the toasted nuts/coconut. My topping did not get to a pudding consistency that was expected using evaporated milk in the original recipe, but it tasted fabulous after firming up overnight in the fridge. In fact, I needed to warm the topping in the microwave for 30 seconds to get it to spreadable consistency so I could top the cheesecake.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKzYH-DfChbz_Fxy1cq_hLqgVyOYuYg7cui-bphDcAMADE9HivxoWHbsaipGUSg2NJQWR1k1woJaNNNFmfJCTMcCcKgkAWHKhsWgDTdPpvhnJcMhixLwtAyEcglWE-5k5P0omQxGMB9kK/s2048/IMG_8810.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKzYH-DfChbz_Fxy1cq_hLqgVyOYuYg7cui-bphDcAMADE9HivxoWHbsaipGUSg2NJQWR1k1woJaNNNFmfJCTMcCcKgkAWHKhsWgDTdPpvhnJcMhixLwtAyEcglWE-5k5P0omQxGMB9kK/s320/IMG_8810.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Essex, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The original recipe calls for extra chocolate frosting to decorate the cake, which I skipped, and nobody noticed or complained. I used the leftover egg whites for an omlette at breakfast the next day.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-61048501754770280942021-10-08T17:59:00.002-07:002021-10-08T17:59:37.405-07:00Week 4 – lots of pounds of donations<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">After buying several non-consumable items last week, I’m pleased about the large bag of donations that is in the works now. I’ve created a specific challenge to help meet my goal of downsizing: my reward for passing along 100 pounds of items will be a trip to a local used bookstore. Can I go to this bookstore any time I want? Yes! Do I need to buy any books? No! But I do well having something to look forward to and I’d rather avoid tempting shops while I truly want to move things out, not in.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL64WB24RvUYgGItJFWCKjHMx12MbiF06gtUtPMhqYqalICGgZauJnpXXWqEFlpSkbFclo4zXbVllKKfAmLPaEJm7BPsmOqQAEL49SnlR3du1h1xjc61_6wGbHUtu6jaQyfVAG472RYdFQ/s2048/IMG_8724.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL64WB24RvUYgGItJFWCKjHMx12MbiF06gtUtPMhqYqalICGgZauJnpXXWqEFlpSkbFclo4zXbVllKKfAmLPaEJm7BPsmOqQAEL49SnlR3du1h1xjc61_6wGbHUtu6jaQyfVAG472RYdFQ/s320/IMG_8724.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ipswich, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">So, to that end, I am ruthlessly finding items I don’t love, and setting them aside to be weighed once the bag is full. I’ve collected (bought) picture frames over the years to create gallery walls, but I can’t stand the thought of silver (nickel) frames on my gray walls, and I’m ready to keep what I truly love- nothing else. So there are a number of frames in the bag to bless someone else’s home. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfP14DSIQkW_IKO6PSGR-ufwN3nUhyHC3EqEkpgL0fk-lLWNsl8I62Hv-ud6-Udv3U-T4kRh-t50BFUvl84yqtTITsd8PZ-qgCxgQ6_X3sJqePxFNf1saLwmpx30xRzcphXR35Gz5w1bX/s2048/IMG_8713.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfP14DSIQkW_IKO6PSGR-ufwN3nUhyHC3EqEkpgL0fk-lLWNsl8I62Hv-ud6-Udv3U-T4kRh-t50BFUvl84yqtTITsd8PZ-qgCxgQ6_X3sJqePxFNf1saLwmpx30xRzcphXR35Gz5w1bX/s320/IMG_8713.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloucester, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I went apple picking and got some consumable fruit, cider, and gluten-free donuts which did not taste good to me. Apparently, apple cider donuts are worth the gluten, which I can have periodically, just not multiple times per day. The farmers’ market yielded corn on the cob, other fruit and veg, and a small bag of delicious mini apple cider donuts (with gluten)!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOztEN3R-sDPQx8y2H-LymTllLzEWTRvLsUjPw3HT2XXOxLjr2ss80ZAXVcrcqBsz6wd7LvECoGOSydiai8EniCK6nJYwudNvOOBkpgeyGwAQGiVl_e-VrTowVi1NkLoB-qgtlV-XyZZ8/s2048/IMG_8742.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOztEN3R-sDPQx8y2H-LymTllLzEWTRvLsUjPw3HT2XXOxLjr2ss80ZAXVcrcqBsz6wd7LvECoGOSydiai8EniCK6nJYwudNvOOBkpgeyGwAQGiVl_e-VrTowVi1NkLoB-qgtlV-XyZZ8/s320/IMG_8742.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salem, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">More walks along different beaches are keeping the exercise and sunshine goals going, and I found the small path over the hill from my new place to get to the library by a walkable shortcut instead of a drive. Yay!</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-38460695329125329562021-09-26T14:51:00.001-07:002021-09-26T14:51:10.736-07:00Week 3, not so minimal<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I’m proud of myself for focusing on my intentions and will freely share the non-consumable items I brought home this week. In consumable purchases, I checked out another grocery store and was pleased to see a sizable health-food section and plenty of gluten-free, lactose-free and vegetarian options throughout. I’ve continued to explore the new area by taking walks and spending time in nature. As tempting as it is to pop into local shops, I am resisting the urge. It’s easier for me to not even go into the store- I can see enough pretty things in the windows.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18aA4AbKhCIfm_r-DPiwM4ftuvjQk4hw7oUz6kdITqnslIk_SITBVs80yhD7kWAVJS5peteYaZcFIZ0l0jkPQuhTk-Zr_UIYiW55u67iay_JTERWJ5Bq9-I8KWJBI7vVBNM8ozaooBJjZ/s2048/IMG_8717.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18aA4AbKhCIfm_r-DPiwM4ftuvjQk4hw7oUz6kdITqnslIk_SITBVs80yhD7kWAVJS5peteYaZcFIZ0l0jkPQuhTk-Zr_UIYiW55u67iay_JTERWJ5Bq9-I8KWJBI7vVBNM8ozaooBJjZ/s320/IMG_8717.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lynn, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I bought room darkening curtains and hardware to hang them, which I have never had before now. The parking area lights are a good safety feature but shine brightly through the window blinds and sheer curtains that I already had. I looked at several different types of shoe racks and decided to try cloth hanging ones since I have enough closet space. They seem to work so far, and having limited/designated space for shoes is helping me with the other endeavor of passing things along (out of my home).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGeV-Z04UCU7Rgu8gFJUqSeiEFWepp3m22SP9nJJOXgnDqO2do8fPevjHKvQcVIpiHiI1k1u1sW7xaZdBL7xPNWSR6H3ikScSDkcaqSMJiw6pLRNQECVZlqiyCQ6Z9jD7kJM4Mu0obSxi/s2048/IMG_8658.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGeV-Z04UCU7Rgu8gFJUqSeiEFWepp3m22SP9nJJOXgnDqO2do8fPevjHKvQcVIpiHiI1k1u1sW7xaZdBL7xPNWSR6H3ikScSDkcaqSMJiw6pLRNQECVZlqiyCQ6Z9jD7kJM4Mu0obSxi/s320/IMG_8658.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Tossing/donation report: shoes! I can hear my friend Jessie’s voice (she offered to fill this role): why do I have 2 pairs of strappy, dressy, sandals in black? Well, because the prettier ones were so uncomfortable that I bought a second pair that don’t hurt my feet. OK, time to go, pretty shoes. Maybe someone else can enjoy you. Ditto about 2 pairs of black pumps. Next week I’ll tackle the extra sneakers I never got rid of when I got new ones.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh_x2w929m1FiCUvoxubzsW5K0lh3hZkorvE8ABfCwQsxKkNRn-qAwgOjQ2cvcbIDGCdJFYX8_ZCfrYnvTO3d9ql55ESmOywFRXY9EH_lKMsa-WiYIwZVDfOAxYJ6nXZCW4yNUMelhuyu/s2048/IMG_8659.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh_x2w929m1FiCUvoxubzsW5K0lh3hZkorvE8ABfCwQsxKkNRn-qAwgOjQ2cvcbIDGCdJFYX8_ZCfrYnvTO3d9ql55ESmOywFRXY9EH_lKMsa-WiYIwZVDfOAxYJ6nXZCW4yNUMelhuyu/s320/IMG_8659.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I realized that I am attributing emotions to things that other people wouldn’t. For example, I bought a fun nail polish color in Germany, and the bottle is DONE. It was included in the 10 pounds of stuff that I weighed today to help me keep track what I’m bringing out of the house (I am not weighing recycling, which would be a LOT of pounds). I feel sad about saying good-bye to that bottle of nail polish because I can’t get the same one again and it represents the great selection of nail polish shades that I discovered in Germany. AND THAT’S OK. I’m putting way more meaning into something than I need to.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglQj6s8plmt5vEQ3gPjyctF45eiHxJaLBEvIodfZcVzViIpl-QYl5bOwF_Ni99opwovkcQA8Sf_uepJJnQUFZk-fSHp8uIiFpNUhFUanfpxMVe3Ju0uKpruTEskv_DQGX9fQozorJMU7L/s2048/IMG_8695.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglQj6s8plmt5vEQ3gPjyctF45eiHxJaLBEvIodfZcVzViIpl-QYl5bOwF_Ni99opwovkcQA8Sf_uepJJnQUFZk-fSHp8uIiFpNUhFUanfpxMVe3Ju0uKpruTEskv_DQGX9fQozorJMU7L/s320/IMG_8695.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salem, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: courier;">If you have a favorite tip to share about downsizing stuff, please leave a comment!</span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-87083823938128484362021-09-20T04:45:00.001-07:002021-09-20T04:45:10.223-07:00Week 2 living minimally <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Getting to know local grocery stores and farm stands is interesting. This coming week I look forward to at least one farmers’ market. In the meantime, I liked the farm stand a few minutes away, and plan to return. Their bags of spinach and spring mix for salads looked great, plus signs indicating local produce were helpful. They were completely out of just-harvested corn on the cob, and another customer asked the clerk while I was checking out when more corn would be in (40 minutes from now, was the reply). Nearby was a boat docking area which was posted “not for beach parking” but since there were enough spaces at the time, I sat on a rock at low tide for a few minutes. The mud really tugged at the bottoms of my sandals/flip-flops (which have now been relegated to stay in the car permanently so I can stop by various beaches on the way home from work). I have special water shoes that I need to find, and I don’t mind the feeling of mud on my feet, but I’ll need to designate a car/mud towel for my feet afterwards.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRyE0RGkFObPgx65E4z4exwRvlU4T5yIpfvTZb3uEIlgOCJ0Es6D-2tiA0js72tbNrOnqyd7uRydG9jfBLrIw8Fabm1sTx7yrZv5yZBV-BfsetGrC_1pxdy_dK5jjVDZ2Aq4oy2w8fq_f/s2048/IMG_8613.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRyE0RGkFObPgx65E4z4exwRvlU4T5yIpfvTZb3uEIlgOCJ0Es6D-2tiA0js72tbNrOnqyd7uRydG9jfBLrIw8Fabm1sTx7yrZv5yZBV-BfsetGrC_1pxdy_dK5jjVDZ2Aq4oy2w8fq_f/s320/IMG_8613.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salem, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">In terms of consumable purchases, I bought light bulbs and batteries, gassed up the car (which passed inspection and now has Massachusetts license plates!), and am experimenting with different gluten free crackers, frozen g.f. cinnamon raisin bread, and one bottle of local “raspberry lime rickey” soda. WAAAYY too sweet, but tasted great when watered down and a wedge of fresh lime squeezed in.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-Ep_FCFUtwtgQWYx2TcpAWBSzzrjmDBHJhVJZPTxU2ntmZvz5Uxfkt-ruPUOQzZQKyvzyU86jgLtC1sx_U-O3NbucfxIJfRy95LMak9myqE-Sj6Rz7CXK9S_hX0x7NQObaEg23ktgkNr/s2048/IMG_8671.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-Ep_FCFUtwtgQWYx2TcpAWBSzzrjmDBHJhVJZPTxU2ntmZvz5Uxfkt-ruPUOQzZQKyvzyU86jgLtC1sx_U-O3NbucfxIJfRy95LMak9myqE-Sj6Rz7CXK9S_hX0x7NQObaEg23ktgkNr/s320/IMG_8671.jpeg" width="240" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I’ve emptied so many more boxes and made plenty of trips to the recycling bin. Interestingly, some boxes I don’t even want to unpack. I will probably keep some boxes with their contents and see how I feel over the next few months. I might need the china cabinet for some books, and will bring other books to my work office, where a lonely bookcase is eagerly awaiting contents.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpQ-J9BkWlP1BIFJj9BhmIzh0WY9OG65laFz74fUa_zvLtqO0bN0rtL5x5MSu4EU_fhDSxdm9H1ITMSCb-wpz3ToKwhoCGgbg_70YxXJOlteSxNo2eFteImVaTMYENRTSqGH12YDka5Oy/s2048/IMG_8621.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpQ-J9BkWlP1BIFJj9BhmIzh0WY9OG65laFz74fUa_zvLtqO0bN0rtL5x5MSu4EU_fhDSxdm9H1ITMSCb-wpz3ToKwhoCGgbg_70YxXJOlteSxNo2eFteImVaTMYENRTSqGH12YDka5Oy/s320/IMG_8621.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloucester, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">It was fairly thrilling to determine the first two items to be given away as I was unpacking, and I selected a box to designate as the donation bin. Someone already let me know about a place to bring items for donation. I also started a closet system where I put the items I’ve worn to one side. Right now, that section is small, but eventually it will become apparent what I haven’t worn yet, and that might help decide whether to keep it or give it away. Some items I’ll keep due to circumstance, such as my floor-length black skirt for choir concerts, not knowing if there will be an in-person choir concert this December (the first rehearsal is mid-September). Plus, it took a long time of searching to find that skirt, and it wasn’t cheap, so given my dream of singing in choirs for the rest of my life, that’s worth holding on to.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86tb4hJbuDmKxyTM4x62s2JWAkJ4H61-CMFTp5FSkH5XkELciu8GvIG7pKZCIVj32RHZ8-MSJqI2oYb-xOt5Xf1XcbNzhhzIgxyEpFXTIe-qhgwFZc_Bq12YUb9n2kUsqz0mYehmfxwTr/s2048/IMG_8686.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86tb4hJbuDmKxyTM4x62s2JWAkJ4H61-CMFTp5FSkH5XkELciu8GvIG7pKZCIVj32RHZ8-MSJqI2oYb-xOt5Xf1XcbNzhhzIgxyEpFXTIe-qhgwFZc_Bq12YUb9n2kUsqz0mYehmfxwTr/s320/IMG_8686.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have kept shells from past years, but so far am not bringing new shells inside (good thing I'm working on this challenge right now!)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-53578787959089380982021-09-12T06:19:00.000-07:002021-09-12T06:19:24.077-07:00Week 1 of minimalist living<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The drive to Massachusetts went well. Thanks to Stephanie for giving me two lunch items so I didn’t buy any highway rest stop food en route. I listened to a 4-hour meeting with other new employees at my job, which drowned out some of the cat opera singing (aka objecting to being in a cat carrier for so many hours).</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1SYQfuE2nuhqXeRYMJtg57N54NgD0TqB66JMRaGUvbmnFzH_5Q6NAgwXBa4yA_xfgbZhdIlIxSEVmxe7eIYWTEi_YrNObz89blB9BxMKutPfVYoo3wxDS-sf3uB1Un3IP3hunRqVFKi5/s2048/IMG_8592.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1SYQfuE2nuhqXeRYMJtg57N54NgD0TqB66JMRaGUvbmnFzH_5Q6NAgwXBa4yA_xfgbZhdIlIxSEVmxe7eIYWTEi_YrNObz89blB9BxMKutPfVYoo3wxDS-sf3uB1Un3IP3hunRqVFKi5/s320/IMG_8592.