COLORADO FASHION

Before going to Colorado, Jenny spent weeks making sure that we had the proper clothes. We all had to buy “snow” everything – boots, socks, pants, coats, gloves, etc. etc. It had to be waterproof. Try to find that in good old H Town and at a reasonable price. However, my wonderful and very organized daughter watched store ads and sent us to all the right places to outfit us.

As you know by the previous post, we went snow tubing on Copper Mountain. The low was -17 degrees. Yes, you read that right. -17! I donned all of my layers and felt very smug that I was ready for anything, as I quickly felt like I was going to die from heat stroke while standing in their apartment. Yes, with my many layers and all waterproof, I was ready for any snow adventure. Bring on the cold!!!!

Unfortunately, I didn’t think about a little action that we do when we get into a car. You have to be able to bend to sit down. Well, dear readers, it was not a pretty sight. I .. just… could… not …. bend! I finally leaned into the car and fell into the seat. This was definitely not good. Surely, I just needed to break my snow gear in and riding in the car would probably loosen things up.

It was quickly determined that we would have to stop at Target. Everyone needed a few items and my sunglasses broke in half when I put them on. Can Texas sunglasses not take the cold? Jenny also determined that I did not have a warm hat. I hate hats. Jenny had us on a tight schedule and we only had 20 minutes in Target. I had to make two fashion decisions in 20 minutes! Oh my! All of the sunglasses looked alike so not much time was taken there, but the hats were another story. They had hundreds of hats and did I mention that I hate hats. With Jenny harassing helping me, she kept saying,“ Hurry up, that looks fine, now hurry up.”   I quickly became confused. However, a lady walked in with her entire family to outfit them with a hat she had bought the previous day. She claimed it was absolutely the warmest hat she had ever owned and they did have one left in pink.  So, I grabbed up the below hat in pink with brown fur.

Yes, folks, having no mirror to look at myself, I did purchase a pink trooper style, aviator hat with brown fur. I believe this style hat was last featured on “Leave It To Beaver”.  Beaver wore a brown one to school every winter as all good 1950's boys did.  I wish I could have gotten the white fur one.  Little did I know that the brown fur made me look like my bangs started at the top of my head and that I had dyed them brown!

After riding several hours in the car to reach Copper Mountain, I discovered my clothes still would not bend so I rolled myself out of the car. It was then that I noticed that I walked stiff legged with my arms held out just like the bundled up little boys in the movie, "A Christmas Story".  We had to walk through snow to reach the bus to the ski lodge, so I continued to try to break my clothes in. It quickly became apparent that nothing was working. So, I spent the time we had in the ski lodge securing our tickets, etc., trying not to sit down.

Please notice these folks can bend!

Soon, everyone was enjoying the beautiful view of the mountains and our snow tube run. However, I was filled with dread at the thought of trying to sit down on my snow tube. We secured our tubes and rode up the mountain on a conveyor belt system.  Thankfully, we stood on the belt to ride up the mountain! 

At the top, Sonny got my tube in place and told me to sit down. I think I must have looked like a dog does before it settles in its bed for the night. You know how they will circle their bed several times in both directions before finally sitting down on it. Yes, that was me. I circled that tube several times and tried several different ways to sit on it without success.  My dear husband grew very impatient as I held up the line.  He soon half snarled in my ear,“ What is wrong? GET IN THE TUBE!”  Finally out of desperation, I stood in front of the tube, calculated the distance, closed my eyes and fell backwards. What form! What grace!!!  I did managed to land half way in the tube.  Sonny quickly pushed me all the way in so that the handsome, athletic young man in charge of keeping the line moving could shove me down the hill. I am afraid that all of my visions of being a beautiful, stylish and graceful snow bunny were shattered. And no, it did not get any better. Every single time I went up the mountain, I had to fall backwards into my tube and every single time the ride was over, my dear husband had to haul me up out of the tube!

