Is a puzzlement

I like jigsaw puzzles. But I don't like super hard ones, you know the kind, a repeated pattern that goes on forever or big areas all the same color, and all you can do is hunt and peck your way through trying every piece in every slot...it's takes eons to finish.
I like the kind of puzzle where all the areas of the picture are very distinctive, where you can pick up a piece, look at the box cover, and know exactly where it goes.
That is not the kind of puzzle I'm undertook this week. It's one of the kind I hate, but it's been sitting on the shelf for years, never even been opened, and I thought "How hard could it be?" Answer: VERY.
It's a nice little Norman Rockwell painting of two musicians playing a love song on their instruments while a young girl listens longingly, lost in the reverie of possible romance...or is it a memory of lost love she's recalling?
In any event, the damn thing has been kicking my ass all week. I can only work on it about an hour a day as my neck starts to hurt from looking down at the table for so long. But I will finish it. Then it will go back in the box and up on the shelf never to be solved again!
Here's where I am today, stay tuned for a pic of the final piece.



UPDATE: so i FINALLY finished this damn thing, it took two weeks and really kicked me around the block, but i was determined to get it finished. now it's FINITO!! oh happy day. and like i said before, i will NEVER do this puzzle again!!

Spring has sprung

The last couple of weeks the yard has been in full flower, especially the azalea bush in front of the house. I'm particularly happy with how the Japanese maples are looking. I had them cut WAY down last year because they were just too tall and shading too much of the yard. They were higher than the screened in porch! All winter they looked like ugly stumps, but now that the leaves have come in they 're resembling large bonsai trees. I like the look. Now if I could just install a fence to block that nasty vacant lot next door...

Zucchini Carrot Bread

I love loaf desserts. They're usually very easy to whip up and you don't need a lot of special ingredients.
I ran across a recipe for zucchini carrot bread the other day and thought I'd give it a try. It also has pecans and dried cranberries in it too. I haven't tried it yet, it's still cooling...but it looks grand.

Oatmeal goodness

Is there anything better than homemade oatmeal cookies? The other day I made some oatmeal for breakfast and I noticed that on the underside of the lid of the Quaker Oats box there was a recipe for classic oatmeal cookies. Well, I had to try this one, it must be a classic recipe, right? Lots of butter, vanilla, cinnamon, flour, eggs, raisins, and, of course, oatmeal. Super delicious with a cold glass of milk. HEAVEN.

Dandelions: blessing or curse?

The Spring dandelion invasion happened this week. They cover my backyard and look pretty with all the little flowers...but God, the weed part is so ugly. And they're a b*tch to dig up. Luckily I have a little contraption I bought years ago that's especially for weeding them, it's a lifesaver. It's backbreaking work to dig them all out but it has to be done or they'll take over for good. I saw once in Martha Stewart Living that you can use the blossoms to bake into your pancakes, LOL. I've never tried it, maybe I'll try it someday.

Spinach Buttermilk Soup with Meatballs

I've spoken before about one of my favorite cookbooks, "Dinners in a Dish or a Dash", by Jean Anderson. Tonight I decided to try a soup recipe from that book that I had never made before, Spinach Buttermilk Soup with Meatballs. It's very tasty and, like all the recipes, pretty easy to make. The base is chicken broth and beef consommé with spinach, meatballs, and chunks of potato in it. It was a cold, dreary first day of April so I wanted something warm. This soup did the trick.
Here's a picture of the meatball prep, to get perfectly sized meatballs I use an ice-cream scoop!