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloucester, MA</td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">My first purchases in the new location were grocery basics, such as eggs, yogurt, fruit, and veggies. It makes me happy to have a bowl of fruit on the counter, ready to eat, and I have never been so thrilled as to find my favorite frying pan and knife to prepare fresh vegetables for dinner (along with a protein and a gluten free carb).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DcnoNNkoW9MXXthX11a7CLFvYtAI8QYzpUp53wnUJ7ObnlqKcnffRDVtUeRGuE6fnSQdewT3a-cpHUVeCAZBLva_vdCehIvg2JeZHDFBhi-UdFrqp5x-57uTNtdjAvRTvoy5xJGr3rXq/s2048/IMG_8559.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DcnoNNkoW9MXXthX11a7CLFvYtAI8QYzpUp53wnUJ7ObnlqKcnffRDVtUeRGuE6fnSQdewT3a-cpHUVeCAZBLva_vdCehIvg2JeZHDFBhi-UdFrqp5x-57uTNtdjAvRTvoy5xJGr3rXq/s320/IMG_8559.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I got one non-consumable item: a dustpan. I brought a vacuum cleaner and a full-sized broom, but really needed to be able to sweep up stray pieces of cat litter efficiently. The local health food store had one with a wood handle on the mini broom. I have used it every day since buying it, so that makes sense as far as I’m concerned. I also gassed up the car, though I guess that’s a consumable purchase, too!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyawl_l_zDQnAvjtKnXOzk2mZkSIpf6XvhubK2JWvQxUJaAL1Rs_wjng8bMsMTjRHWB5A1ncp9fqMJeOD4cC8PSu-W3RDJI37BKugtpPflsMbKyWlofi4Z0OvnPMaO8LqbAs4OddEnS8oY/s2048/IMG_8589.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyawl_l_zDQnAvjtKnXOzk2mZkSIpf6XvhubK2JWvQxUJaAL1Rs_wjng8bMsMTjRHWB5A1ncp9fqMJeOD4cC8PSu-W3RDJI37BKugtpPflsMbKyWlofi4Z0OvnPMaO8LqbAs4OddEnS8oY/s320/IMG_8589.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beverly, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: courier;">I received one non-consumable item as a gift in the mail from a friend who wanted to encourage me on this new journey in life! Thanks to Nicole for bringing a tear to my eye with kind words and a heartfelt gesture on a day when I was feeling sad. One nice way I can pass along encouragement and meet my challenge is to use the large amount of stationery I own to send snail mail to others!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxdxTw6PATfs5KpTzEvcTNtvnVSsHgYlO-gJInjlA52KtZ2cY83oiIJPk35oTJM3_DTPfQZFkVq4ncs3BRwCCIzHGm6BREIQLJId67zpOhW-SHexqsgqSBB5Volui6oRttV30poGXQadJ/s2048/IMG_8569.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxdxTw6PATfs5KpTzEvcTNtvnVSsHgYlO-gJInjlA52KtZ2cY83oiIJPk35oTJM3_DTPfQZFkVq4ncs3BRwCCIzHGm6BREIQLJId67zpOhW-SHexqsgqSBB5Volui6oRttV30poGXQadJ/s320/IMG_8569.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">So far I have emptied 20 regular packing boxes and all the cardboard around framed posters/art. I’m getting my exercise by carrying the empty boxes down the stairs to the recycling bin and then walking back up the stairs. </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyftylGW75am0saczickkWnd0S10aw_CxV6pqWtGdwjECYYgUx9x537z-cWNurcJLPNA_7m2oW8PFgRnutwFdgChIIHYwjwuOcadm7B3jHHDkUy1d59qwjfKPc2dIzaDiDBbgwn8rK-zF/s2048/IMG_8610.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyftylGW75am0saczickkWnd0S10aw_CxV6pqWtGdwjECYYgUx9x537z-cWNurcJLPNA_7m2oW8PFgRnutwFdgChIIHYwjwuOcadm7B3jHHDkUy1d59qwjfKPc2dIzaDiDBbgwn8rK-zF/s320/IMG_8610.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salem, MA</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: courier;">Donations/tossing to report: I threw away a cassette tape that I was affectionately listening to on my ancient stereo that I mentioned when I unpacked it </span><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2020/05/its-only-hard-to-say-good-bye-when.html" style="font-family: courier;" target="_blank">previously</a><span style="font-family: courier;">. In the olden days, we would have used a pencil to fix the cassette tape spool, but this malfunction provided a good excuse to start the "tossing" report.</span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-62541986079110597172021-09-05T16:24:00.000-07:002021-09-05T16:24:16.222-07:00A year of minimalism?<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I have too much stuff! This became obvious during my recent move when I packed over 75 boxes. Some items are “keepers”, such as scrapbooks and my grandmother’s china tea set(s), but other stuff accumulated over the years and has become too much. I’ve enjoyed supporting other people’s home parties but have way too many kitchen gadgets that I don’t use very often, if ever.</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOR9aJZN_5L8INH62ystDBx9hu0K9yJwVUkQ2o2_MoOixk3irdgk1_IarePIEFMINFnSgxlgw91blqMV2vc_JyfqNpd3Nn0jGeQm0L6I6Vw7eelvVhoOJ7MTsVmTil-5QZ0XDKHkHp66f/s2048/IMG_8581.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOR9aJZN_5L8INH62ystDBx9hu0K9yJwVUkQ2o2_MoOixk3irdgk1_IarePIEFMINFnSgxlgw91blqMV2vc_JyfqNpd3Nn0jGeQm0L6I6Vw7eelvVhoOJ7MTsVmTil-5QZ0XDKHkHp66f/s320/IMG_8581.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near my new yoga teacher's place!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I’m issuing myself two challenges for the next 12 months: use it or lose it, and don’t buy anything that’s not consumable. I have never been interested in living in a “tiny house” or RV permanently, but there is something good to be said about streamlining possessions. As I unpack belongings, I will consider tips from <a href="http://www.flylady.net/" style="color: #954f72;">www.flylady.net</a> and Marie Kondo, rather than just dumping items into drawers or cabinets. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinqCuaDVyb8RK_vx2K0HMaJOJq3SGrLi7lDHDouvJm_GOK_FkHNnpA9hTJWu2UmuSSlws_pJz4MFKMbRa_XU1juUZJjNcZRG4Y1OO9oqGFECrUWDJxlthjA7Pg6zwA2owPHrhx-bGqT7x/s2048/IMG_8280.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinqCuaDVyb8RK_vx2K0HMaJOJq3SGrLi7lDHDouvJm_GOK_FkHNnpA9hTJWu2UmuSSlws_pJz4MFKMbRa_XU1juUZJjNcZRG4Y1OO9oqGFECrUWDJxlthjA7Pg6zwA2owPHrhx-bGqT7x/s320/IMG_8280.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I made several donation trips to charity shops this month, and gave many items to friends (before and after every move), and still have too much. It’s difficult to let some items go, so that is why I’d like to challenge myself publicly in this journey. I wouldn’t normally keep track of how many things I’m passing along (doesn’t that sound better than “getting rid of”?), but I will attempt to do so now as a pat on the back for working towards this goal. It will be a good exercise in using what I have before buying new (hello, scrapbooking supplies and soap-type products). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MLqWQxHWbqip4e8B0txnlzmMnmrobI_DmzKrkBo-LitxXB-gvU58Pt9dgRRqZ0QqPrKWn_p7_ZGdSGWiYDLG6rWpH2L-j6CtFU97FZWiDIMOARVsM70y_Xo3vjFjMEc3JCZ88P0f4hUx/s2048/IMG_8557.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MLqWQxHWbqip4e8B0txnlzmMnmrobI_DmzKrkBo-LitxXB-gvU58Pt9dgRRqZ0QqPrKWn_p7_ZGdSGWiYDLG6rWpH2L-j6CtFU97FZWiDIMOARVsM70y_Xo3vjFjMEc3JCZ88P0f4hUx/s320/IMG_8557.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near my new office</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">As soon as I thought of this invitation to stop buying anything that’s not consumable, I worried about an exception! I will consider scrapbooking tape to be consumable because I used 4 rolls of tape this year alone, so those little boxes are not hanging around taking up space. But I have enough paper and decorations on hand from the wonderful online scrapbooking weekends that I participated in during the pandemic. Who doesn’t love getting a “care package” in the mail with fun supplies?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ted38F-x-YwFtwVC60_VaDBefDsFDAvP4zRWBwP_D18sVWp6DXtTcA5wuoq-AKroCc9dMEwAbBVQHxElJDl_6kC95fK27i_tx6yIjHfmusF0AMB_RK-JOKRmbtCmwl9hap1kvWGlPKfx/s2048/IMG_8508.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ted38F-x-YwFtwVC60_VaDBefDsFDAvP4zRWBwP_D18sVWp6DXtTcA5wuoq-AKroCc9dMEwAbBVQHxElJDl_6kC95fK27i_tx6yIjHfmusF0AMB_RK-JOKRmbtCmwl9hap1kvWGlPKfx/s320/IMG_8508.jpeg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The term “use it or lose it” is most commonly associated with vacation time or sick time at work, but I have also heard the concept expressed by people who are trying minimalism at home. They pack up everything they own, even if they are not moving, and see what they miss. For example, I bought a gadget to remove pits from cherries. However, I only eat raw cherries one by one, and spit out the pit. I am too lazy to use the cherry pitter to make a pie from a bowl of fresh cherries. Ok, this tiny gadget does not take up a lot of space, but there are other gadgets in the drawer. I use the garlic press every week and love the microplaner for fruit peel such as lemons in cheesecake, so they are safe to stay. But the vegetable spiralizer may need to go. I will unpack things and if I don’t use them by Christmas, they are in line for donation. I will feel badly about not supporting friends who are having home parties for this year-long challenge, but I really have enough candles for now (I love my friend who is a candle company rep, and don’t plan to buy candles from anyone else- let’s see if I use up my entire inventory in less than a year). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxuK_w8g8sB0K-sXrDg-eFoYTC9U1sBb8568hJY7HLr724Mjtg3ncMy7JOg_77hy2RYVpEzVFpFCgZnY5oiv-fJL6DxJrZ-X-cVglZmqFy3x_EqF6WozHk8jfahd6-QM7jwDmFwiFvN74/s2048/IMG_8448.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxuK_w8g8sB0K-sXrDg-eFoYTC9U1sBb8568hJY7HLr724Mjtg3ncMy7JOg_77hy2RYVpEzVFpFCgZnY5oiv-fJL6DxJrZ-X-cVglZmqFy3x_EqF6WozHk8jfahd6-QM7jwDmFwiFvN74/s320/IMG_8448.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">What are your tips for decluttering and not buying new things?</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-76116094356230086432021-08-17T13:26:00.000-07:002021-08-17T13:26:02.974-07:00Summer travels and transitions<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Earlier this spring I promised to post more regularly, and then life happened! We traveled to New England last fall when COVID restrictions were lifted, but didn’t share photos of that trip. It was short and mostly visiting with family and friends.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYRdweowH8iyoYuNge6pbU-7t3AzLwzQamaezJ0CH8C3jGKix1ITMaY3Vyd7plUXBerTzOzQ3ETLv2SXwxmcmIlehmIgZhoALhLIjVuEkzhyphenhyphen9bap93IDNQI4-nmAfqcs6ySshQedd6DNm/s2048/IMG_8006.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYRdweowH8iyoYuNge6pbU-7t3AzLwzQamaezJ0CH8C3jGKix1ITMaY3Vyd7plUXBerTzOzQ3ETLv2SXwxmcmIlehmIgZhoALhLIjVuEkzhyphenhyphen9bap93IDNQI4-nmAfqcs6ySshQedd6DNm/s320/IMG_8006.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ogunquit, Maine</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Then over the winter and spring, COVID got worse and we didn’t travel again until the weather got warmer and things felt a bit safer after vaccinations ramped up. Here are some photos from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont this summer. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bRR9mF2f48WGQya7NbMLh-27RYmukdFnlNqabk8PcTa6Nf8aTGJUCKHxe96a_9HMVh-pEEm-CutKrLVBpJCJnS4terAZxjYc38nW45InDcedkRryuuJuM_GTcP1KlQkCCtwbMkRTfM73/s2048/IMG_8095.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bRR9mF2f48WGQya7NbMLh-27RYmukdFnlNqabk8PcTa6Nf8aTGJUCKHxe96a_9HMVh-pEEm-CutKrLVBpJCJnS4terAZxjYc38nW45InDcedkRryuuJuM_GTcP1KlQkCCtwbMkRTfM73/s320/IMG_8095.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norwich, Vermont</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Another reason for the pause in blog posts is a significant transition coming soon. I posted 2 years ago about the <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-pcs-ring-binder-episode-3.html" target="_blank">“moving ring-binder”</a> getting hauled out again, and it’s back! This means selling the house, going through belongings for charity shop donations, packing, setting up new utilities, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcLe-_6A0DiQYhm7UZPeljvI467x-pnzYyaizofXmeVo8Ywd4DHuXdw-FaPyvnKgkUCJnKtdMFun2xDfNcS_Cicz9-qybA7FY7X20W9L_TzL7Y49md37Kcbz_jidPE3m1UMjs1yNBDO3k/s2048/IMG_8051.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcLe-_6A0DiQYhm7UZPeljvI467x-pnzYyaizofXmeVo8Ywd4DHuXdw-FaPyvnKgkUCJnKtdMFun2xDfNcS_Cicz9-qybA7FY7X20W9L_TzL7Y49md37Kcbz_jidPE3m1UMjs1yNBDO3k/s320/IMG_8051.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ogunquit, Maine</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">It takes a lot of mental and physical energy to move, and many tasks are on a deadline, if you want electricity available in your new home. We also upgraded several aspects of our current home this summer, from a new back deck to insulation and siding.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYTi0nqUwstGE7u9PKIQklzYQwy9ZGC70x1p9Aohh7xG4G3M13nPQffxE-xY1vHAXcpihkvp5QRy2TUFR2UWOziLYYtphxfgsyyfULZ699kXv7n6xxjw0lxdEZg8MC_kFipeuEcWmKxGq/s2048/IMG_8239.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYTi0nqUwstGE7u9PKIQklzYQwy9ZGC70x1p9Aohh7xG4G3M13nPQffxE-xY1vHAXcpihkvp5QRy2TUFR2UWOziLYYtphxfgsyyfULZ699kXv7n6xxjw0lxdEZg8MC_kFipeuEcWmKxGq/s320/IMG_8239.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks, Betsy!</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The scenery in upstate NY is beautiful, yet it was refreshing to see the seacoast in Massachusetts and Maine, along with lakes in New Hampshire and Vermont. I’ve finally realized that I’m more of a country person than a city person. I appreciate the perks of living near a city, and having access to cultural institutions of music and art, but at the end of the day, give me nature, bird song, and quiet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_1ZEZwUMcIssgqntb0J4D3eL_B8FBel4sh2Zp0nyx8xoCqJW9Gbb5DK_Qt6IYZIXYK_AIcLxOIkJTbAmqojsV3xHYKEg79JDXzVZ7u20VH72WkimzP_wKFRCtBZXB8Kudds6o_tlZ5pC/s2048/IMG_6951.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_1ZEZwUMcIssgqntb0J4D3eL_B8FBel4sh2Zp0nyx8xoCqJW9Gbb5DK_Qt6IYZIXYK_AIcLxOIkJTbAmqojsV3xHYKEg79JDXzVZ7u20VH72WkimzP_wKFRCtBZXB8Kudds6o_tlZ5pC/s320/IMG_6951.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This gorgeous vine loved our back deck!</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">It will probably be a while util the next post, complete with photos of a new location. I’m starting a job, so that will keep me really busy, on top of unpacking and getting to know a town near the ocean.