In more ways than one. Not only was the weather the coldest we have had this winter but both John and I were down and out with a nasty cough. If I went outside I just coughed non-stop so I didn’t go outside. The upshot is that I got back on the Peloton again. I had forgotten how much fun it was to work out to the music and taking a class or two. The flip side is the dogs don’t get as much exercise but Percy has his regular play dates with Sky across the street and they really do the zoomies around the yard a number of times. The two older dogs really don’t care that much. They are just as happy to curl up and sleep with the occasional trip outside.
We did get out for a walk in the snow at the end of the week as the wind had died down and the temperature was up over 20F. We spent about an hour out there and when I got home I could hardly walk. It is not fun walking on the frozen tundra in the woods but it was wonderful to be outside again and not freezing and not coughing.
Visitors This Week
Our immediate next-door neighbor sent this photo earlier this week. Our dogs had been barking at something and maybe it was this guy. There seems to be a plethora of wildlife around. The next day the turkeys wandered into our yard right up to the house. I have never seen them quite that close before and believe me the dogs let them know they were too close. We did not let them out but they barked at them through the window. Not a great picture but you can see how close they were.Then
Then I was walking home from one of Percy’s playdates with Sky and noticed some unusual prints in the snow. Our dogs have the invisible fence so they don’t walk up near the vegetable garden anymore but these were quite clearly not where the dogs go. I looked them up and am pretty sure they are fox prints. They are all in a straight line unlike dogs that are all over the place. No wonder the dogs bark all the time.
Big News from the Greater Family
Congratulations to my nephew and his family on the safe arrival of their third child, a healthy baby boy. The upshot of his arrival was we were able to have a visit with my sister and her husband as they passed by on their way home after looking after the two older children. Wishing them all the best and I can’t wait to meet young Gordie.
Travelers
Katie, Jack and Libby are in Florida working at the CCA Global Annual Convention in Orlando. One of Katie’s best friends (Carri) lives there and joined them at the Gaylord for a visit. It really is fun to see them at work. Jack and Libby work for one the contractors that set up the convention and have done so for a couple of years. They love working with their mum and also they make good money which is an added bonus. Big smiles all around.
Cooking This Week – Here’s a good one
Maple Glazed Meat Loaf from the New York Times Cooking
I will say that I did not use the veal just the hamburger and the ground pork. I would substitute with ground turkey too. This was just about the best meatloaf we have ever had.
Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- ¾ pound sliced smoked bacon
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Dash of hot pepper sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground veal (I didn’t use)
- ½ cup crushed saltines (I used Panko breadcrumbs instead)
- ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Preparation
- Chop ¼ pound bacon; sauté until browned but not crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. Add onion and garlic to pan. Cover, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, eggs, dry mustard, salt, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, ground pepper and hot pepper sauce.
- In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, veal, cooked bacon, onion mixture and milk mixture. Using your hands, toss lightly to mix. Add saltines and parsley, and toss lightly again until thoroughly combined. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil; on it, form meat into a domed loaf about 5 inches by 12. Drape remaining strips of bacon lengthwise over loaf to completely cover.
- In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and Dijon mustard. Paint a thick coat over bacon. Bake uncovered, until a thermometer inserted into center registers 165 degrees, 1¼ to 1½ hours. If desired, baste occasionally with remaining maple syrup mixture. Let meatloaf rest about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.