What a week so far!

I happened to be given, quite out of the blue, the recipe for KRC's FAMOUS carrot cake.   Now, for those of you who haven't been privileged to even TASTE, KRC's carrot cake, just know that it is totally DELISH!  I have to admit that there has been quite a bit of marketing with carrot cake.  The recipe has been kept secret for so long.  And everyone knows, when something is a secret, EVERYONE wants it!

(but everyone wanted it before they found out it was a secret recipe)

Well, one evening last week, IT shows up in my inbox.  I, seriously, could not respond until the morning.

Well, KRC and I went back and forth about questions that I had about the recipe.  I'm NOT a baker (yes, I can ruin boxed brownies) and KRC was extremely patient and forthcoming with suggestions and help.  I may even get him down here to do a demonstration for me!  (now that would be a coup!!!!)

After having getting the details for the cake, I realized that MoE has had the cake and would be coming to our house on his birthday to pick up Charlie.   Everyone needs a birthday cake, right?

   MoE thought that the cake would be Steeler Colors or something as he is a Green Bay fan, but as soon as he cut into the cake, his eyes got wide and asked if it was THE cake.

And it was.

And it turned out to be delectable, so I did a little victory dance in my chair!

Of course, KRC, you still need to come down here and help me with it, and making soap and growing herbs and all that other fun stuff that you learn about!!!!!!!!

 

 About 5pm on Sunday, I realized that the boys needed to be dressed for the coming weekend's festivities.  Of course, Charlie had to be dressed as well.

(MoE & Dakneese were good sports about his kerchief!)

 This week also found me finding gifts being bestowed upon me!

Every year but last year, I always help a former AAA co-worker with her Christmas photos for her letter.  She was going to not do so this year, but they just moved to Wisconsin and had a new grand baby.  So they wanted to let everyone know.

Well, as a thank you, we get a box load of WI made products.  Mostly some beautiful cheeses and some beer sausage.  She isn't a football fan and is far from Green Bay, so I am thinking that she's not rubbing in the cheesehead stuff!!

I took it as a wonderful Thank You for a good deed that I really enjoy doing.

I also got a delivery of a really fun print for our kitchen from a great friend!  I had to let H read the card as I started to get a bit choked up with my good fortune of having such a wonderful friend and also of being thought about out of the blue.

 Yesterday, I worked and today, I had a meeting at Bulloch.  I came home and since it is dreary out, decided to do something with all of these bags of citrus.

I just read that the Meyer Lemons are a bit more fragile than oranges are, so I figured that I should get onto those, hoping that I haven't wasted too much time.

So they got preserved along with a jar of grapefruit.   Not sure what the preserved grapefruit rinds will taste like, but what the hey?!

 Here are most of our jarred citrus.  Some vinegar-ed and some preserved.

Before I juiced up some grapefruit, I zested some.  Not sure what I'll do with that, but am thinking that it may become some potpourri...

Well, I should go and check the broth.  Had some dead chickens (carcasses) in the freezer and extra veggies and some free food to use up, so chicken soup it is!

Oh, February is USE IT UP MONTH here.  Other than coffee, milk and eggs and maybe a stray banana or avocado, everything we eat at home will come from our pantry or freezer this month.   I'll try to keep you updated on what we make with all of it.