Once again…

 

Another whole week has slipped by without any posts from ‘Plum Cottage’. The week zipped by. So glad it is now September, that means we are getting closer to more comfortable weather.

Yesterday was a celebratory day, it was our 45th wedding anniversary. I had a peaceful, relaxed day. I worked on & finished a heart that I had started on Sunday afternoon. It has seed beads, faux pearls and two freshwater pearls in a dusty/peachy/pink, embroidery floss and silk ribbon. I made the crocheted and beaded edging to finish it off.

I stayed indoors all day except to do some hand watering of plants in containers. I thought of my dear husband and the 43 years we had together and was thankful. I miss him every single day, but I know where he is and that fills my heart with peace and joy. Being with God has to be the most awesome thing ever.

The gift for the 45th anniversary is sapphire. Well, my dear husband gave me a ring with sapphires and opals many, many years ago, ahead of this anniversary. It is very special to me.

I looked into my cupboards to see what I could pull out in sapphire-like colors and this is what I came up with. The napkins were from Lemon Verbena Lady awhile back and I save them for special occasions.

The bride and groom is the cake topper from my in-laws wedding, September 7th in 1942. Dad was in the coast-guard back then, (DH was in the US Navy). This was on my list of things from their estate. The embroidered and beaded heart I made for DH and I a few years before he left this planet. The heart on the right represents him, the one on the left myself. The rose petal fell from one of the roses in bouquet.

 

I bought this bottle of wine a couple of months or so ago as it was discontinued and on sale, and we enjoyed a good Tempranillo. At the time I didn’t know when I would open it, and when our anniversary rolled around, it was the perfect time. It was really nice.

When I read the back label last night, I was pleasantly surprised with what I read and underlined it in photo below. ‘A daily hug’. Wow!  On our 45th anniversary. That makes me tear up writing it now. DH always complimented me on my meals.  He was a good sport with new menus and we enjoyed our nightly dinners/suppers together. (I did fix a few duds through the years, needless to say I didn’t fix those recipes again.)

I fixed ‘Steakies’, a beef patty dish using Sherry. Very good and easy.

Since this recipe made 4 patties, I froze three and it will be nice to take one out to fix for supper on days I work, or don’t feel like cooking.  I love to cook, always have, but it’s not the same cooking for myself.  I can’t stop though, and I do have to eat, now I just have more left-overs for other days.

Here is the recipe.  I did tweak it last night though, as I didn’t have everything on hand, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.  This is taken from my cookbook ‘Wine and Wine Cooking’ by Anne M. Logan.

 

Steakies

1 lb. ground beef

1 c. (firmly packed) soft bread crumbs

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 c. cream

1/4 c. Sherry

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 Tbs. bacon drippings of other fat

2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans beef gravy

2 Tbs. Sherry

1 (4 oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained, optional

In a mixing bowl combine beef, bread crumbs, eggs, cream, the 1/4 c. Sherry, onion, parsley, salt and pepper; mix lightly but thoroughly. Cover and chill mixture several hours or overnight to make it easier to handle.  shape chilled mixture into 6 fat patties, allowing about 1/2 cu mixture per patty. Heat bacon drippings in a large, heavy skillet; brown patties slowly on both sides.  Pour off fat from skillet.  Add gravy, the 2 tbs. Sherry and mushrooms; cover and simmer very gently for 45 minutes, turning and basting patties several times.  Serve on toast, or with mashed or baked potatoes. serves 6.

(Last night I used 3/4 c. oatmeal flakes instead of soft bread crumbs, 1 egg, a little half-n-half instead of cream, Sherry. Didn’t have parsley, with the onion I added 2 cloves of minced garlic. I used olive oil for the fat, I didn’t have beef gravy so I used 2 beef cubes, water and flour.  I didn’t have any mushrooms either. It was still delicious.)

This is making me hungry as I write, so it’s time to go have some breakfast, I’m late this morning.

I’ll write another post full of blooms and more needlework later, too many for this post.

I read a line yesterday in a devotional that I got in my email that makes me stop and think about the blessing and gift of each new day. 

“A life once spent, is irrevocable!”

We can’t undo anything in our lives, but hopefully while we are still in the land of the living, we will learn and grow from mistakes we make.

There’s also a song that’s been running through my mind too, “One Day At A Time”. This was written by Kris Kristofferson

***

I'm only human

I'm just a woman

Help me believe in what I could be

And all that I am

Show me the stairway I have to climb

Lord for my sake help me to take

One day at a time.

One day at a time sweet Jesus

That's all I'm asking from You

Just give me the strength to do ev'ryday

What I have to do.

Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus

And tomorrow may never be mine

Lord help me today show me the way

One day at a time.

 

Have a great week and count your blessings, big and small.

FlowerLady