The First Snow Fall of the Winter

Actually, our first snow fell on Monday, 10/27/08, but melted quickly. Two days later I took the photos you see posted here. It was quite beautiful and very soothing to the soul. Today, November 10th, we've had our REALLY FIRST SNOW, which means that the parking area had to be plowed and access to the mail box carved out for our postal delivery person.

I'm BACK !!

A lot (and I mean A LOT) has gone on in Findley Lake since my last post in July. I'll try and tackle various topic updates in separate posts.

In my life, emotional and physical well-being are tied to my desire to cook. No cookie, no feel well.

After a very social and congenial two hour breakfast with friends at the Blue Heron Inn this morning, I was inspired to cook. Part of our morning discussion concerned comfort food. My straight forward husband goes right for the ice cream. One friend chose Asian food. My choice was whole hominy with butter, salt and pepper. When I was growing up, my Mother served us sausage patties and whole hominy. It was just in the past few years that I found out my youngest brother also opens a can of hominy on occasion as emotional and nutritional sustenance. It's funny how those totally simple foods can soothe the soul.

So starting at 3:30 pm, I started cooking up a storm. Microwaved a small pumpkin (1/2 at a time) and froze most of it for the dog's suppers. Put on a pot of 15 bean soup. Took a spiral sliced ham that we'd been working on and removed the meat. Put the bone into the simmering soup and froze most of the meat. We had frizzled ham and broccoli for supper. The extra broccoli and left over pumpkin are in a bowl ready for the dog's supper tomorrow night.

One recipe ended up a little modified due to my slip of not including sugar in the bowl. I was making two pumpkin pies using the Lakeshore Pumpkin recipe (best pumpkin pie, dense and tasty. The pies were within 15 minutes of being finished when I realized my error. OOOPS ! However, I'm into the glass half full/lemons into lemonade life so this might work out better. The Lakeshore recipe called for 1 1/2 cups sugar. I have taken to using half sugar and half Splenda, which has been OK. Tonight, realizing that I'd completely omitted both, I decided to try caramelizing brown sugar on top. Right now, I'm not sure that I performed the caramelizing process properly but, if we like the pie with a light sugar and whipped cream topping, it will end up actually less sweet than the original recipe. For any of you diabetics out there, I'll let you know if it's good this way. If it ends up that we like it, my glass will be overflowing.

I still have one more recipe to make tonight (beside completing the 15 bean soup). I make a quiche with bacon, onions, eggs, cream, nutmeg, and graham cracker crust. I find it delicious while my husband finds the sweet flavor of the crust too different from regular crust to really enjoy. It's a sweet/savory quiche. I'll post the recipe later.

Now that we've eaten supper and I've got my second wind, it's time to finish up the seasoning in the soup and put the quiche in to bake. Nice to be back.

Findley Lake gets Remodeled

There is so much to report on the remodeling front in Findley Lake, we'll just start at Shadyside and Main Street.

The former Lighthouse Point Restaurant is now Zee's on the Lake. They opened this weekend serving meals. The liquor license is still not active but hopefully will be coming soon.

Heading south on Shadyside, the remodeling at the former Pink house is almost complete. Besides the new siding and garage door, the utilities have all been run under ground, a new circular concrete drive poured along with an embossed concrete walkway, new break wall built, and the landscaping is in the process of being updated.

Continuing south, on the right side of the road at least two homes have been reworking their walks and walls along the road. One is adding a new wrap-around deck. Across the street, the house with the gingerbread trim has been resided. Further along on the lake side, the tarps have come off the former Bolt house revealing first and second floor decks that look wonderful. The trim on the house has been nicely updated. All in all, some great additions and improvements to the neighborhood.

At the south end of the lake, a new dock/boathouse? plus boardwalk has been added. It would be nice to see some more dredging take place down there to give a little more access to the docks.

Just an aside - if you need golf equipment, Steve Card is selling excess equipment (some new and some used) on the weekends at his house. Stop buy and check it out.

Turning the corner onto Sunnyside headed north, Camp Findley has completed the demolition of the former Tabernacle building. They are working on remodeling the front building with an eye towards better energy efficiency.

Mulkearns new house is still a work in progress. Further north, the new house which has been built where the skating rink used to be is eagerly waiting it's siding. The next new house on the hillside saw recent clearing of the underbrush on the side of the hill, giving it a clean new look and better view of the lake.

Nearing the north end of the lake, the two houses on the lake side are basically completely remodeled. The first one, with the natural wood siding, has added a small portico style covered porch and new door, completing the classy look. Next door, the new siding turned out to be a mossy light green with copper trim on the roof and new doors. Both houses look great.

As I've said before, you can't beat living in a town where property values keep improving.

July 4th, 2008 in Findley Lake

Managed to catch a quiet supper at the Blue Heron Inn. We hit the lull before the reservations start arriving for the evening. Their deck will be a prime fireworks watching spot. Sometimes we have a low-key 4th and just catch the tops of the fireworks from our front porch. Tonight we are invited to a friend's house down on the lake. Should be a great display since the weather is perfect. Took a drive around the lake after supper and were amazed at the number of cars lining the roads. Lots of parties and family get-togethers, plus beautiful weather equals a great July 4th in Findley Lake. Looking forward to the fireworks display.