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-74844968482695135502021-08-10T18:46:00.004-07:002021-08-10T18:46:50.527-07:00Zucchini “puff” casserole<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I can’t believe that I haven’t posted this recipe yet, as I’ve been making it for years! I helped assemble three cookbooks for different non-profit groups in Massachusetts, and for one of them, I taste tested more than half the recipes. I can’t remember how much oil was in the original version of this one, but it was a LOT!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYaelrPlt5hHRamudN4Xg1O0ix98O4PhpcHIKWDlQvlcbm-rJ8hDjZVewqXVcOpGll6lV84cbA_zHu15shgYKsn6iVpnNwaJva2ZQ1TCLOMB9Lo9js32WrbN8TasyocNP2qurWnRCheKa/s2048/IMG_8368.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYaelrPlt5hHRamudN4Xg1O0ix98O4PhpcHIKWDlQvlcbm-rJ8hDjZVewqXVcOpGll6lV84cbA_zHu15shgYKsn6iVpnNwaJva2ZQ1TCLOMB9Lo9js32WrbN8TasyocNP2qurWnRCheKa/s320/IMG_8368.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">For the cookbook, I pared it down to half a cup, but since then, I’ve reduced it further to ¼ of a cup. I also added more flavor to the original garlic-free recipe. Here’s my version of Norma’s delicious zucchini casserole, along with some photos from a trip to Pennsylvania and Maryland to visit family and friends.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFDMEKnTk9BHb0VSu6sxlAAVjHjpneS-iSDtjOtdOrAp1sDtXmSF_8LWeO68cMkRFc2H0SpzqkWayExBcCWUQOjb7IAz51OjvaaCLm0LbqcxZdgvJXKNu3lsI8xWPHTdjyfhPluz_Ippd/s2048/IMG_8188.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFDMEKnTk9BHb0VSu6sxlAAVjHjpneS-iSDtjOtdOrAp1sDtXmSF_8LWeO68cMkRFc2H0SpzqkWayExBcCWUQOjb7IAz51OjvaaCLm0LbqcxZdgvJXKNu3lsI8xWPHTdjyfhPluz_Ippd/s320/IMG_8188.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chihuly sculpture at Corning Museum of Glass (NY)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Saute one cut up onion or one leek in a splash of oil. I added mushrooms because I love them so much, and sautéed them with the leeks and a pat of butter (optional)! FYI, the original recipe did not call for mushrooms, and the onions were raw (diced). If you are feeling daring, add one clove of garlic, minced, after the onions and mushrooms have softened. I enjoy the mellow flavor of roasted garlic, and routinely keep a head of roasted garlic in the fridge. Your choice of raw garlic in this casserole, or fried with the onions/veg, or roasted ahead of time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFI-ha8ElWx0s4WaGXskROkV9EWKxk1pantYqCvL8LcSW9CeVKbZhFrpMw55SoYPheWkfAlrTqkHeGGZd0Pc1kdPLp3URbXRDyBpidXhVFRk65oO7_kPBQIm-c-uTQ_Wvc-KAiG15wYwNR/s2048/IMG_8168.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFI-ha8ElWx0s4WaGXskROkV9EWKxk1pantYqCvL8LcSW9CeVKbZhFrpMw55SoYPheWkfAlrTqkHeGGZd0Pc1kdPLp3URbXRDyBpidXhVFRk65oO7_kPBQIm-c-uTQ_Wvc-KAiG15wYwNR/s320/IMG_8168.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cornell University Botanical Gardens (NY)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Whisk 2 eggs and ½ cup liquid egg substitute (or 2 more real eggs). Add 1 cup of pancake/baking mix (the kind you can also make biscuits, waffles, or scones out of). Stir in ¼ cup oil and half a cup of your favorite shredded cheese. I used Emmentaler, and the original recipe calls for Parmesan. Add some black pepper. Grate and add in 3 cups of zucchini…now I remember why I haven’t made this recipe in so long: I just got a new handy dandy grater, that rests flat on a plate or bowl, and is way more fun to use them my old, trusty upright metal one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnoOuKCGyDnHzn09l2IzionNhHt6bZxWzjE1GeIh4V7RN1kisVHf7jKNrQvtEHPpyS3DUugERlaIBTcOR5uwwF0VmWN0syoc0jcyeM2VL0CZHJHIBBUVQ1lw41y4SDrqKNGGTtCCraF9P/s2048/IMG_8242.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnoOuKCGyDnHzn09l2IzionNhHt6bZxWzjE1GeIh4V7RN1kisVHf7jKNrQvtEHPpyS3DUugERlaIBTcOR5uwwF0VmWN0syoc0jcyeM2VL0CZHJHIBBUVQ1lw41y4SDrqKNGGTtCCraF9P/s320/IMG_8242.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annmarie Sculpture Garden (MD)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Grease a baking dish (I use my favorite square dish, or a round one is fine). Combine the sautéed onion/leek/mushroom and the egg mixture. Pour into the baking dish and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes (180 C). </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDQqboY8tozI0h22FYcvHIhGeJ7N32mB2_X1R4imsA-4nrcHYtTfuvZwVlseQHW0mQuUeJic3X5owJJ_Vxw5aVHrs-D4gjUrm9UV7K9CKEg1TsV9syNNVoEbBktBsQ4847SAXDn2F6OqF/s2048/IMG_8182.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDQqboY8tozI0h22FYcvHIhGeJ7N32mB2_X1R4imsA-4nrcHYtTfuvZwVlseQHW0mQuUeJic3X5owJJ_Vxw5aVHrs-D4gjUrm9UV7K9CKEg1TsV9syNNVoEbBktBsQ4847SAXDn2F6OqF/s320/IMG_8182.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiffany Window, Corning Museum of Glass (NY)</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><span style="font-family: courier;">What is your favorite way to consume zucchini?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-13013664521206608022021-06-07T06:44:00.000-07:002021-06-07T06:44:10.546-07:00Doing things alone<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Many years ago, I had to learn how to <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2014/09/feeling-lonely-and-scared.html">be alone </a>for more than a year, and it was ok (though not tons of fun)! I don’t mind being alone at home so much anymore, especially after adjusting to being unemployed/back in school/pandemic restrictions, and I have no problem running errands or grocery shopping lone, but I’ve never enjoyed eating in a restaurant or going to the movies by myself.</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOM7esdDE676wwuRa6MfJonygETU9-XGokmm9amWXsM0NqqfEl7rXQvixeC7BZGKs_rXEbcnrNCke0FvXRSyN3XoSCUYzQAs-6jMQ21_tsttygRSoyygS1PxGNlvoRWggpOk7yyPDUPLa/s2048/IMG_7886.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOM7esdDE676wwuRa6MfJonygETU9-XGokmm9amWXsM0NqqfEl7rXQvixeC7BZGKs_rXEbcnrNCke0FvXRSyN3XoSCUYzQAs-6jMQ21_tsttygRSoyygS1PxGNlvoRWggpOk7yyPDUPLa/s320/IMG_7886.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Now that I’m done with school and job searching, I’ve had some long days/weeks/weekends alone at home, and I decided to stretch myself by doing some things alone that I wouldn’t normally want to. For example, even going to a coffee shop alone seemed like a waste of time, since I could have coffee at home for just about free and not have to drive and park, listen to a noisy environment, or spend on overpriced caloric concoctions. <o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_PcLp1wOfukWLgsN1ij5UQbHs7RAqOCP1PuQzC7s6CC0wOgCzS2o0L4OcWvaP4sR4Ig4lA86XGXdSbXJtIHpGwj9clUV84DhyQt6RY6NK205b9r3SRW9bp2VpTxrsHEv54F82TxjAqLi/s2048/IMG_7923.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_PcLp1wOfukWLgsN1ij5UQbHs7RAqOCP1PuQzC7s6CC0wOgCzS2o0L4OcWvaP4sR4Ig4lA86XGXdSbXJtIHpGwj9clUV84DhyQt6RY6NK205b9r3SRW9bp2VpTxrsHEv54F82TxjAqLi/s320/IMG_7923.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: courier;">My life coach training is ready to go into business, so I’ve been challenging myself with reviewing the tools and using my own thoughts to practice some skills on. So, is it true that going to a coffee shop alone is a waste of time? Well, it depends. If I’m truly happy alone at home and am on a tight budget, then yes/maybe it’s not the best use of time and funds. If from time to time I feel a bit bored and lonely and can afford an overprices beverage/snack, then it’s not a waste of time.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><o:p></o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Hq__G6qOl6gvQ99IvF7xox6_EPiCGSPu5ln-LO3nscX7wdXyc_GEPVANisF7bINoXoNyXIv24DQWyDoSjCbWCKj8E9MCniUm0SgTE1NDSWkf8oowH__T9eO8Iwpd2ifoQ4mjJbznZadP/s2048/IMG_7916.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Hq__G6qOl6gvQ99IvF7xox6_EPiCGSPu5ln-LO3nscX7wdXyc_GEPVANisF7bINoXoNyXIv24DQWyDoSjCbWCKj8E9MCniUm0SgTE1NDSWkf8oowH__T9eO8Iwpd2ifoQ4mjJbznZadP/s320/IMG_7916.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it's still nice to go somewhere with another person!</td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: courier;">Is it true that anyone who goes out to eat or a movie alone has no friends? No, that is absolutely not true. I do have friends, AND it’s ok to be alone in public. I’ve been to three cafes recently and have 2 photos to prove it! The first place in Sacket’s Harbor, NY was fabulous. The cocoa was outstanding and the cookie was marvelous. It was not weird at all to be there alone. In fact, there were 2 other people there alone. I’m so glad that it was a positive experience.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><o:p></o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkbM7pQ5eiidoDo_XS-9lNIvzhS-RGg-xoqh6QZVVjsVXEkbD0-gBzRJrc67VhxC3KoWDHFqLKgi22HO_D40b6W0i7QcSH19Dsln1fKr5ex7u2droUXXnE84poCUWrBPeYdyviyTKco9n/s2048/IMG_7898.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkbM7pQ5eiidoDo_XS-9lNIvzhS-RGg-xoqh6QZVVjsVXEkbD0-gBzRJrc67VhxC3KoWDHFqLKgi22HO_D40b6W0i7QcSH19Dsln1fKr5ex7u2droUXXnE84poCUWrBPeYdyviyTKco9n/s320/IMG_7898.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hopeful seed sprouts for flowers this summer</td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The second place shall remain name-less and photo-less, as the cocoa was passable and the cookie was so-so. But I’m still proud of myself for continuing this challenge. Everyone else in this place was with friends, and the music was a bit too loud for me to be able to relax and enjoy my reading material, but I’m happy to learn and not feel weird being alone.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs5bAfz4yxvwBcqZr5qERy7s2TvDE7wLqgKWQN5M6X20LtYV1_h2MFYOW97lzTAnqUFdS3f1ZbCaBkpmNpspNv8XHLrXThg9s2n-9bSDS-d_FMew7E-W1plS2NqtiJlS3lcRsNCObBhaC/s2048/IMG_7922.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs5bAfz4yxvwBcqZr5qERy7s2TvDE7wLqgKWQN5M6X20LtYV1_h2MFYOW97lzTAnqUFdS3f1ZbCaBkpmNpspNv8XHLrXThg9s2n-9bSDS-d_FMew7E-W1plS2NqtiJlS3lcRsNCObBhaC/s320/IMG_7922.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beyond refreshing- my new favorite</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The last place to report on today was complete with outdoor seating near the river in Cape Vincent, NY. A sandwich wrap (2nd photo above), interesting new-to-me flavored water and a superb lemon blueberry cookie was another positive experience. I forgot to include the book I was reading in the photo but will make every effort to remember in the next photo location.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">For some people, I’m sure this stuff is no big deal, but for an introvert who is conscientious of calories and relatively frivolous spending, this was an experiment in making progress. And more progress is to be made! I’ve done plenty of things alone in the past, especially when traveling for business made it impossible to phone a friend for a get-together. I now invite myself to continue stretching the comfort zone and continue to explore going out alone.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-49973173844848827002021-05-28T15:41:00.000-07:002021-05-28T15:41:01.105-07:00Bead button art<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Do you have a jar or box full of buttons? I sure did, and when I realized that I no longer owned the clothes that the buttons went to, I decided to make art with buttons and beads on hand, inspired by a beautiful tree I saw at my advisor’s home in Iowa (photo below).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUy-OPp4yW6G945oCbL_dHyX-yn6r86t6OdwVPPin4EN_XDCbprlV74sqpLYJEN0A5FYYKtPz-V6aPpBAAsZFuQKizsrbbVZYz8Up1EsBzzD9XPUXEkAkDSZEsiqqK74XzT9SfHn2ik0K/s2048/IMG_6138.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUy-OPp4yW6G945oCbL_dHyX-yn6r86t6OdwVPPin4EN_XDCbprlV74sqpLYJEN0A5FYYKtPz-V6aPpBAAsZFuQKizsrbbVZYz8Up1EsBzzD9XPUXEkAkDSZEsiqqK74XzT9SfHn2ik0K/s320/IMG_6138.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;">I soon realized that my button stash was insufficient to copy the tree exactly. Mine looked like a rainbow weeping willow!</span></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyoOK0cp2YIGsWgJZIveg6-rjIj8SECVoC4eHaMdgLOt4-j40K67l3bZOkIaEX4RqtzsYGxDf3I9qTDMLEv7EQF1RZ2O-a7QUdd0OYPq1-ibW2psBU0zGj8wwKZgx9FVN1f66iURUlnjH/s2048/IMG_7398.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyoOK0cp2YIGsWgJZIveg6-rjIj8SECVoC4eHaMdgLOt4-j40K67l3bZOkIaEX4RqtzsYGxDf3I9qTDMLEv7EQF1RZ2O-a7QUdd0OYPq1-ibW2psBU0zGj8wwKZgx9FVN1f66iURUlnjH/s320/IMG_7398.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">After observing my tree for a few days (good thing I had not glued it!), I decided to try for flowers instead. I thought the flowers looked much cuter than the tree!</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9QkQfeXU-JcENlW2BC4ta6BFEh4axo2jiSkON20vVRlsZqEW33CJZ4-KaNWp6wzV1fiGThnvQJ3nEHaVQO0PO3SM7GF9oYDMiRSdmfyDJOkCEc6rWRS0E12KF7OzJrN621DJm6lX-5Rk/s2048/IMG_7420.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9QkQfeXU-JcENlW2BC4ta6BFEh4axo2jiSkON20vVRlsZqEW33CJZ4-KaNWp6wzV1fiGThnvQJ3nEHaVQO0PO3SM7GF9oYDMiRSdmfyDJOkCEc6rWRS0E12KF7OzJrN621DJm6lX-5Rk/s320/IMG_7420.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; text-align: left;">Next, I had to learn about canvas, paint and glue! I’ve made collages before on cardboard and small solid canvas, but never a 3-d item. I had read about a product called gesso, and thought it might be glue-like (it is sort of, but other real glue is needed for beads and buttons). I got a package of different gessoes at a craft store, and had fun experimenting with various colors and textures. I also found Mod Podge with GLITTER! That plus 2 different kinds of glue was enough.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreag98M7j-q-xMWTP05qAqXFJwg6NoP8u8xo465w3Pe3tMM81c6TX0F4JpKbWxF3ZzIIVYFPL4onYm8jlKksAq0RSIFNi-AuACD2Q2om7S0lJIOFDe1HXGfNXViKN2vCoEfwnvkgnA2SO/s2048/IMG_7483.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreag98M7j-q-xMWTP05qAqXFJwg6NoP8u8xo465w3Pe3tMM81c6TX0F4JpKbWxF3ZzIIVYFPL4onYm8jlKksAq0RSIFNi-AuACD2Q2om7S0lJIOFDe1HXGfNXViKN2vCoEfwnvkgnA2SO/s320/IMG_7483.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I wasn’t sure which size canvas would be the best, so I got 2 different ones, because I really wanted the size right between the two available ones. Rather than returning either the larger or smaller ones, I decided to use them all.</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIQOK6BiR4kaWifEONkcJmnZenllUvFTDztnnuAwPulmoxEtXonl1knKdeQmilBktSBUzjtjE8VA0oWPFm8UCXnV5yaBwXHZmhWUeAZQIU4X14Ik0-VXPKuj3h7kjiKa9ckwlQrRZEeAr/s2048/IMG_7485.