Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Pepparkakor Cookies and Prayers


I've made pepparkakor cookies every year for over 36 years.
This year the smallest batch ever. I merely doubled the recipe.


I use every ounce of dough down to the last small bit,
making bears and trees, stars, moons, hearts and trees...
Large and small cookies for various appetites.
I was alone this morning while baking them,
 but I was not alone in my thoughts.

My dear friend Annie and her husband Ron
have been waging war against his cancer for
 some time now and he was doing so well
except for a nagging pain in his arm, what
seemed to be a nerve issue.

Yesterday it became severe enough
 to head to the emergency room 
and today, in a few minutes actually,
 he is headed to surgery to have a
 tumor near his spine removed.
They discovered it late last night.
As you can imagine they are frightened
and bewildered by this sudden turn of events,
and the seriousness of the location.

So I baked and I prayed
and I prayed some more.

My dear friends
please send some more prayers up
or out into the universe if that is where your beliefs lay.
For Annie and Ron.

It's Christmas Eve and my
friends are hurting, and I pray and pray,
for these good people and their family.

I will hug my children even closer today
and give additional thanks for my many blessings.

May your families be blessed 
and healthy
this Holiday Season

with great affection from me to you

Suzan



Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Cookie Time


First holiday Batch
Peanut Butter Blossoms
A Classic Holiday Cookie around here

My favorite part?
I race to see if I can unwrap the kisses
 before the cookies come out.
Silly I know, but it's part of the tradition for me.

Tomorrow I make the dough for my
 Mexican Chocolate Hearts
which I'll bake Friday.
Friday I'll make the dough for 
Pepparkakor ( a gingerbread type)
which I'll bake Saturday.

Tonight I have another bar cookie to make. 
The name escapes me.

(Snickerdoodle Bars - came to me 12 hours later)

I used to make 8-12 varieties  for many years
and drive myself crazy with  
multiple cookie exchanges etc.
Now I make the 4 types my family enjoys 
and we gobble them all up. 
Well, maybe a few go to friends here and there.

Thursday is Darling Daughter's B-Day,
so no baking.
Remember that young girl I dropped
Thursday she is 23
Graduated, Working, In Love, 
Living in NYC



Turns out I will have a house full of 
young folks here after Christmas as well as before.
Seems Hannah and her beau have several 
friends coming in for New Years and I am
already out of bedrooms.
Time for the blow up in the living room.

 A loud and busy full house...
Time for soups and chili and casseroles..
I'll go easy on myself and buy the breads...

Lord knows we'll have enough cookies
and how happy this mama will be.

May you be as blessed this Holiday Season

Z

bet you can see my grin from 
wherever you are



Monday, December 16, 2013

Homeland Granola


Ya gotta do something while waiting for Homeland to air



Homeland
Home Made Granola

Saturday, December 14, 2013

We Have A Winner


Diane @ Lavender Dreamer 
will be warmer this winter.
She won the lovely 
embroidered robe 




It was so early this a.m. when I 
pulled out the slip I needed my glasses.
Congratulations Diane!
Remember there is still free shipping
and embroidery
(Use the code - crown)
and there is still time to order 
and receive before Christmas.
Thank you to all who linked and commented
and entered.

****************

Now back to Christmas at oldgreymare.
The kids are coming!
Hooray!




Five years ago it did this
in lala land

Now it would be fun again, but ONLY
after long drives and air travel are completed.
All you guys who know how to handle 
the white stuff, you should 
see how cuckoo it gets here.

You might as well see pigs fly!





Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Want a FREE Robe?


THEN ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

RIGHT NOW

RIGHT HERE


HURRY!

DEADLINE FRIDAY @ MIDNIGHT

STAY MERRY 
STAY HAPPY
STAY COMFY
AT


a special thank you to all my friends who linked, 
posted and FB'd etc about the Giveaway
You guys ROCK!






Monday, December 9, 2013

Comfy Robe GIVEAWAY



IT IS  GIVEAWAY TIME
and I have a wonderful gift for one lucky winner 
and special perks for non winners.



One lucky winner will win an embroidered robe 
valued up to $100.00!




Comfy Robes is a family owned 
"Giving - Back" small business.

Their robes are luxurious
 with many high quality styles
 and colors to choose from.
Imagine the kind of robes
you want to steal from 4 star hotels.
(OK, maybe I just think that...)

How do I know this?
The last two winters I have worked 
for my good friend Ronda who partners with 
The owners are very excited to 
offer this giveaway to my readers.

Comfy Robes refined ordering process
 even ensures that nearly every embroidered robe
 ships out the same day the order is received.
Where else can you find that kind of service?

These are robes that will make your Christmas 
morning comfy and cozy. If you are the lucky winner,
you may also select your winning
 robe as a very special gift 
for your special someone.

The winner may choose any Comfy Robe
from the website valued up to $100.00
and then select their choice
 of embroidery style and color.

We even have fabulous crowns!



Ronda has also generously offered a special
holiday gift available only to my readers.
Use this Discount Code
on the order form 
"Crown"
at checkout

and you will receive FREE embroidery 
on any robe order placed before 
 December 20th,
and comfy robes is already offering
 free standard shipping!
What a deal!



