10/11/12

This will be the last year we can have fun with the calendar - oh, I suppose we can have 11/12/13 next year. But I had fun (anyway) writing that on cutting slips at work today. It was a pretty dead day at work, so I volunteered to come home early, and, after picking up some groceries I was here by 1:30. So much better than *6:30*!

       I have some scalloped potatoes in the oven, and I'm making raspberry chicken from the Silver Palate Cookbook to go with. And some vegetables of some kind.  I've always had trouble with scalloped potatoes - they *always* curdle. I've tried using higher-fat milk, but with only partial success. So, today, I'm trying lower heat. I think I'm always in a rush and try to cook them quickly, at a high temperature, and milk doesn't like that. We shall see.

         I got here early to let the chimney sweeper in - and now Fred is cleaning the pipes. Finally, we can have a wood fire again!! The wood is still outdoors but I think we can find a few scraps to burn this evening, and then we'll put the big wood in tomorrow. I am sure this is the latest we've started up the wood furnace, but I may be wrong about that. In any case, I am looking forward to that lovely, steady, wood heat - not the wretched hot-and-cold, hot-and-cold, of the oil furnace.

Garage doors, with insulation!

        It's not terribly cold out today, but there's quite a wild nor-westerly wind, and the insulation we put over the garage doors is cre-e-e-eking when the wind gusts come. I bought two thermometers, and both are registering 8 degrees C out there, so everything is fine in terms of food storage.

          Next I must dig up the dahlia bulbs and gladioli corms and leeks that have to overwinter in there - and plant another batch of garlic - I *found* my garlic at last, hanging in a cloth bag on a nail in the garage. So now I can safely plant some more. The ones Lloyd gave me, and which I planted, are sprouting already!