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIQOK6BiR4kaWifEONkcJmnZenllUvFTDztnnuAwPulmoxEtXonl1knKdeQmilBktSBUzjtjE8VA0oWPFm8UCXnV5yaBwXHZmhWUeAZQIU4X14Ik0-VXPKuj3h7kjiKa9ckwlQrRZEeAr/s320/IMG_7485.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;">I mixed gesso, acrylic paint and glitter Mod Podge on the backgrounds and then glued on the beads and buttons. I’m still adding “grass” in green and am considering adding “leaves” to the stems.<o:p></o:p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZoxaIbfC-2zAj7j7zsG4P8VyVM7EkxqGPEhBDiQL9Th8kD8lZ0zlIeh4O7Iwr-IPMdYpZdcTD7V097nemMlEILevGeciz0xd9jTjarSKN8LViT5KyAZJi56cWmXBjb7c3eug6UwAPIVK/s2048/IMG_7487.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZoxaIbfC-2zAj7j7zsG4P8VyVM7EkxqGPEhBDiQL9Th8kD8lZ0zlIeh4O7Iwr-IPMdYpZdcTD7V097nemMlEILevGeciz0xd9jTjarSKN8LViT5KyAZJi56cWmXBjb7c3eug6UwAPIVK/s320/IMG_7487.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">In the meantime, I’m pleased with the results. What would you like to make with your collection of buttons and beads?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdd1rIQxBkbSimBy62r4wh4-gHIhxHt_mx_wM8-e1o7KDcoFNzXX8rgeXNzOarN6GPVhz3NSqn4oeeP-5PqhMXKqrt_5xlo1W6RjGU1TPsl8q9lf9aJywCXejekllOMo3NdHBXAC_7c3Vc/s2048/IMG_7509.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdd1rIQxBkbSimBy62r4wh4-gHIhxHt_mx_wM8-e1o7KDcoFNzXX8rgeXNzOarN6GPVhz3NSqn4oeeP-5PqhMXKqrt_5xlo1W6RjGU1TPsl8q9lf9aJywCXejekllOMo3NdHBXAC_7c3Vc/s320/IMG_7509.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Finally, I will need to figure out about arranging the flowers on the wall, with 3 larger and 3 smaller canvases.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrulaZHsdyVSCMVyxSUhmPVGxVBHChNX5EXejPHVC9iIS9WZz2nQIZJ82UwaZgO5rxFW-UXWBc37XQHCySGLHri5V9NyL9NBb8oMLEzB3IUDghytLlDWzGL77LSqH5mULoibxXQ8BzbEH/s2048/IMG_7686.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrulaZHsdyVSCMVyxSUhmPVGxVBHChNX5EXejPHVC9iIS9WZz2nQIZJ82UwaZgO5rxFW-UXWBc37XQHCySGLHri5V9NyL9NBb8oMLEzB3IUDghytLlDWzGL77LSqH5mULoibxXQ8BzbEH/s320/IMG_7686.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-48114537777263595432021-05-20T07:20:00.000-07:002021-05-20T07:20:22.306-07:002021 update from the cats <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">It’s been almost 2 years since we have updated you on cat life, although we’ve been mentioned from time to time and during the great (awful for the cats) move <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2020/02/yesses-and-nos-from-our-move-back-to-us.html" target="_blank">from Germany</a> back to the USA. The last you heard exclusively from us in <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2019/06/2019-update-from-cats.html" target="_blank">June of 2019</a>- before the move- we were doing well living in the suburbs of Stuttgart, Germany.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SQQLgbYWVOJkd6xceEPv22yLWNtUchy0UaZgNI1GqzTGVckeMA5joKsqqoYefpsOE3DSF4Tio5S_xfBxnLykebVdgCNeI9gBDzsGOdQpbWFHbZU2iWhQe_3GeSVwDp13DcK-t8Zr17Rw/s2048/IMG_7242.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SQQLgbYWVOJkd6xceEPv22yLWNtUchy0UaZgNI1GqzTGVckeMA5joKsqqoYefpsOE3DSF4Tio5S_xfBxnLykebVdgCNeI9gBDzsGOdQpbWFHbZU2iWhQe_3GeSVwDp13DcK-t8Zr17Rw/s320/IMG_7242.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;">We waited so long for our furniture, saying “safe travels” to it at the end of October 2019 in Germany and finally seeing it again at the end of December 2019 in New York. We survived the flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Boston, followed 2 days later by the drive from MA to NY. We were very sad to say “good-bye” to Sebastian when he went over the rainbow bridge before Christmas 2019 at the amazing cat age of 19. He wanted to live, despite his kidney disease. We cats loved him, though not as much as Barbara, who cried for days.</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OtvrDb5P-yi20emGSCeOsIjaRnK6KCFF_MeMgTYpxAo9AuZNhT9ilZuwbU5fBxn-r0X68VS7Ajy8hv5wo_zybtLom3W7LB4dGNiT9T66VTSv8MpIY-mTd3ehX8jrAf7himzINxA16oI_/s2048/IMG_4274.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OtvrDb5P-yi20emGSCeOsIjaRnK6KCFF_MeMgTYpxAo9AuZNhT9ilZuwbU5fBxn-r0X68VS7Ajy8hv5wo_zybtLom3W7LB4dGNiT9T66VTSv8MpIY-mTd3ehX8jrAf7himzINxA16oI_/s320/IMG_4274.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sebastian in Germany</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">As far as the pandemic goes, we understand it has been really hard for a lot of people, but we cats have loved every minute of it. This is the longest our humans have not traveled in years- no suitcases, yay. The windows here in upstate NY have given us excellent views of wildlife, from turkeys to birds galore to deer, rabbits, a woodchuck, and neighboring dogs.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXmClAaVVoAVm-6SsIN2nzdgUGe0vl9wEqBtYf5bgIYF_y5YtfcHO9_aB5KIha_RhG-RSPyFZJEYdqVEP9eTN0_AoMdBSH3YrCbaycl9borl6fA4Gb-OivIpnZQ99IiwJYqb9ZKFjsYDt/s2048/IMG_5778.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXmClAaVVoAVm-6SsIN2nzdgUGe0vl9wEqBtYf5bgIYF_y5YtfcHO9_aB5KIha_RhG-RSPyFZJEYdqVEP9eTN0_AoMdBSH3YrCbaycl9borl6fA4Gb-OivIpnZQ99IiwJYqb9ZKFjsYDt/s320/IMG_5778.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ida playing with a cat toy from Dubuque</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Sidney greets the few visitors we have had, and goes out into the back yard on a harness and leash. She loves to help during online scrapbooking weekends by sitting on top of the supplies. Sidney also enjoys online church services and online choir rehearsals.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHurKd8oKMMA-q1iagJsSbJ83-MPRbccKYHQjoAYVqmR8K0bvRQ9f18nf82-Th8soxhBlpA2hnQD-SrIwrcDy1uKwTTVfr7BewzqAAAOJCUELSymSpuEmTFLVgcWO7u9dfBAKZTReaSki/s2048/IMG_6114.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHurKd8oKMMA-q1iagJsSbJ83-MPRbccKYHQjoAYVqmR8K0bvRQ9f18nf82-Th8soxhBlpA2hnQD-SrIwrcDy1uKwTTVfr7BewzqAAAOJCUELSymSpuEmTFLVgcWO7u9dfBAKZTReaSki/s320/IMG_6114.jpeg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; text-align: left;">Ida is mostly an upstairs cat now, sleeping on the bed much of the day, but she also goes on the wall between the kitchen and the living room, especially when she wants Barbara to get off the couch and pay attention to Ida. Ida likes to sing out loud when Barbara is recording choir songs for the online choir concert.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90cw0HwD9-jWCSOCMasSRxigthDhmcqMLhdg8t0CMfiTrMH8RRH_Cl5xDSbNuol5HqqqfaofSHs-nao7mI2ZsfYR8lyY5BaEL-0-jdzihuaUR7mxmp-epjZGOsMTNSLSB8dCLku03THDf/s1920/IMG_4081.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1467" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90cw0HwD9-jWCSOCMasSRxigthDhmcqMLhdg8t0CMfiTrMH8RRH_Cl5xDSbNuol5HqqqfaofSHs-nao7mI2ZsfYR8lyY5BaEL-0-jdzihuaUR7mxmp-epjZGOsMTNSLSB8dCLku03THDf/s320/IMG_4081.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-71919057156997146462021-05-10T11:34:00.001-07:002021-05-10T11:36:56.923-07:00Pecan Pie CHEESECAKE!<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">This most excellent dessert is worth the 4 hours of prep, baking and chilling time! I adapted a <a href="https://spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com/pecan-pie-cheesecake/?fbclid=IwAR2_tdvRfLTtDbizp7gx-tSgUt_Di4itjRFRIqnx5WI45JEqRb5R2HQCBAY" target="_blank">fabulous recipe</a> in an effort to make it slightly healthier. I’ll let you know what’s what with the modifications so you can decide which ones you want to keep.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohuXOVCfwkpAm2P-mnOywm9V6qFcr28dKmijoS3Al_lR7J1KU6wUbwqYarOaz92qV__XIWaAlrtyNkvFtab3po-fg3QHyjq6w5dP3y3O1CkBY8PRa1CrqOpiTCsKLTYnObyXo5vGyOE25/s2515/IMG_3816.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2515" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohuXOVCfwkpAm2P-mnOywm9V6qFcr28dKmijoS3Al_lR7J1KU6wUbwqYarOaz92qV__XIWaAlrtyNkvFtab3po-fg3QHyjq6w5dP3y3O1CkBY8PRa1CrqOpiTCsKLTYnObyXo5vGyOE25/s320/IMG_3816.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I used a 10.5 inch springform pan instead of the 9 inch pan called for in the recipe. This worked out well, though the entire cheesecake was a bit thinner. If you don’t have as many people to feed, or want a thicker cheesecake, use a 9 inch pan, or double the cheesecake layer ingredients for the larger pan (if desired).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the inside of the springform pan, place it inside the assembled pan, then spray with baking/cooking spray. From <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2013/11/cheesecake-brownie-cupcakes.html" target="_blank">previous posts</a>, you can see that I often make cheesecakes in <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2021/05/peanut-butter-cheesecake.html" target="_blank">pans other than “springform”</a>, so it will still taste great even if you don’t have a fancy pan- it just looks nice when you remove the round sides before serving.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDDOUmSex950Ar46RxDvuPRg3XXIvLMsYRiKHi4SVUfGsIgq3Vpf8WJ6j-nCb_VVTC4j2CyAtCDRG2GCx3jUCvA5TMvb3f1gaKqUSYNCVXTE125of_Yaum4RHCJ2MshTlleLnuIDmNkEe/s2048/IMG_7809.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDDOUmSex950Ar46RxDvuPRg3XXIvLMsYRiKHi4SVUfGsIgq3Vpf8WJ6j-nCb_VVTC4j2CyAtCDRG2GCx3jUCvA5TMvb3f1gaKqUSYNCVXTE125of_Yaum4RHCJ2MshTlleLnuIDmNkEe/s320/IMG_7809.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><u><b><i>Here is what I used for the crust layer:</i></b></u><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">1 and ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">¼ cup each tapioca flour, coconut flour, quinoa flour*<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">6 TBSP melted butter<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">4 TBSP brown sugar (note, despite reducing the amount of sugar in the original recipe to 4 TBSP, the entire cheesecake was still very sweet to my taste. I would use LESS sugar in the crust next time, probably 3 TBSP, due in part to the large amounts of sugar in the other layers). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">* if you don’t have alternate flours, just use 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs for the crust, and/or substitute any other alternate flours to your taste, such as almond flour, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Melt the butter, add the crumbs and sugar, stir, press into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. The original recipe did not call for baking the crust, but I have been making cheesecakes for years and normally bake the crust, even for no-bake cheesecakes. Since I used additional ingredients besides graham cracker crumbs, I baked the crust for 10 minutes and was pleased with the results. If you use only graham cracker crumbs you do not have to bake the crust. If you bake it, let the crust cool for a few minutes out of the oven. Chill in the fridge or freezer while you prepare the next layer (my freezer never ever would have enough space for a springform pan!).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1qlPNpx33a5qxNBHdwOM-1_J-pcqNuGAwSoOKEl4FNTLak1cpfNwQq_ym9LnKj65vcw4gs5SVmcFVxRrq1A1y5FbzdOvc7Zw8F9ySW4Y3Vzuvi1GguQgSzQNrIpkcuq_x2ACz7oejoZz/s2048/IMG_7810.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1qlPNpx33a5qxNBHdwOM-1_J-pcqNuGAwSoOKEl4FNTLak1cpfNwQq_ym9LnKj65vcw4gs5SVmcFVxRrq1A1y5FbzdOvc7Zw8F9ySW4Y3Vzuvi1GguQgSzQNrIpkcuq_x2ACz7oejoZz/s320/IMG_7810.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><u><i><b>Here’s what I used for the first pecan layer:</b></i></u><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">1/3 cup butter<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">2 eggs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">1 tsp vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">1 and ½ cups chopped pecans<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">1 cup brown rice syrup*</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">½ cup sugar (note, next time I would use 1/3 cup sugar, even though the original recipe called for even more than ½ a cup of sugar) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">In a pot on the stove, bring these ingredients to a boil, then lower the heat and stir until thickened. Pour over the chilled crust. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">*if you have ever made pecan pie before, you probably expected to see light corn syrup here, which is what the original recipe called for. I’m trying to use healthier/more natural ingredients, and since the health food store where I went didn’t have light corn syrup, I decided to give brown rice syrup a try. The label says it can be used as a substitute for corn syrup. This layer in the cheesecake tasted wonderful. The texture was a bit chewy, which may be due to how I heated it or it could be due to the substitution. Please feel free to use light corn syrup; I will stick with the brown rice syrup.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfApnTr2LO63lwtAXgmfTbhfAzDlihNPHnFg8vRsD5eq0CDqxCutgIrb8VRmQmkmbJgWRCwKP3dvTS_0IKCQJpZc7HEHLbS5mWMU-GH4iCb2pZcb7lE4lQb63ctQAavxXx4WL1Upeg3biw/s2048/IMG_7812.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfApnTr2LO63lwtAXgmfTbhfAzDlihNPHnFg8vRsD5eq0CDqxCutgIrb8VRmQmkmbJgWRCwKP3dvTS_0IKCQJpZc7HEHLbS5mWMU-GH4iCb2pZcb7lE4lQb63ctQAavxXx4WL1Upeg3biw/s320/IMG_7812.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><u style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>Here’s what I used for the cheesecake layer:</b></i></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">2 blocks of cream cheese, warmed to room temperature for ease of mixing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">½ cup sugar (this is down from the original recipe; I would keep this amount next time)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">1 and ½ TBSP flour (I used gluten free flour)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">1 TBSP vanilla (I accidentally used only 1 tsp vanilla and it could benefit from a bit more flavor, though nobody complained!)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">3 eggs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">½ cup sour cream (I used Lactaid sour cream)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GIgthg6kfUve0F8B9BXgAzok7IFKHnZsD8HonxsgnNooMyqAvvkHodlLHl5_Ls94iGuu2lo9QsxWVEp8UyKyQ9w4RyiZtSSoEFvbwcEr7Qyik4cfMejanH3yvMns9buGWjG1MG_cMnvf/s2048/IMG_7813.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GIgthg6kfUve0F8B9BXgAzok7IFKHnZsD8HonxsgnNooMyqAvvkHodlLHl5_Ls94iGuu2lo9QsxWVEp8UyKyQ9w4RyiZtSSoEFvbwcEr7Qyik4cfMejanH3yvMns9buGWjG1MG_cMnvf/s320/IMG_7813.