Here's a collage of last year...February 2014................
I mailed a birthday present (long overdue) to my SIL and I forgot to take a picture but I decorated the outside of the box with flags and cupcakes and Happy Birthday banners. It was really festive! It includes some Italian bread sticks, a Grit bread magazine (he bakes bread), homemade Spanish Olive Oil Tortas (he spent year in Spain during college) , and an Arkansas Razorback pen (he's an Iowa Hawkeye fan but you can't find any of that down here! LOL). I hope he likes it. Who doesn't love to get a package in the mail?
Here are the tortas I made. I buy 4 for $5.00 of Inez Rosales Spanish Olive Oil Orange/Anise Tortas (imported from Spain) when I go to Mountain Home about once or twice a year. It's a real treat so I researched how I could make them from scratch myself. They're not that difficult and they're good but not as good as Inez's. I'll keep experimenting. These particular ones are baked and actually it's a healthy dessert with little sugar or fat. They are great with a cup of tea or coffee.
The weather has been nice (in the 50's) so I've been out in the garage....cleaning. I bought a big package of dry wall hooks that accommodate 3 different weights and started hanging things on the garage walls. The dry wall hooks are curved and you just turn them until they pierce the drywall and they curve up into the wall and you're left with a strong hook. I got mine at Wal-Mart....where else?
It's amazing how organized you can get when you get things off the floor. I also filled a garbage can with "trash". It felt good to get out there and organize things but I still have more to do....it's a big garage! I'll probably get rid of that big old coal shovel too as it is heavy and I cannot see myself ever using it for anything. I'll be having a garage sale this Spring for sure!
After the warm weather we got a dusting of snow and it turned colder but now it's supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow and near 70 on Sunday...more outside work!
Notice the green among the snow? There are dandelions out there too. Nothing ever really dies here.
The birds are really enjoying the seed and today I bought plain black sunflower seeds and a suet package. There doesn't seem to be a lot of variety in birds though. Mostly cardinals, a bluejay occasionally, sparrows and that brown bird ...a thrush?
I hope you are enjoying the weekend which just began! Happy Trails!
Here are the tortas I made. I buy 4 for $5.00 of Inez Rosales Spanish Olive Oil Orange/Anise Tortas (imported from Spain) when I go to Mountain Home about once or twice a year. It's a real treat so I researched how I could make them from scratch myself. They're not that difficult and they're good but not as good as Inez's. I'll keep experimenting. These particular ones are baked and actually it's a healthy dessert with little sugar or fat. They are great with a cup of tea or coffee.
After the warm weather we got a dusting of snow and it turned colder but now it's supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow and near 70 on Sunday...more outside work!
The birds are really enjoying the seed and today I bought plain black sunflower seeds and a suet package. There doesn't seem to be a lot of variety in birds though. Mostly cardinals, a bluejay occasionally, sparrows and that brown bird ...a thrush?
Yes it IS very nice to get a package in the mail my friend! Thank you very much! And I hope the weather is nice and you have a wonderful weekend! I want to go to a craft sale tomorrow morning. I wish you were here to go with me! Sweet hugs, Diane
ReplyDeletePackages in the mail are very nice. I'm sure your SIL will be thrilled when he gets it. My goodness you are organized. It was in the 50's here today too...very rare for February. Usually we're in a deep freeze this time of year. I'm enjoying this winter tremendously so far. Very little snow and lots of rain. More like Seattle than Spokane!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
I am envious of your warm temperatures ! We might get to +30 this week!!!! Your garage wall is looking good:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute birdhouse. Your birds are so much interesting than our city ones. All we have are aggressive sea gulls, scavanger crows, and yucky pigeons. I have never had a torta before. That looks like my kind of bread.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute birdhouse. Your birds are so much interesting than our city ones. All we have are aggressive sea gulls, scavanger crows, and yucky pigeons. I have never had a torta before. That looks like my kind of bread.
ReplyDeleteI love fun mail too. I've been cleaning too, and boy if feels good to look at it so organized. We are still buried in cold and snow, but I hear we may warm up tomorrow, and actually get rain.
ReplyDeleteoh that is nice fun-mail. I like your totas . They look so yummy.
ReplyDeleteMy one blogger she is a professions baker. She would love to bake them for her and hubby.
Right now she is up to her hips and over in N.B. I had put pictures up in my one blog.