The Simple Woman's Day Book

FOR TODAY, November 1st, 2009 ...

Outside My Window...
It is dark and very, very still. Jess is laying over on the carpet in front of the fire snozzing away. After a very windy and rainy day yesterday, the sky looks to be clear this morning, but I noticed that it was very chilly when I put Jess out when I got up, but then . . . it is November and that is to be expected.

I am thinking...
About all the lovely comments you left for me yesterday and how kind and loving they were. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, and to Lura who called . . . what special friends you are. I truly felt upheld and uplifted. You all did make what was a rough day, so very much better.

I am thankful for...
Each of you and the technology that has brought you all into my life. You all are just the best and I hope that you know that!

From the kitchen...
There'sa couple of those custard tarts left and some tasty cookies that I made yesterday, and that's it! I know!!! I'm slipping!

I am wearing...
Black and white jammies and my new slippers. Comfy and warm am I.


I am creating...
I did some work on my art course this past weekend and that was good. I think I am really going to enjoy it. I also have all my printed Christmas Cards ready to go, so will be doing a post about them soon, and this little lady is what has kept my fingers busy for a week or so now. She's finally finished. Everyone meet Emily.



She's all dressed up in her Christmas finery, including her best dress, striped socks, little black shoes, pantaloons and red crinoline to hold her pretty beribboned and lace trimmed dress up just right. She has her best friend with her, a teddy bear, who is also fully jointed, poseable in his own right, and wearing a pretty red ribbon.



My camera ran out of power right when I was in the middle of photographing her so I don't have the best pictures yet. I'm hoping to get some better ones today, and yes . . . she is for sale.



I am going...
I had a really busy week last week at work and this week doesn't promise to be any quieter. I have to get my grandson's Christmas presents wrapped and in the post as well. I should have done it already, but with all the mail strikes have been a bit afraid that they might get lost. I have Seminary on Thursday evening, but other than work, that's pretty much it . . . oh . . . darn I just remembered. I have the Dentist on Friday. I hate going to the Dentist. This will be a whopper of an appointment. He has to undo some damage done by my previous Dentist and drill out an old filling that was improperly done and replace it with a crown. I am not looking forward to any of it!!!

I am reading...



This is another book that I had previously read a very LONG time ago. Forever Amber, by Kathleen Winsor. I think I first read it back in the late 1970's when I was a very young bride. It was one of the first Historical Romance novels I read and it was pretty tame compared to some of the others that came afterwards. I used to really love reading Historical Romance, but to be honest they started becoming soooo smutty that I stopped reading them.


I am hoping...
That I do well on my Art Course. It has been a lifelong dream of mine and I can't believe I am finally doing it. I have a very short attention span and I have a tendancy to want to rush through things, so I am trying hard to pace myself with this so that I get the most out of it as I possibly can. I don't know why my attention span is so short. I am always doing several things at the same time, reading half a dozen books, etc. I get bored really quickly.

I am hearing...
I am hearing nothing but the ticking of the clock, the humming of the refrigerator and the clicking of my keys. It is so very quiet in here. There is peace in the silence. Remember that old song, Silence is Golden? I used to love that song, still do! I should go back and listen to it again sometime and re-hear the words. I am quite sure that I would get a very different feeling from the words now as an adult than I did as a teenie bopper! Funny how that goes!!

Around the house...
I have almost finished doing my Art Studio. I better finish it up this week or Todd will be getting annoyed with me! I have the usual other sundry things to get done of course. What's that you say??? No rest for the wicked???? Oh man . . . I must be really bad!!!

One of my favorite things...
is YOU!



Your loving comments, your heartfelt prayers, your friendship. You all are so very special to me and have enriched my life in so very many ways. Thanks so much!! ☺

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
Work, scripture study, my art course and hopefully a bit of play! Sounds like a good mix to me!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



Remember the surpise Teasel plant I had growing in my garden??? This is how the seed heads look now, that autumn has it in it's firm grip and all the colour had gone. I think they are still beautiful in their own unique way. Kind of like us I guess, when the flush of youthful beauty is gone . . . tis replaced with a beauty all of it's own, the type that shows from the heart.

And there you have it, my Simple Woman's Day Book for today. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! It's not that hard and I am betting you would enjoy it!)




*Leftover Meat Casserole*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

This is a most delicious way to use up all those leftovers from your Sunday lunch. It's an old fashioned recipe that I have had in my Big Blue binder for many years. It's really good, quick and very easy to put together. It also uses up all the little bits that you have leftover, including the vegetables. It comes from the days when nothing was wasted. It's an oldie but a goodie!

2 cups cooked lamb, pork, beef or poultry, cut into smallish pieces
1 cup diced celery
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 cups leftover vegetables, diced
1 tin of condensed cream of tomato soup, undiluted
1 tin of condensed mushroom soup, undiluted
3 cups cooked egg noodles
salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup of stock (the kind you use depends on which meat you are using)
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated strong cheddar cheese

Pre=heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly grease a casserole dish and set aside.

Put the onions, celery and garlic into a microwave safe dish along with 1 TBS of water. Cover with cling film, prick a hole in the top, and microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until they are crispy tender. Remove and drain.

Mix the onion mixture together with the chopped meat. Place the meat, vegetable and noodles together in layers in the buttered casserole dish, ending with noodles on top, seasoning each layer lightly with some salt and black pepper. Blend the soups and meat stock together and pour this over top of the noodles.

Combine the crumbs and cheese and sprinnkle this evenly over top of the dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until nicely bubbling and lightly browned in top. Delicious!



There's a Rack of Pork roasting over in The English Kitchen today. Yummy, with fennel and potatoes and a honey mustard glaze!