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo is of the first pecan layer<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: courier;">Blend cream cheese and sugar, add remaining ingredients- mix between each egg. Bake for 1 hour over a water bath*, then turn off the oven and leave the cake inside the oven for 30 minutes. Then crack the oven door and let the oven and cake cool for another 30 minutes. </span><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">*wrap the bottom/sides of the spring form pan with aluminum foil. If you have a large enough pan to place the springform pan in, put the springform pan inside a large pan and put water in the large pan, being careful to avoid water over the top of the foil, so no water can get into the springform pan. My pan was too large to fit into another pan, so I put a large pan with water on the oven rack just underneath the springform pan. I hope the steam effect was still useful (the cake tasted great). As you can see in the first photo, using a larger pan but keeping the same baking time resulted in a slightly browned cake top (normally I would open the oven to check for doneness, but I thought the oven should not be opened with a timed water bath, so I couldn’t see that it was browning up). It didn’t taste burned at all, but if you will use a 10.5 inch springform pan, I would reduce the first baking time by 10 minutes. If you use a 9 inch pan as called for, keep the hour. I will report back if I double the cheesecake layer next time, because it should need a longer baking time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><u><i><b>Here’s what I used for the second pecan layer (topping):</b></i></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">¼ cup butter<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">1/3 cup brown sugar (note, this was beyond delicious. I might add less sugar next time)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">½ tsp vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">¼ cup heavy cream<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">1 cup chopped pecans*<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Heat the butter and sugar until the color deepens. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Pour over the cheesecake!<o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAu6Pcbe8A1_yka41FTzBRMK7ts4P_Gfc3Y5moJ32oNzL1BTkKBu1Qs4D77u45oDb3SAPI7q_GGlvnVE2DUUsamIkI7pQna4k1ysVVl1PysHX3-2a0AuzeT7sv1-Lil7Z-2hjhukUOfX5/s2048/IMG_7815.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAu6Pcbe8A1_yka41FTzBRMK7ts4P_Gfc3Y5moJ32oNzL1BTkKBu1Qs4D77u45oDb3SAPI7q_GGlvnVE2DUUsamIkI7pQna4k1ysVVl1PysHX3-2a0AuzeT7sv1-Lil7Z-2hjhukUOfX5/s320/IMG_7815.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo is of the first pecan layer, not the topping</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The original recipe recommended chilling the cheesecake for hours/overnight. This might result in a nice firm cheesecake, but we didn’t have time to do that, and it tasted great without the hours of chilling. </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">* I have never tasted such delicious pecans as I did this year when I received some as a gift from a friend in Texas. Plain grocery store pecans will be avoided whenever possible from now on. Apparently, pecans from Texas are something special!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-51238025533249282742021-05-02T16:00:00.000-07:002021-05-02T16:00:52.661-07:00Peanut Butter Cheesecake<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I’ve previously shared two cheesecake recipes from my trusty cookbook and have since continued to explore recipes with additional flavors. The cheesecake brownie cupcake recipe is <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2013/11/cheesecake-brownie-cupcakes.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and the lemon one is <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2014/04/lemony-cheesecake.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This week, I had a request for peanut butter cheesecake, and I modified the recipe as follows:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Take 4 blocks of cream cheese out of the refrigerator 2 hours before preparing this recipe for ease of blending. Take your favorite jar of strawberry or grape (or any) jelly out of the fridge before baking to let it come to room temperature.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_m_PoduG0bVO-8i9cOFwuazkQfCoXsAwSED77K1TLzrDDHJNGOymWU5SPXTcm1ysvsv-3YnKyTbBebeR7OZDLE2XA4Bx9b13vxqbj6QEyhrJiQ2Lb5gjVwLqGM2eKqid-ldLjJVd7puu/s2048/IMG_7719.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_m_PoduG0bVO-8i9cOFwuazkQfCoXsAwSED77K1TLzrDDHJNGOymWU5SPXTcm1ysvsv-3YnKyTbBebeR7OZDLE2XA4Bx9b13vxqbj6QEyhrJiQ2Lb5gjVwLqGM2eKqid-ldLjJVd7puu/s320/IMG_7719.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">A 9x13 pan is good for a large family-style serving, so I nearly doubled the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Melt 6 TBSP butter, add 2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 5 TBSP sugar*. Stir. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Put 4 blocks of cream cheese into a large bowl. Add 6 TBSP flour (I used 3 TBSP regular flour and 3 gluten free), 1 ½ cups sugar* and 1 ½ cups chunky peanut butter. Mix until blended.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FAnsZXJ9LccnY44cCIfIKkuSGUsopmPSr_tHPa-lj8YmaXvzk8QTzA48cowo9IkT-mvuVhQhdZQ9aTg-p9usl0TR9KU2L4l647_gr98OVqVApAvM3ZL-S0xLD0s-ZXbMq3NeY_w10Mz7/s2048/IMG_7720.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FAnsZXJ9LccnY44cCIfIKkuSGUsopmPSr_tHPa-lj8YmaXvzk8QTzA48cowo9IkT-mvuVhQhdZQ9aTg-p9usl0TR9KU2L4l647_gr98OVqVApAvM3ZL-S0xLD0s-ZXbMq3NeY_w10Mz7/s320/IMG_7720.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Add 8 eggs, mixing between each egg- I used 4 real eggs and 1 cup of liquid egg white substitute. After the eggs have been blended in, add 1 cup milk- I used ½ cup coconut milk and ½ cup fat free lactaid milk. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Note: these amounts are just about doubled from the original recipe for a round pan, however, the batter is more than will fit into a 9x13 pan. You will have enough extra batter for 6 cheescake cupcakes and a mini loaf pan. The batter will rise as it bakes so you do not want to fill the pan to the top. You can use small wafer cookies as the crust in the cupcakes or pour the batter into the cupcake papers without a crust.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Pour the batter into the pan, leaving at least a ½ inch from the top edge of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 250 degrees. Bake another 40 minutes. When you take the cake out of the oven, run a knife around the edge between the cake and the pan, and let the cake continue to cool. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBq9Jr2WR3RzDezZv9kL_KiNfAoAI87p99a08DSkrROivCMzSFBiibvQ0FdHi8hmgaux5ytECtT3KMnNR3q78z-flzX_N0rgqibyvwqp-Bh7Urv9xXb_QVvJDjjva-RGYssaHaUpAviux/s2048/IMG_7723.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBq9Jr2WR3RzDezZv9kL_KiNfAoAI87p99a08DSkrROivCMzSFBiibvQ0FdHi8hmgaux5ytECtT3KMnNR3q78z-flzX_N0rgqibyvwqp-Bh7Urv9xXb_QVvJDjjva-RGYssaHaUpAviux/s320/IMG_7723.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Now comes the fun part! Well, baking is fun for me in general, but this is extra fun: add 5 or 6 large spoonfuls of strawberry or grape jelly into a pastry bag (or any small plastic bag or icing tool). Cut a small hole into the tip of the pastry bag or the corner of a square bag and pipe the jelly across the top of the cheesecake in a lattice shape. Add more jelly to the bag if you use it all before the design is done. This is the first time I used a pastry bag to pipe anything, so the jelly was a bit squiggly, but that’s ok! It tasted great!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">*note: this is already a reduction in the amount of sugar called for in the original recipe. I know some of you (like me) automatically cut the sugar in a recipe. The original recipe called for more than this, so the reduced amounts listed here are not “too sweet”.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-41550837285613262202021-04-10T11:26:00.001-07:002021-04-10T11:26:10.876-07:00Nantucket and chocolate trifle<span style="font-family: courier;">I visited the island of Nantucket many years ago when I was a summer nanny, and remembered it as cute and quaint. Now that we have friends who live there and 7 COVID vaccinations between the 4 of us, we drove across NY and MA to take the ferry to Nantucket for the weekend. <br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ysuKpECNkHpMlHPzEDPrm4OnQxiT26AsFh0UF516yn8ri169FuBZ7YOggdCDLm1IwvCYSQ2o2-AolqVWvyGvgoHiy5fQZ_9gD8r48jkTcLCQ_6nlEyuZJDknMGk-4CS5EWjMPN6W3leU/s2048/IMG_7634.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ysuKpECNkHpMlHPzEDPrm4OnQxiT26AsFh0UF516yn8ri169FuBZ7YOggdCDLm1IwvCYSQ2o2-AolqVWvyGvgoHiy5fQZ_9gD8r48jkTcLCQ_6nlEyuZJDknMGk-4CS5EWjMPN6W3leU/s320/IMG_7634.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The ferry ride was fine on the way over, but the water was a bit choppy on the way back, but nobody near us actually got sick due to the bobbing of the boat. It was nice dropping off our luggage in Hyannis before parking the car in a lot further away. </span><span style="font-family: courier;">The daffodils had only just poked their leaves out of the earth in upstate NY but were already blooming on the island.</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVL2j8Cv1wbedxIvAH-1neNdWkt1kV8Iym3u0BdnL7pZUDIf4EjDbocim1QhO2hgrCgu2L8ZK45Dhx-asffzDmAHgspSLglZF32VnMkiVXHMs_P2cnvQORutL7tJtKPFmt_Sdy2jf-jUp/s2048/IMG_7596.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVL2j8Cv1wbedxIvAH-1neNdWkt1kV8Iym3u0BdnL7pZUDIf4EjDbocim1QhO2hgrCgu2L8ZK45Dhx-asffzDmAHgspSLglZF32VnMkiVXHMs_P2cnvQORutL7tJtKPFmt_Sdy2jf-jUp/s320/IMG_7596.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">We enjoyed walking on the beach even though we had coats on. I miss the ocean, sea salt air, cawing seagulls and the sound of surf. We also walked around town, checking out TWO real bookstores (the closest one to where we live now is an hour away), a pharmacy with a counter offering ice cream among other things, a grocery store for ingredients (photo of trifle and recipe at the end of the post), and a couple of places to get a bagel and other pre-cooked foods.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJ8PGmKPO5iisQ7rOxT5SHZlMrjbqIYJEe4y64YrBEhUCq-bcxa6T3ljWxwp9fpKkiY9LwNKO8nbyniKZf5Gtk9NjfQ_3fzFt-kYAuJTSdBMsZ6wAOHBK-m4IR7o5eLNLyBDbkuku4dMN/s2048/IMG_7591.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJ8PGmKPO5iisQ7rOxT5SHZlMrjbqIYJEe4y64YrBEhUCq-bcxa6T3ljWxwp9fpKkiY9LwNKO8nbyniKZf5Gtk9NjfQ_3fzFt-kYAuJTSdBMsZ6wAOHBK-m4IR7o5eLNLyBDbkuku4dMN/s320/IMG_7591.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Based on what we heard over dinner, we wouldn’t be able to afford a week on Nantucket at lodging prices during the summer, but it was a great spring weekend away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Trifle:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Step one: Prepare cake or pound cake either from a box mix, from scratch, or use a store-bought pound cake. I made a <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2014/05/healthier-lemon-pound-cake-lemon-trifle.html" target="_blank">lemon trifle</a> from scratch during the great <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2014/04/lemons-lemons-everywhere.html" target="_blank">lemon escapade</a> a few years ago, and the sky is the limit when it comes to flavors for trifle. This time, I used a box mix for chocolate cake and followed the package directions. You can substitute apple sauce for the oil, egg substitute, etc. Bake and let cool, then cut into small squares.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5A6bscUY-YUAuKJhSAW0g7PI2TKZpflq9hTyvE8jKjJ3fmi4VgkbfThzPDHfsdj9MV6dK7OqwWwWZAjB8nGk7X-Q71_LPNJiYExBGAb1iG8qUQ2jGXMGhMpibS8KXkjw8mvjS8WqPwVxJ/s2048/IMG_7631.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1713" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5A6bscUY-YUAuKJhSAW0g7PI2TKZpflq9hTyvE8jKjJ3fmi4VgkbfThzPDHfsdj9MV6dK7OqwWwWZAjB8nGk7X-Q71_LPNJiYExBGAb1iG8qUQ2jGXMGhMpibS8KXkjw8mvjS8WqPwVxJ/s320/IMG_7631.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Step two: Make two boxes of pudding according to the package directions. You could make pudding from scratch… Allow pudding to set. I used chocolate pudding mix, and it’s your choice if you’d like to mix up flavors/colors, such as butterscotch, pistachio, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Step three: Make whipped cream from scratch or buy a tub of frozen whipped product.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">In as large of a glass dish/bowl you have, place a 2-inch layer of cake squares. No need to line them up, just toss them in. You don’t need to measure how deep the layer is- I prefer to have 2 layers of everything, so that’s why I keep them a bit smaller. If you have a deep trifle dish, you can make the layers as large or small as you wish.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Spoon in no more than half of the chocolate pudding. This dessert is fun to make because it doesn’t have to look perfect. It will look great and taste fabulous, so don’t worry about filling each hole between the squares of cake.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Spoon a layer of whipped cream over the chocolate pudding. Uneven is ok, and the layer doesn’t have to be the same depth all the way across. It is kind of (very) messy to distribute into individual serving dishes later, so nobody will see what the inside of the trifle layers look like.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NwzMUqmXvc4is7TNKqoOiwLqnsKGq7dw10s_R8NNjmZeRFeZ_AWvCq_37SxayDkp3ozpkXTeWy8TVyRvCyMvurrr0_YGW2FNXmzCWJxd2n81YLrvmKS_GZNjW6uTs3uZBxC3OxMk5uj2/s2048/IMG_7573.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NwzMUqmXvc4is7TNKqoOiwLqnsKGq7dw10s_R8NNjmZeRFeZ_AWvCq_37SxayDkp3ozpkXTeWy8TVyRvCyMvurrr0_YGW2FNXmzCWJxd2n81YLrvmKS_GZNjW6uTs3uZBxC3OxMk5uj2/s320/IMG_7573.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Add another layer of cake, pudding, and whipped cream. Most containers will be full at this point. You can shave some chocolate on the top if you like. I would typically add fruit but didn’t this time. For kids, you could add cola-worms for a “dirt” dessert.