 And then of course, there was THE HAT!  Look at my new, huge brown bangs!  You may also notice that my beautiful daughter, who looks great in hats, took hers off for the picture!  Why didn't I think of that?

I might not have been stylish and I could not bend, but my hat and all the many layers of my snow clothes did keep me warm.  I just hope my family will go snow tubing with me again! 

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS 2009

We did something very different for Christmas this year.  We were not in Texas.  Usually, even if we travel during the holidays, we always come back for Christmas with the family.  This year, we went to Colorado to celebrate Christmas with Jenny and Matt.  Ryan was also able to join us.  I have seen very little snow in my life and to have the privilege to spend the Christmas holidays in such a beautiful place was a dream come true.  It actually snowed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so I was absolutely thrilled.  

We spent Christmas Eve on Copper Mountain.  Guess what we did?

We went snow tubing and it was so much fun.  Notice we are pretty bundled up.  It was -17 degrees!!  Even I was forced to wear a hat.  No comments please!

Me and my sweet children

The snow view from Jenny and Matt's apartment.

And now, the DOWNSIDE to snow and ice!!!!

Did you know that when you go anywhere in a car, you have to allow at least 20 minutes to de-ice the car?  This South Texas girl did not know that.  Every time we stopped to eat or sight see, this process would have to be repeated!  Thank you Sonny, Ryan, Jenny & Matt for letting me be the Princess. 

FORGOTTEN RECIPE FRIDAY

As a little girl, I remember my Mom telling me how blessed I was to have "The Dime Store".  Every time I got my allowance, I would beg to go to The Dime Store so that I could purchase some candy.  It would take me quite a long time to decide whether to buy a chocolate bar, an all day cherry lollipop, Sugar Babies or M & M's.  Of course toys with candy inside were also a temptation.  1950's & 60's candy were the best!  

My Mom and her sisters were not so lucky.  They did not live close to a store that had a candy counter and being raised during the Depression, they didn't have extra money for candy.  However, they did have Taffy Pulls.  I loved to listen to her stories of my Grandmother making taffy and then handing it over to my Mom, her sisters and their friends to pull.  She described in great detail the technique they used to pull the hot taffy into long ropes between two people, the great smell and even the color it turned as it started to cool.  I could picture my Grandmother laying the pulled and ready to eat taffy on the kitchen table and cutting it in to pieces with scissors so everyone could have a taste.  I was ready to hand over my store bought chocolate, cherry lollipops and even my Sugar Babies for one taste of that marvelous taffy.  Here is the recipe for that almost forgotten candy.

OLD FASHION TAFFY

3/4 cup water

2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups corn syrup

2 tablespoons butter

Vanilla flavoring

1 teaspoon salt



Measure 2 cups sugar, l 1/4 cups corn syrup, 3/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt into a saucepan and blend well with a wooden spoon. Place over low heat until sugar has dissolved, stirring continuously. Increase the heat and do not stir during the rest of the cooking. Wash the sides of the pan with a brush or fork covered with muslin and dipped in water, using an upward motion. This will prevent the formation of crystals which might cause the candy to sugar. Cook syrup to hard boil stage and then remove candy from heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter.  Stir very gently.   When cool enough to handle, grease hands with butter and let the pulling begin.

Pull the taffy out at least 12 inches. Next, quickly fold the taffy back from one hand to the other, catching the center, and then pulling again.  Add the vanilla while pulling and continue to pull until the flavoring is thoroughly mixed in.  When the taffy is very hard to pull and holds its shape when laid out on a platter, it’s ready to cut into pieces. Rub a pair of kitchen scissors with unsalted butter, and then cut the hardened taffy into bite-size pieces.

Enjoy!

       

CHRISTMAS VISITOR

This is a picture of my dining room table.  My mom said it was one of her favorite centerpieces that I have done. 