So how do you enter?

You MUST visit Comfy Robes.com
and then leave me a comment 
on this post telling me
which robe you would choose if you won.

You receive a second entry
if you are a follower of oldgreymare.

A third entry is yours if you blog
about the giveaway or link to 
it in a post or on your sidebar.. 
(You may drag off the first photo)
For non bloggers you can get your third entry 
by linking directly back to this post
 on FB, Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter.


This offer is available only to US and Canada.
Winner will be announced Saturday the 14th.

If you are a "no reply" blogger or a non-blogger
make sure to check back to see if you won, as I will
not be able to contact you without 
an email address.

Good Luck!

Z




Thursday, December 5, 2013

A Giveaway Is Coming



Something is missing from my calendar.

You

Entering my Giveaway 
this MONDAY the 9th.

I am very excited to be able to offer 
a wonderful gift
to one lucky winner.
All details will be on the blog post
early Monday morning.
Everyone has two chances to win.
Winner will be announced Saturday the 14th.

I am one jolly elf I tell you.
I cannot wait to explain
and give one very lucky winner 
a very warm and "Comfy" 
Christmas.

See you bright and early
Monday the 9th!
Till then stay warm...

Z



Friday, November 22, 2013

Bumping The Recipe


The light in the house today, 
a rainy dark day, is so perfect for me.
This is always my favorite light...
A hot cup of coffee,
warm snuggly clothes,
gentle music and a good book.
Heaven
Join me?


It's 10 a.m. and yet the trees look like early evening.
Justice photo bombing.








I didn't adjust anything in the shots.
This is the "temperature" in my home most days.




I finally had to turn on the heat.






Up there?
Top of the stairs?
My studio


I'll be there all day.
Bumping the recipe from earlier because the light
 is just too delicious today.

Z

Crockpot Bella and Pot Roast Revisited

I posted this recipe
1-2-2010 
and it is still a go-to when 
chuck roast is on sale
Remember Bella?
I love her


All the ingredients are here
This time I used ketchup with balsamic vinegar 
All in one bowl





Spicy Wine Pot Roast
3-4 lb beef pot roast- I use chuck
salt and pepper
1 small red onion chopped
1 package brown gravy mix
1 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire
1/8 tsp garlic powder


Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper - place in crock pot.
Combine remaining ingredients -pour over meat.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
I serve over buttered noodles.
Super Simple

If you wish - take the broth that is made
and mix with a little flour/milk to thicken 
Perfect for the rainy day we had yesterday.
Lots of leftovers




Thursday, November 21, 2013

Darling Daughter - Dearest Son

This week and 
my two favorite people 


Hannah at work on
She is Production Designer on the film.
You can check it out at the link above.
oh, and like it on facebook if you wish.
Lots of photos there.
They are working so hard on this independent 
film and we all should support independent films.


Ben creating the signage 
for the wedding of his two friends.
According to his girlfriend,
they were the hit of the party.
He cooks, designs, writes, works in film media,
does standup, repairs broken 
everything for me.

One very lucky Mama
And they're home in a month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I giggle just saying it.


Wednesday, November 20, 2013

A Few More Touches



Justice has a habit of sleeping behind the wing
chairs in the living room.
A few days ago she got under and behind the chair 
and while trying to leave, got turned around,
confused, and ended up trapped 
and howling under the tree. 
She nearly toppled the tree,
and thank goodness I was home.




 I borrowed this fencing from my pal Sue last weekend.
It needed to be repaired so after a bit of surgery last evening,
I placed it around the tree to prevent any more mishaps.
It touches the back wall preventing her 
from getting under the tree in any way.


I loaned a few bottle brush trees to Sue
for her to use this year, 
and when I saw how many I still
had in the box, well..
a few more showed up here and there
 at oldgreymare.

The ones above are tucked into crystal door knobs.
I also loaned out some garland and some bed springs...
She liked what I had done with some in the table boxes.


Tis the season to share with our friends and family


Monday, November 18, 2013

Family Room


Those of you who have been around oldgreymare awhile 
know that I always use containers to decorate my tables 
during any Holiday. In a moments notice it can be whisked
off the table and out of the way.
Makes for super easy entertaining.
Each year I change it up, but always using
 the same materials I have gathered over 30 years.


Last year's box















My folk's old firkin



The tree in this room is all green ornaments
I start with green frosty berry picks,
tucked in all over the tree.
The required birds nest is in here also.


Lots of big flocked cones and TaDa!


Still more to come and lots more to do.
Stay tuned

***
I have to take the time to address this one last time
 because it seems to happen to me quite frequently now.

"No reply comment blogger"
There is a new RANT over in the 
**** It Bucket

erin's art and gardens has left a new comment on your post "Family Room": 

i'd like to point out, in case someone doesn't know, that if you change over to "Google +" you will have a "no-reply" e-mail...i have switched back to Blogger because of that. 

Erin made a good point.
 I'm confident that many Google + users are unaware of that fact.