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">If you have enough tall glass dessert containers (for example, sundae dishes), you could make a bunch of individual trifles. However, most people like to see the giant trifle brought out, and don’t mind getting scoops of mixed-together dessert goodness in their own bowls.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Please note that this dessert is very sweet- especially the chocolate. I really like the lemon version and would like to try other flavors in the future, such as strawberry. I could also imagine making this with blueberry muffin mix made in a loaf pan, layering it with vanilla pudding.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-16619665835182004642021-02-22T13:50:00.003-08:002021-02-22T13:53:02.999-08:00Best of blog posts: travel, cooking, life lessons and moving<span style="font-family: courier;">Please forgive the long absence from this blog! I get confused and concerned when my favorite bloggers don’t post for months at a time, and here I am doing the same. Hopefully you guessed that I was busy with the podcast, which is true!<br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Since starting the podcast in June 2020, 37 episodes have been published and 3 recordings are scheduled for upcoming episodes. Details are at <a href="http://www.40Minutesoffaith.com">www.40Minutesoffaith.com</a> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHuN8JArbjedOmzLa0bKNFPNyIpPuEjCmofl0S6BxedGbej3IeW1BW3bYLG5ihywKYjU10ib5y2RPpBsA3od51hJG1AtqxhuAte1b0iXMOnbUpSa52K8Kz1LK1h2ot6qUMx_SI5w99V6F/s2048/IMG_3259.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHuN8JArbjedOmzLa0bKNFPNyIpPuEjCmofl0S6BxedGbej3IeW1BW3bYLG5ihywKYjU10ib5y2RPpBsA3od51hJG1AtqxhuAte1b0iXMOnbUpSa52K8Kz1LK1h2ot6qUMx_SI5w99V6F/s320/IMG_3259.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">During the stay-at-home orders for the past 11 months, I didn’t feel like I had much new to report. I’ve been thinking about what to write in the absence of travel, lack of energy to try new recipes, or learning interesting life lessons. If you have any suggestions for topics, please share.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I never looked at blog analytics until I started considering podcast analytics. I was pleasantly surprised to see what the top 10 blog entries were since beginning with recipe posts in February 2012. The blog evolved from going through the spice rack to a few arts and crafts posts to lots of trave posts when we moved to Germany. In case you’d like to catch up on previous posts, here are the most read posts:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJ4RMhXUReqsfpAAy3kGRrtJ-YI-MX8ildsZaY48yFxgphswFmQsT0ybKHklrfN_mt8T-9ot3DFKdpovrzToHg7YFkUEbg3Yjr1lYYO9MNgZ05VDiHf_hdZOrKN7ufnTs_oRR8OumqRbW/s2048/IMG_3306.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJ4RMhXUReqsfpAAy3kGRrtJ-YI-MX8ildsZaY48yFxgphswFmQsT0ybKHklrfN_mt8T-9ot3DFKdpovrzToHg7YFkUEbg3Yjr1lYYO9MNgZ05VDiHf_hdZOrKN7ufnTs_oRR8OumqRbW/s320/IMG_3306.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; text-align: left;">4 popular posts about food include:</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2012/07/sesame-aioli-dipspread.html" target="_blank">Sesame aioli</a>- by far the most read post - who knew?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">A remake of church cookbook recipes of <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2013/02/carrot-souffle-sweet-potato-bake-and.html" target="_blank">carrot souffle, sweet potato</a> and corn casseroles [Kleenex alert- if you are from the midwest or the south, I am not trying to make you cry by drastically reducing the amounts of sugar, cream, eggs, butter, etc.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2012/12/mac-n-cheese-with-dry-mustard.html" target="_blank">Mac’n’cheese</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2012/07/spekulatius-cookies-with-clove.html" target="_blank">Spekulatius cookies</a> (I considered this to be a relative fail & enjoyed locally store bought cookies in Germany for 5 years. Alas, no stores in upstate New York carry them)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQNu3SQFUDwmqAv7_pfR1HLWgZeIOP-XOciUxjfTVPwNBdL-E8PdPlrRYgsAJlQs_MVpbu5GMG9jAkInXCmZ6nJqpGmYd-g-L72NJcw2IKfxQG89yLn28RmhyphenhyphenrfeMbCmEwKLrngUd-xCD/s2048/IMG_5250.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQNu3SQFUDwmqAv7_pfR1HLWgZeIOP-XOciUxjfTVPwNBdL-E8PdPlrRYgsAJlQs_MVpbu5GMG9jAkInXCmZ6nJqpGmYd-g-L72NJcw2IKfxQG89yLn28RmhyphenhyphenrfeMbCmEwKLrngUd-xCD/s320/IMG_5250.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">1 very popular post about food and travel was about <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2015/04/grocery-store-finds-in-germany.html" target="_blank">grocery stores</a> in Germany<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">4 popular posts included life, moving, and travel:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Week 1 of <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2015/03/week-1-yesses-and-nos.html" target="_blank">Yesses and Nos</a> when we got to Germany<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2020/01/reverse-culture-shock.html" target="_blank">Reverse culture shock</a> when we returned to the US 5 years later<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2020/02/yesses-and-nos-from-our-move-back-to-us.html" target="_blank">Yesses and Nos</a> when we were moving back to the US<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2020/04/what-i-miss-about-germany.html" target="_blank">Missing Germany</a></span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfAOkT7p2DkuOjw9Petap8EX2Jutr_EtxTzS7kQfkoyVhwsl_BTef5TN7q-juDvT31JKRPD6PF9SkOXR_L0Y2kFmv1RcIFdyQukLEyZpgPC4jVBwDRrMdeiAScE1Ebc68T552WtYjVDjY/s2048/IMG_3602.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfAOkT7p2DkuOjw9Petap8EX2Jutr_EtxTzS7kQfkoyVhwsl_BTef5TN7q-juDvT31JKRPD6PF9SkOXR_L0Y2kFmv1RcIFdyQukLEyZpgPC4jVBwDRrMdeiAScE1Ebc68T552WtYjVDjY/s320/IMG_3602.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; text-align: left;">1 popular post about </span><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-i-know-for-sure-about-losing-job.html" style="font-family: courier; text-align: left;" target="_blank">life after losing a job</a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Finally, here are the 10 most popular travel posts out of 262 blog posts in the last 19 years:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Off the beaten path (OBP) <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2014/11/off-beaten-path-sequoia-national-park.html">Sequoia</a>, California<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2018/05/treetop-walk-in-woods-germany.html" target="_blank">Treetop walk</a> in Germany<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-day-of-cheese-and-chocolate-in.html" target="_blank">Switzerland</a> - mmmm, cheese followed by chocolate!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">OBP <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2017/09/way-off-beaten-path-in-spain-santiago.html" target="_blank">Spain</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">OBP <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2015/11/way-off-beaten-path-in-france-alsace.html" target="_blank">France</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">OBP <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2017/09/off-beaten-path-in-northern-finland.html" target="_blank">Finland</a> - one of my favorite trips!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2015/04/trash-removal-from-homes-in-germany.html" target="_blank">Trash removal</a> in Germany<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2018/08/gozo-island-malta-vacation-favorite.html" target="_blank">Gozo Island/Malta</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2018/07/stuttgart-botanical-gardens-and-zoo.html" target="_blank">Stuttgart Botanical Gardens and Zoo</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">OBP <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2015/05/off-beaten-path-in-germany-city-of-mainz.html" target="_blank">Mainz</a>, Germany</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzYVDKl_MrmZnbrpjKU8-uc95PzWzTkIAOYYJLOTHX6YQY7g_Nk1K0ny_gltYlrr_6KYzbAzthMt5l3pQe9QOFdPyIzPC-j1xzmLNL4BPIviXkBWg99JQwVrU9NzdMP_RtLCbSacb2JnS/s2048/IMG_1212.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzYVDKl_MrmZnbrpjKU8-uc95PzWzTkIAOYYJLOTHX6YQY7g_Nk1K0ny_gltYlrr_6KYzbAzthMt5l3pQe9QOFdPyIzPC-j1xzmLNL4BPIviXkBWg99JQwVrU9NzdMP_RtLCbSacb2JnS/s320/IMG_1212.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; text-align: left;">I intend to resume regular blog posts and will strive to not think of everyday life as “boring” or not worth writing about. Maybe I have learned some interesting life lessons!</span></div>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-67301523312627383002020-10-06T04:58:00.001-07:002020-11-06T17:50:58.121-08:00Starting a Podcast… it’s up and running!<span style="font-family: courier;">For some people, figuring out the technology of podcasting may come easily, but not for me. Thankfully, I had a good teacher… yes, I took a class on how to start a podcast!<br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIAvdWlzQ4p8i3ZwR3PjZbso3iBhfzVrTR6HL1v2JyBCSZiwTRogfo6xtqUKWMTa9iKevjDWTcaGv_AKM2qFzkxLjs0J0B2nKMbbsfOVUOH29gEW_UC8PYHAgHNCQQbPjvflfkVcUYiRpi/s2048/IMG_6891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1457" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIAvdWlzQ4p8i3ZwR3PjZbso3iBhfzVrTR6HL1v2JyBCSZiwTRogfo6xtqUKWMTa9iKevjDWTcaGv_AKM2qFzkxLjs0J0B2nKMbbsfOVUOH29gEW_UC8PYHAgHNCQQbPjvflfkVcUYiRpi/s320/IMG_6891.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our houseguest cats helped to supervise<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Due to COVID, it took a long time for the microphone to arrive, and it was thrilling to connect it to the computer and figure out how to designate the microphone as the source for audio. I set up an online appointment calendar for guest speakers to sign up for recording spots, and so far, 15 episodes have been recorded and published!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSX_Uen6DbTa60ZUh2W045Ok-ss6zIJIXMNQJes3b93UkoDm3DDOgacAiWbvfmLpOerNQVjymFQZAJDkmlSGlpTSjou-pKH1X3H4wNUZvEVBLlXkncR-o2yD4topxueOpIEmAfX2wISar/s2048/IMG_6969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSX_Uen6DbTa60ZUh2W045Ok-ss6zIJIXMNQJes3b93UkoDm3DDOgacAiWbvfmLpOerNQVjymFQZAJDkmlSGlpTSjou-pKH1X3H4wNUZvEVBLlXkncR-o2yD4topxueOpIEmAfX2wISar/s320/IMG_6969.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Except on the hottest days, I had tea while recording, complete with rubber Duckie tea strainer!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I started off asking specific friends to consider talking with me about a particular Bible passage or theme, and gradually other people and topics emerged organically. The first five episodes were about fear, social justice, our relationship with God, waiting, and an introductory interview about “why start a Bible study podcast?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAcpI_BWywKjrsxILU3o3PBqINxJaxLcd-20t5itIjmKOtN67b8WlJO4R-e5qhFGWzgoiVE_Zf3HWRxRPdbqi05oVaOczMlNrfXoDJDN_NLfU7Y4X9kVMzeiJyL5iuoSeGPuWHrSNw9Qf/s2048/IMG_6884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAcpI_BWywKjrsxILU3o3PBqINxJaxLcd-20t5itIjmKOtN67b8WlJO4R-e5qhFGWzgoiVE_Zf3HWRxRPdbqi05oVaOczMlNrfXoDJDN_NLfU7Y4X9kVMzeiJyL5iuoSeGPuWHrSNw9Qf/s320/IMG_6884.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our farm share included LOTS of zucchini, shown here as mini pizzas<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I’ve developed a basic website before, but had more technology to learn with this podcast site <a href="https://40minutesoffaith.com/" style="color: purple;">https://40minutesoffaith.com</a> Each episode has a blog which includes a partial transcript of the conversation along with resources mentioned during the episode, such as books, other websites, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDegIK9osv6N1SfQ_-z7mMTzQS5iFv7TD_rkRgGR-zjRW3D2KXCazVMl51FTl7xwG8fMDkB6-2Be5DlhYFtiKH0Ez5wXp5u57vchedUIW6gCN1SkO53E4ptxQOQuv2EQwahsHK9ogOpUz/s2048/IMG_6845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDegIK9osv6N1SfQ_-z7mMTzQS5iFv7TD_rkRgGR-zjRW3D2KXCazVMl51FTl7xwG8fMDkB6-2Be5DlhYFtiKH0Ez5wXp5u57vchedUIW6gCN1SkO53E4ptxQOQuv2EQwahsHK9ogOpUz/s320/IMG_6845.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">It wasn’t fun for me to learn how to connect to podcasting sites, but the episodes can be downloaded from <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40-minutes-of-faith-podcast/id1518514761" style="color: purple;">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40-minutes-of-faith-podcast/id1518514761</a> and also <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0THkaDB3C371bPeAAtfT0B" style="color: purple;">https://open.spotify.com/show/0THkaDB3C371bPeAAtfT0B</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">In addition to those sites, some episodes are recorded with both audio and video, and they can be viewed on YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6xzLMMQwd0xiBN6s7GwVsQ " target="_blank">40 Minutes of Faith</a> Whew! I am not a fan of social media, but I post each new episode on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and the Facebook page for the podcast. As far as I am concerned, those locations are outreach opportunities for people to find out about the podcast so they might hear a word of welcome regarding faith. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vA_LZp1rAWQdm1nYO9daf2Y81lFxfXY_ZM4-uhsQS9pjQVOx3v_CiWiyYO_rUNee52lAeIFmjMhlnGq-R0Ox8NkiU0zoD-jRIGmRVecFoGxDBdpjDXOcXFd3pFG7ILXQf1-mSBNplhPo/s2048/IMG_7014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vA_LZp1rAWQdm1nYO9daf2Y81lFxfXY_ZM4-uhsQS9pjQVOx3v_CiWiyYO_rUNee52lAeIFmjMhlnGq-R0Ox8NkiU0zoD-jRIGmRVecFoGxDBdpjDXOcXFd3pFG7ILXQf1-mSBNplhPo/s320/IMG_7014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">planting flower bulbs to bloom in the spring<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I felt nervous before the first recording, and developed a checklist which included listening to a choir song, closing the window, etc.! I found out afterwards that many people are nervous about recording a podcast, even people who I <b>***</b>thought*** were confident in other public faith settings. I appreciate people’s honesty and vulnerability in trying something new like this!