These gold presents came from Pier One several years back and they are so versatile.  I simply lift the lid and can easily change out the color.  Many times I use napkins but I used pink tissue paper in these.  Not only are these a great centerpiece at Christmas, I have also used them for birthday parties. 

Now please notice that the center box no longer has the pink tissue paper in it and here is the reason why!!!

This guy did not stay on his tree.  Instead, he decided to take up residence in my gold box!  I was not very happy at all.  At first glance, I thought the shadows outside were casting a dark spot on my beautiful pink tissue paper.  However, when I passed by again, something did not look right.  On closer inspection and much to my horror, this monster head peered out at me.  Of course, I let out a blood curdling scream.  My dear husband was not home to rescue me, so I was on my own.  I shook the box, demanded he leave and even shook the table, but he never moved.  I decided he was dead so I poked at him with a knife, but he jumped, then scooted down into the tissue which caused me to scream again.  I left him alone for awhile but then decided to scare him with the vacuum cleaner.  I turned it on right beside the table but he only retreated further into the safety of the tissue. 

Several hours later, my dear husband arrived home and was not my Knight in Shining Armor.  Of course, he was tired and cold, but still.  He suggested that we leave him in the box as they eat bugs and went off to bed.  I didn't sleep well that night which means he did not sleep well.  I was worried that the visitor might decide our bed would be a safe haven from the vacuum cleaner.  The next morning, he was basking on top of the pink tissue paper - sunning himself in the morning light.  That was it.  I demanded he be taken outside and it better be immediately.  My husband didn't want to waste the pink tissue paper and thought that he should bring it back inside to be used again.  I made him put it in the outside garbage can, so rest easy all of my friends.  Should you receive a gift from me, it will not contain recycled lizard tissue paper! 

I got to thinking.  What if I had held a Ladies Christmas Lunch?  I shudder at the image of my visitor poking his head out of the delicate pink tissue paper inside my beautiful gold box.  He probably would have took one look at all of us and decided to run  across several of the ladies' plates.  I would have never lived that down!!!

FORGOTTEN RECIPE FRIDAY

Here is a recipe from 1875 called Mock Chicken Salad.  Obviously it does not contain chicken.  My question was, why not make Real Chicken Salad?  Well "mock" in cooking terms means to use a reliable substitute and upon further investigation, I discovered the reason a substitute was used for the chicken.  Mock chicken salads were made from cubes of roast pork, which were less expensive than chicken.  After all, chickens were a source of eggs for families.  In 1875, you just did not kill your chickens. 

MOCK CHICKEN SALAD

4 cups coarsely chopped roast pork

1 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives

1/2 cup mayo or boiled dressing

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

Combine pork, celery, bell pepper, olives, mayo, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours.  Store leftover salad in a covered container in the refrigerator.

OK, do you think that they had refrigerators in 1875? 

MORE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 2009

Those of you who know me know that I am all about white and pastels. My husband claims that I will spray paint anything white and he is right. However, a strange occurrence happened this year. It started with this:

My new obsession with bronze!  You know how I am about those white pumpkins and yet, I fell in love with bronze this year and in a previous post, I told you all about how I made these pumpkins.  OK, so bronze is a "Fall Color" and I thought it would stop there.  I was wrong.  Look at this:

 

I found a large container of bronze Christmas ornaments for 50 % off at Hob Lob and poured them into my bronze square container.  The result was stunning. This is my kitchen table and since the top is made with hand painted sun flower tiles, it is hard to see that this does indeed match the kitchen area. The brown tones in the sunflowers, the wood trim around the tiles and  the kitchen chairs perfectly compliment this centerpiece.  The picture does not show it very well, but the bronze ornaments are different textures.  The glitter and jewel cut ornaments really catch the light and look so rich.  I got more compliments on this than I did on any of my other decorations.  Even my husband liked it, which is saying alot!

Pictures of my Snow Village.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 2009

Since we were away for Christmas, I decorated with a light hand this year.  Here are some highlights!