Getting Outdoors ~ Crocheted Hand Towel ~ Granola Bars

Hubby and I got to work early yesterday.  He picked up a few truck loads of stone, and filled in holes in the driveway. 

Unfortunately, I found my one hen, had passed away yesterday night.  We didn't do a chicken autopsy, so I don't know what did her in, but she was walking around outside yesterday.  We opted to skip buying new layer chicks this year, but we may next year.

An apple in my pocket ~ The iPod eating box ~ Floor Rug

School closed today, so watch out.  This post will be a doozy.  I've got a pot of coffee all to myself, and all the kids are still in bed.

I guess, although we are to warm up to the 38°F, they are predicting ice covered roads until noon today.
 
Aside from animal feed, which I may run out before the end of the week, I'm declaring this week a no-spend week.  Toilet paper is stocked up so we are good in that department.

60 minutes and three miles later....

When walking three miles didn't de-stress the stress yesterday, I gravitated to the kitchen where the singing began.

Instead of writing poems in my head, I was singing Johnny Cash's "Burn, burn burn...." as the shallots burned my eyeballs.    Oldest Daughter thought I was cracked in the head until the shallot fumes wafted into the living room, where it burned her eyeballs. 

Cinnamon Maple Macadamias

With the cold of winter here, we are enjoying hot oatmeal for breakfast.  Something (nutritional) we discovered to top it with is this recipe.  It also heats up the kitchen on a cold day.

Simply chop 1 1/2 cups (non-gmo, organic) macadamia nuts and mix in 1 teaspoon of organic cinnamon.  Next. . .

Stupid Pie ~ Holy Basil - not just for tea ~ Honey Mustard and Onion Pretzels

(Yesterday morning's sunrise)

This time of year, everything is very wet early in the morning.  As I picked green peppers yesterday, I noticed how wet the garden still is.  

I opted to bake first, then head to the front flower beds instead.  I was sure to get "Frankenstein" feet if I went to the vegetable garden.

While my breakfast cooked, I quickly tossed ingredients together to make a pie for dinner.  Which by the way, was not a pie I'll make again.  

It was called "Stupid Pie" and

Going Bananas. . .

 Bananas were on sale, so I decided to try dehydrating them into chips.  If they kids like them, they will be healthy, inexpensive lunch packings and snacks.

 My intention was to sit, sip a hot cup of tea, inhale the wonderful apple spice candle, and read over some magazines from the library.

However,  while the tea cooled, I looked over to see that more of my bananas were ripe - too ripe to eat.  So I hopped on the handy dandy computer and made these Healthy Banana Cookies.  So simple, and so delicious.

Then I sat back down to sip my tea, and came across another recipe - Banana Chocolate Cupcakes.

I ended up baking again. 

I whipped my egg whites by hand this time.  Very easy to do also.  It was a rainy, dreary day, so it may be why I got the "baking bug" or it may be just the case of "when you give a mom a muffin."  You know how we can all get side tracked so easily in our day?

These were in the "Lower-Calorie" section of the Diabetic Cooking magazine.  We are not diabetic, but love their lower sugar/calorie recipes.  The family devoured these, even before I had a chance to frost them.

I still have more ripe bananas for baking, but need to run to the store for some butter.  Otherwise, you'd be looking at photos of banana bread also. 

Baking - the best therapy for stress.