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmozL_1AvlszLLPILXnob8faQCsVwkXim32c8GK7FjFUcCMEPdlzLGUDpuKQuTIyqdKe1XpEcjI7idVLFuVWCY83LLW2C73Yr_SvtDhz93pKLs96wp9DXs3nrDbpXa82pBJt9hW7uwqpP/s2048/IMG_6889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmozL_1AvlszLLPILXnob8faQCsVwkXim32c8GK7FjFUcCMEPdlzLGUDpuKQuTIyqdKe1XpEcjI7idVLFuVWCY83LLW2C73Yr_SvtDhz93pKLs96wp9DXs3nrDbpXa82pBJt9hW7uwqpP/s320/IMG_6889.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The prayers for each episode are recorded by Stephanie, even in the midst of her cross-country move! We started off with flute music at the beginning of episodes, and have recently added a newly composed and recorded version of "The Lord's Prayer" at the end of episodes.</span></p>Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-27525234184669773872020-06-07T10:17:00.001-07:002020-11-06T17:51:14.515-08:00I am starting a podcast!<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What? Starting a podcast? Why? Well, a few reasons. They are apparently very popular (I wouldn’t know because I don’t listen to them very much!), and many people find them informative. I am astounded at the great variety of podcasts out there, as the only two I have listened to are Rick Steve’s travel podcasts, and Martha Beck’s. I believe that in the past when I have listened to recorded sermons from church services, they have not technically been podcasts at the time. Although I guess anything recorded and broadcast is a podcast? Enough of my technical ineptitudes!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our beautiful new-dish neck of the woods</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I have been facilitating Bible studies for more than 20 years and learning from them for even longer. I have realized that there are seasons for giving more as well as seasons of life when we need more support, encouragement and learning. Sometimes I can give and learn at the same time. On occasion, what I think I need turns out to not be entirely true, and it takes other people and prayer to figure it out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">trying to figure out where I am & where to next (look in the shadows of the tree branches)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In snowville, where the weather after mid-May is actually lovely, there are not many opportunities to learn from local Bible studies. I’m fortunate to be able to participate in the study on our nearby military installation. As a student, I always learn from Bible studies. Facilitators learn, too, but there are other administrative things to be aware of, so it’s not the same as being a student. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">learning about wildlife around here!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">During seminary courses, we are in the Bible every day. Most faculty start and end the class with prayer, and most textbooks are about the Bible or theologians. Now that summer break is here, and church services remain online, I have a shortage of learning from and with other people. I can sit with a devotional, printed Bible study, or be a student via zoom or a website Bible study, but it’s not the same and I’m ready to give more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">someone hunkered down for a few days on our front steps!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It was actually Mr. Spice’s idea (what I used to call him when I was focusing on food & cooking earlier in the blog). He listens to podcasts all the time and suggested that a podcast Bible study would be a good way to get The Word out there. I considered the pros and cons of varying ways of leading a summer Bible study, and after some local options were no-gos, a podcast might be nice for people who can listen to it any time they want. The only thing missing will be live group participation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Here’s the plan: I’m taking a class right now about how to start a podcast. I have 3 ring binders because I like to organize stuff! The smallest is about general podcast information including potential topics, guest speakers, and technical things like microphones and editing software. The next one is Bible studies that I wrote for a seminary class last semester. The biggest binder is for “social statements” that my church body has written with guidance about best practices for care of our neighbors and creation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I’d love to hear your comments, questions, and suggesions! </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-55353473570601259922020-05-16T17:20:00.001-07:002020-11-06T17:51:41.928-08:00It’s only hard to say good-bye when there are blessings!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I haven’t posted much recently, due in part to completing my second semester of grad school (again*). All my final papers have been “e-stapled” and submitted. Stay tuned for new adventures, as I am enrolled in a course on how to start a podcast!!! Here are some memories of our move, which I can’t believe was 7 months ago.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">young people, you have no idea how this makes some people REALLY HAPPY! </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I tried really hard to not cry when I sold my car in Germany before moving to snowville, USA. I had prayed that someone would buy the car at a fair price, and I got my wish! I’m so grateful for that wonderful car, and for having it these years. I know that the car is not my happiness, but it brought happy memories. Maybe I will feel the same affection for a future car? I hope the cars we sold will bring the new families happy memories, too. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By request- Easter Sunday during the pandemic</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Saying good-bye to friends in Germany… they are all invited to visit our new home in snowville, but it’s still sad when that final hug comes. I’ve said good-bye over cake, a garden show, and arts’n’crafts projects, and have been blessed by these friendships. Would it have been better to not gain friendships so that the farewells wouldn’t happen? No! I now have choir and Bible study friends all over the world.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MAY (!!!) - now you don't need to ask why I keep calling it snowville</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Some things are easier to say good-bye to, which helps. Teeny, tiny parking spaces are a thing of the past- for now. I had hoped to never see a P.O. Box again, but alas, our new village of snowville does not deliver mail at home, so P.O. Box, here we come. According to Wiki: <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The words "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" have long been associated with the American postman. However, they are by no means an official creed or </span><span style="color: #222222;">motto</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> of the United States </span><span style="color: #222222;">Postal</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> Service. Well, rats! But our post office ladies are really nice. It’s sad to see all of us wearing masks, but we are keeping each other safe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">HALF of my phone's weather app- it's like a souvenir!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What blessings have you experienced when saying good-bye to a person or a place?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* in the olden days, grad school the first time around (1996), we had to use real staples on real paper to turn in assignments!</span></span></div>
Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-2114139423725435552020-04-11T07:52:00.000-07:002020-11-06T17:51:23.696-08:00What I miss about Germany<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Some of my friends were upset when it was time for them to move away from Germany. Due to a few different circumstances, I was ok with leaving when we did- it was nearly 5 years living in Germany. In addition to the <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2020/01/reverse-culture-shock.html" target="_blank">reverse culture shock</a> when we got settled in, I am noticing some things that I really miss.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbUXF5CTc5-31QNkxtDfrkIM9Xawxf46xINmJOU_rOLizIApMd1eKaR1Yx_pCuM1UHrGQSgqwzpfXFdNKjbBB-V83W_CYRcBC2pd6t7abBzoF-pjvd79z7brNd74Dci9eHi4iu54ZciB7/s1600/IMG_6216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbUXF5CTc5-31QNkxtDfrkIM9Xawxf46xINmJOU_rOLizIApMd1eKaR1Yx_pCuM1UHrGQSgqwzpfXFdNKjbBB-V83W_CYRcBC2pd6t7abBzoF-pjvd79z7brNd74Dci9eHi4iu54ZciB7/s320/IMG_6216.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I never took a photo of a good German salad. Instead, this is the library in our new town (USA)!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Salads in German restaurants were nifty! I need to figure out how to get the right flavors and make them at home. Basically, a small pile of several different ingredients were put on the plate like an artist’s palette, with good lettuce (NOT iceberg) and fantastic light yogurt dressing. For example, most restaurants included a small pile of shredded carrots, thinly sliced marinated cucumbers, shredded pickled beets, a small pile of corn, and even a dollop of potato salad as part of a "regular" salad!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bcs1J1Np8HP6La9cux68AdqUTHva7XORUVuPdLT9K-q6XWt0xMXuM1UweAnWCjk_fF2EuuNcmMwoCVhWXPPvFH0vcQz9Wp0wI0x3DzuSvu2e8oNkzSxRn7JoC5x2mJpV1QfXx0ed9e1w/s1600/IMG_6206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bcs1J1Np8HP6La9cux68AdqUTHva7XORUVuPdLT9K-q6XWt0xMXuM1UweAnWCjk_fF2EuuNcmMwoCVhWXPPvFH0vcQz9Wp0wI0x3DzuSvu2e8oNkzSxRn7JoC5x2mJpV1QfXx0ed9e1w/s320/IMG_6206.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What could she POSSIBLY be looking at???</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Bread that doesn’t make my stomach gurgle. I heard this from several people- the bread in Europe, even if it is not gluten free, is made so that people with gluten sensitivity can eat it. There were few to no preservatives in the bakery bread, such that if you didn’t finish the loaf in a few days, it would get moldy, even in the fridge. I’ll take the mold as a reminder that this fresh German bread doesn’t have preservatives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCJyJMIrKrkBqFU96SnVJ4aj3tyMGtwIaJserwaVa5XpgqgYqakM_9lzO8oKJr3v3ZEO2uq3kgIKWdCruB0S5r1Sm_4hh-iN0h0GqnQc-dk4Dro1GPNgMkNjSSaDPiyTRJTL7Bl3AjqfH/s1600/IMG_6231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCJyJMIrKrkBqFU96SnVJ4aj3tyMGtwIaJserwaVa5XpgqgYqakM_9lzO8oKJr3v3ZEO2uq3kgIKWdCruB0S5r1Sm_4hh-iN0h0GqnQc-dk4Dro1GPNgMkNjSSaDPiyTRJTL7Bl3AjqfH/s320/IMG_6231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">um?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Traffic circles instead of traffic lights save time! I have a billion traffic lights between me and the grocery store (well, 5 or 6, depending on which grocery store), so it’s a good thing I have 80’s on 8 to entertain me while I sit at the traffic lights. It took a bit to get used to all the rotaries in Germany, especially near Ramstein, but they sure get the job done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-18updf-qDQ7FcRFnmyJy4-zDuSZ55sjyBuLYJYvDcC3SiObSUwzcCsY8RrMt_Vo5Lv2hE4l4xnXN6LUD8wZKcuoAKuJp7GPkqHG_9wT9g755N0Udexyp9WwAfbYrRCFFbx51-WY854dR/s1600/IMG_6353+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-18updf-qDQ7FcRFnmyJy4-zDuSZ55sjyBuLYJYvDcC3SiObSUwzcCsY8RrMt_Vo5Lv2hE4l4xnXN6LUD8wZKcuoAKuJp7GPkqHG_9wT9g755N0Udexyp9WwAfbYrRCFFbx51-WY854dR/s320/IMG_6353+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">thanks for the "help" (?)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Classical music! I have not been able to find a community choir for singing, and I really miss it. I guess I got an overdose of classical choir music for 5 years, but I look forward to singing again. Apparently there are fall rehearsals here for December concerts each year, but no rehearsals over the dark and dreary winter months (just when I need them, despite the snow & icy roads). I will have to be content staying home and warm, listening to CD’s that my previous choirs produced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpky34ShfYhsECOp-xLAhACh2E6NkoEWcfxy5Cax_RONRB4bvZjA1HNDyxjR0gQCxEmH2muv09Oqr6qgm-TkSyenjmNQClSqkN9ZOufF7WF3Z4FJtndiFKSwBefWl-zDs3TWJs1Iiaay3/s1600/IMG_6373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpky34ShfYhsECOp-xLAhACh2E6NkoEWcfxy5Cax_RONRB4bvZjA1HNDyxjR0gQCxEmH2muv09Oqr6qgm-TkSyenjmNQClSqkN9ZOufF7WF3Z4FJtndiFKSwBefWl-zDs3TWJs1Iiaay3/s320/IMG_6373.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">really miss the fields of flowers, to pick and pay, or just to admire their wild growth</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I really miss walking along fields and <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2018/09/ordinary-life.html" target="_blank">among trees</a> and flowers. Both places we lived in Germany had immediate access to walking paths in nature. There was a short route, a long route, and delicious smells, sights and sounds of plants and animals along the way. I can walk along a paved sidewalk in front of our new house, but we have to drive (or bike?) to get to a more nature-filled walking area.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-89055534715195331042020-03-24T15:35:00.000-07:002020-11-06T17:51:51.610-08:00A week in the life of “stay at home”<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Saturday- my husband’s business trip is being cut short due to the imminent pandemic. He’s on his way home through a nearly empty airport. My choir rehearsal still takes place, although I suspect that the concert next month will be cancelled. It’s good to sing together. I pick up groceries on the way home at a place I usually go to once per month or so. No need to make dessert for church tomorrow because the pot luck lunch has been cancelled. I go to the 4pm church service because effective tomorrow there will not be an in-person church service. The communion assistant puts on a medical glove to distribute individual cups. When I see the bright glove over the tray of cups, I start to cry. Communion was never a top priority for me, but today it is. We go out to eat for dinner, not knowing that restaurants will be closed to dine-in customers soon.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNPMK-DZsIvBooBqE15py5YAII1VH1R0e_DMlnEF-Q3C5Gj0MGrQ-JduxBqMJDigdWwhPa9M7T8y8AnQVLL2KdbQUDnKyOKm_VrKdWSzpYEqwuM72g_SJMlH2V3aoME7XuSc_OmZZ3HbX/s1600/IMG_6258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNPMK-DZsIvBooBqE15py5YAII1VH1R0e_DMlnEF-Q3C5Gj0MGrQ-JduxBqMJDigdWwhPa9M7T8y8AnQVLL2KdbQUDnKyOKm_VrKdWSzpYEqwuM72g_SJMlH2V3aoME7XuSc_OmZZ3HbX/s320/IMG_6258.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yoga "before"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sunday- today is the first time that I am not allowed to go to church because the doors are locked for safety reasons. Many online services are offered, from my former congregation in Massachusetts to the National Cathedral. I go to the gym, not knowing this will be the last time, and to Target, where shelves of canned beans are empty, except the vegetarian baked beans, which is what we eat anyway (but wouldn't normally buy there- went for something else- but got some beans). No toilet paper in sight, but we have enough already. Online school meeting at 9pm to talk about what kinds of support we need. I have an idea, and of course as soon as I say it, someone nominates me to be in charge of implementing it! Thankfully, another student volunteers to help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_ATT1igN7rclkBIAH-sSQ6B2lBbMbWpx284v594PUCQ7ktf6mNPDJPllmXysC9Svjtc-7FWb_YVcZxxAohXhsSeoMbDlKb1ie6XhQ0dzG8mxZgltNyTaMmWseAfY-5M3Hhz85GImWsuj/s1600/IMG_6272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_ATT1igN7rclkBIAH-sSQ6B2lBbMbWpx284v594PUCQ7ktf6mNPDJPllmXysC9Svjtc-7FWb_YVcZxxAohXhsSeoMbDlKb1ie6XhQ0dzG8mxZgltNyTaMmWseAfY-5M3Hhz85GImWsuj/s320/IMG_6272.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">warm enough to go outside!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Monday- school for me had been online since last September, so nothing new. Previously scheduled telephone call with a professor at a different university regarding my research project. Their classes are going online, so lots of changes. Went to return library items and the door is locked. School chapel has in the past been broadcast by a stationary camera for off campus students, but now it’s held by Zoom so we can all see each other and offer prayer requests in the chat box. We are muted to prevent background noise, but we are unmuted for the Lord’s prayer. It is amazing to hear each other from so many states away, and see the boxes on zoom highlight people’s faces as they pray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLTUwSfpsKWxsGUJl143-c3PgUbxOk6jBv7qewEqW8eqOPzOX4zfZ9dPNdlTSZmlPRhQnfufz9xjckti_aQzXWGuyQY3w0CoH2WBz8eOwIzfDKMy0UU3hFxmPh3MsC52aDBwEwwyLgsPa/s1600/IMG_6298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLTUwSfpsKWxsGUJl143-c3PgUbxOk6jBv7qewEqW8eqOPzOX4zfZ9dPNdlTSZmlPRhQnfufz9xjckti_aQzXWGuyQY3w0CoH2WBz8eOwIzfDKMy0UU3hFxmPh3MsC52aDBwEwwyLgsPa/s320/IMG_6298.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Tuesday- Bible study is offered by zoom, and we pray together electronically even though we live just a few minutes away from each other. My yoga teacher offers a free Facebook live class, which is wonderful. Another regular school class. Another grocery store I've never been to for just a few things- our pantry and freezer are full but it’s uncertain how many days we might go without being able to leave the house, plus fresh veggies are better than frozen. Another school meeting about how things are changing, which mostly affects students who live on campus. It’s great to have lots of communication, even if the answer sometimes is “we don’t know.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yoga "after"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Wednesday- school, Chapel, previously scheduled oil change. Should I cancel or keep this appointment? Support a business while it is still open? The waiting room had bad news blaring from the TV, so I walked around the outside of the building and called people on the phone(!), which was nice. Choir is cancelled because the churches where the rehearsals and concerts will be are closed. The gym has also closed, and they are offering Facebook live classes, which I participate in. Good workout for someone like me who could use some strength training.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our small village library is open a few extra days but not any more</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Thursday- should I keep my haircut appointment? Yes, the situation might get worse so I’ll support this business as long as she’s open. Different grocery store stop en route yields some good finds (no TP, still don’t need it). Online school presentation goes well- I’m used to this. Screen fatigue due to more yoga and gym via computer screen. Veterinarian cancelled the cat’s annual physical and rescheduled for April (she’s purrfectly fine with that).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E8uDcC31B697uQmDzeLGmztNBzjL1cwKqeiRtGwfM7HW7GI5tFiXDBjdoPEOtH3owv5Ww2DCyWSDCpmi1MqF0pnONhEi-uX996I8b_yhdmBX5X_wBU7Gzqs2bHlLn4jH4uGAwvxUmFwU/s1600/IMG_6247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E8uDcC31B697uQmDzeLGmztNBzjL1cwKqeiRtGwfM7HW7GI5tFiXDBjdoPEOtH3owv5Ww2DCyWSDCpmi1MqF0pnONhEi-uX996I8b_yhdmBX5X_wBU7Gzqs2bHlLn4jH4uGAwvxUmFwU/s320/IMG_6247.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">now I have time to hang art work</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Friday- Another phone meeting for my research project, Chapel, and my favorite weekly online journal club. In addition to regular journaling, we have a variety of prompts and also doodling sometimes- it’s really fun! Best ever school dance party via zoom! Well, more fun than being stuck at home! Our cat and someone else’s dog and another cat are featured during the dance party. Hamster dance, y’all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Saturday- the maple festival has been cancelled- no pancake brunch with friends from Syracuse. School hymn sing by zoom- not as good as in person, but pretty great!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-75607511278824785432020-03-06T18:50:00.000-08:002020-11-06T17:51:34.631-08:00What I’m learning in school this semester<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sooo, what’s new in school-land? Here is a photo of my textbooks. I was also supposed to buy a Bible “commentary”, but I didn’t because I have access to a bunch of different commentaries for free through the school library. <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2019/11/what-ive-been-learning-in-school.html" target="_blank">Last semester</a> I read parts of a different commentary every week for my course on “Minor Prophets”, which was interesting- both the class and seeing the different commentaries. My favorite at the time was a commentary about women in the Bible. 3 commentaries into the new semester, and I like Charles Swindoll’s style the best of those 3.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">My fancy vocabulary is increasing exponentially, but I’d still rather talk and write “normal”. My favorite new word is “polyvalence”, which does not mean that I have a lot of curtains (although I do). It means that when each person reads the Bible they can understand it in a different way based on their own life experience and perspective. That is refreshing to hear!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Next, I recommend the book “Sacred Pauses” by April Yamasaki. I’ve read several books about trying to lower the amount of craziness and running around in our lives. This text approaches quiet time with respect, rather than mocking it according to our historical “Puritan work ethic”. Working hard is fine, but you don’t have to prove your value by being busy all of the time. I look forward to reading a chapter or two each week throughout the semester.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I am writing a paper about something that I first learned at Simmons College (now University) in Boston. Research has shown that teachers may not realize how they call on boys more often than girls in classrooms. Attending a women’s college allowed space for women to be leaders, to answer ALL questions in the classroom, and to not worry about what boys/men/boyfriends/ex-boyfriends, etc. thought about what they were saying. There were plenty of opportunities for friendships and dating relationships in Boston, and the classroom was reserved for women’s academic advancement. My question now is: do women have stronger faith development experiences in single-gender Bible studies?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Finally, a course on faith development and discipleship. We’ve already finished a book by Austin Channing Brown, “I’m Still Here”, which I also highly recommend. More interesting books are on the syllabus for the spring semester. As always, holler if you have comments or questions!</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8047480451145952302.post-80710451226996624282020-02-28T18:03:00.000-08:002020-02-28T18:03:34.067-08:00Yesses and nos from our move back to the US<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Blah, blah, blah! :) </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->No, you cannot stay in the same hotel as when you arrived in Stuttgart with your 3 cats, now you can only have 2 cats in the hotel. Weeellll, you could ask for an exception to policy over in this other building and they might say yes to the same 3 cats as before. You will have to go to that other building and talk to some other people to get a letter signed by the commander. Good luck with that.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8Mzrkuer8n0tSRfwL5re7amLeZ6pWbhyphenhyphenVLbvJ8Kxe-TrnqHac3p__kdrL0AaThPv469Itr9tLquSnI-ak-FsJq30ZpRKAyJ06RovMGhcWoldPDyIcjoagixXDVR3Xu98JZ6aI3cxGqmG/s1600/IMG_5634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8Mzrkuer8n0tSRfwL5re7amLeZ6pWbhyphenhyphenVLbvJ8Kxe-TrnqHac3p__kdrL0AaThPv469Itr9tLquSnI-ak-FsJq30ZpRKAyJ06RovMGhcWoldPDyIcjoagixXDVR3Xu98JZ6aI3cxGqmG/s320/IMG_5634.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuttgart hotel on the way out</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->No, you cannot pick up your rental car because the building is closed, even though the website says it was supposed to be open. We don’t care that you did a lot of research in order to find the correct vehicle (van for your move) at a location and time that works. You can surely rent another vehicle at a different location that is open now, and you will pay more than double the original reservation rate because this is last minute. It is NOT the fault of the rental company that the location closed early.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got new pads for the insides of the cat carriers, and someone went in voluntarily!</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Yes, you can take one of your cats in the airplane cabin with you. No, you cannot pay the fee for the cats ahead of time, you can only do that at the airport immediately before the flight. It doesn’t matter that the cats have to be in their cages more than 3 hours before the 6 hour flight because of this payment rule. No, you cannot pay for all 3 cats in the same airport location. You can pay for the 2 going in the cargo hold in one spot, then you can go somewhere else in the airport to pay for the one in the cabin with you. Then you can bring that receipt back to the cargo section. What, you want this to be convenient?</span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->YES, you can sell BOTH your cars QUICKLY for a fair asking price by placing them on the lemon lot for a $30 fee- you've got the spot on the lemon lot for 2 weeks. NOOOO, you cannot put the second car in the first car’s spot after the first car sells within 48 hours. You have to pay a second $30 fee. Ha ha. At least your cars sold quickly and without problems. Be grateful and don’t complain.</span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->No, the new dentist’s office cannot open the thumb drive with your dental records from Germany. Yes, it was a clever idea but our computers are not compatible. Bring us your x-rays by e-mail or get new x-rays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->NOOOOO, your new vehicle will not be ready as promised, even though you ordered it way ahead of time from Germany. You are just going to have to drive a rental car for weeks on end. Weeeellllll, we can look around for an old car to loan you for a week, then you are on your own. Weeeeellllll, maybe you can keep the old loaner for a bit longer during the delay. OOOOOPS, your new car did not have all the features and benefits that you thought you ordered. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I approve of this windowsill at Hanscom, MA</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->NO, we cannot tell you when your furniture will arrive. It is irrelevant that your furniture has been in the port of Baltimore for over a week, we still cannot tell you when you will get it. Your mandatory delivery date is 2 months after everything was picked up. We realize you have been living in an empty house, but you will get your stuff when you get it, with very little advance notice. Just sit tight (on the floor).<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgLd72o1TC6_k1nx-GtlvwMiczHvu0MvlteHeVD95VcL7JeIX8Ea11Glf79QqecG8Bhc9YeHs61hMx5VlbthNnC4StWoKSrnOyRqRv1BrOLtYelojowFjZ_kh-ucXT_5H1nU50VjTHKcS/s1600/IMG_5865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgLd72o1TC6_k1nx-GtlvwMiczHvu0MvlteHeVD95VcL7JeIX8Ea11Glf79QqecG8Bhc9YeHs61hMx5VlbthNnC4StWoKSrnOyRqRv1BrOLtYelojowFjZ_kh-ucXT_5H1nU50VjTHKcS/s320/IMG_5865.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We like to wrestle, all the better if it leaves lots of dark hair on the light carpet</td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Yes, your SIM card from the US will work the minute you land in Boston – YAY!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Yes, your ATM card and credit card will work so you can buy food and cat litter – YAY!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">10.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Yes, the military hotel in Massachusetts can accommodate all 3 cats just like they did when you <a href="https://throughthespicerack.blogspot.com/2015/02/pcsing-oconus-with-cats.html" target="_blank">moved away</a> in 2015 – YAY! See windowsill photo above & another in the post from 2015 (linked in previous sentence).</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Barbara Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426836845885194703noreply@blogger.com0