Public Service Health Suggestion

If you can afford it, it's worth the effort to get the Shingles Vaccine. Having watched a person with a "mild" Shingles attack, I definitely don't want to go there. Got my vaccination today and insurance wouldn't cover it so we paid full pop.

Next on the health advice list, and more likely to be covered by insurance, is to get the whooping cough/tetanus shot. I know..... many of you are overdue for the tetanus shot but wonder why the whooping cough should be included. (drum roll ......) Because research has been showing that one third of adult colds which result in months of coughing is due to the adult form of whooping cough (Pertussis). Having watched too many friends suffer through months of coughing and disrupted sleep, it seems like a great idea to get the vaccine and avoid the cough. This is next on my list to do. Apparently my doctor is switching all his adult tetanus vaccinations over to the combined shot so getting it won't be difficult. Whether the HMO will pay for it is another question.

Quinoa, the New Grain

I'm late coming to the Quinoa party but Thursday night I made my first recipe using this ancient Inca grain. It all started when I roasted some veggies with the idea of making a soup for part of supper. It ended up with the roasted veggies served over quinoa, along side of a small salad with tuna and ranch dressing. It was a good first meal using quinoa. The taste and texture went well with the other ingredients on the plate. Couscous would also have been good. Now I'll freeze the rest of the Quinoa in 1/2 cup portions for later use. The cook book that I used had two different sets of instructions. Under "Grains" it said to cook 1 cup quinoa in 1 3/4 cups liquid, simmer for 12 minutes. Under a recipe, it said to cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups of liquid for 20 - 25 minutes. I ended up using the "Grains" instructions for the proportions but had to simmer it 25 minutes to get the liquid soaked up. I had bought red quinoa, which made a visually appealing addition to the salad. While I haven't really researched it, my Brother tells me it's high in protein, low in carbs, and a good nutritional addition to your diet. One caveat - you have to wash it well to remove the saponin that is on the outer hull. I used an old, fine weave metal coffee filter. That was the perfect size for rinsing one cup of grain. The saponin is suppose to make suds when it rinses off but I didn't see any of that. One source that I did read mentioned a brand of quinoa that is already rinsed. As you can see, meals here are "evolutionary" and subject to change without notice.

Foxes In The Family

Since I hadn't seen Rennie and the rest of the fox family in several weeks, I assumed that they had headed out of the den for good. With three boisterous kits, that wasn't surprising. This morning, it was a real treat to see Rennie hunting in the back of our property. After several glimpses of something reddish which looked like a big ground hog, I had a good view of Rennie with breakfast in her mouth. About a half hour later, she was walking across our back pasture area and we had a very good look at her. She's still slim but looked good. I suspect the family has moved somewhere onto our property while they check out the buffet of small animals.

Friday Night Happy Hour

Spent a nice evening last Friday at the Blue Heron Inn enjoying Happy Hour. While we live off of the lake, it was interesting to see so many people from Shadyside that night. They are great people and it's fun to chat with them over a drink. We stayed for supper and, as usual, it was a real toss-up as to what to eat. So many good dishes, so little time.

On the food front in Findley Lake, there is news to report. Vinnie's Pizza is serving breakfast starting at 5am. We tried it out on Monday and it was pretty good. Plus it's local and we support local eating establishments. After breakfast, I browsed the grocery section, which has a nice selection of oriental condiments and food. There were several bottles of shrimp paste, lots of different kinds of chili pastes, rice noodles, and hot sauce. If you do any kind of Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc. cooking, take some time to browse the shelves. It's really nice to have such a varied selection here in Findley Lake.

Also on the food front, the former Lighthouse Point is to reopen under new ownership. Rumor has the opening set for May 15th and definitely by Memorial Day. This will add to the restaurant scene in Findley Lake.

Remember, you don't have to cook and clean up when you can eat right here in town. Three restaurants within 1 mile provide a lot of choices but only it we patronize them regularly.
Enjoy the variety and eat out this Friday !

Foxes, Leeks, Weed Harvester, and Food

Here are a few updates on topics that interest me:

Yes, there are three fox kits (Kit, Kat, & Kabboodle). I watched them playing tag, in and out of the den holes. No wonder Rennie was looking kind of puny and run down. These three are a handful but look very healthy.

Wild leeks are nearing the end of their short season. I was able to pick some on Sunday and clean and freeze them today. Still need to make leek cheese spread. For supper we had a wild leek and mushroom/Swiss Cheese tart. That was yummy. For anyone interested in leeks and supporting some good organizations, the Spring Creek Fire Department is hosting their annual Ham and Leek Supper on Saturday, May 3d. Time is 11am - 4pm but they do run out. It's a fixed price for ham, potatoes, leeks, dessert, beverage. Usually the proceeds benefit several churches in the area. It's a fun weekend event, tasty, and casual.

The Weed Harvester has been moved to it's summer dock space. From just an interested by-stander point of view, it would make sense for lake front owners to remove the branches that have fallen into the lake. When the Harvester hits these invisible objects, teeth get broken or the cutting bar jams. Anything that damages the equipment or causes unnecessary time wasted on repairs takes away from the time spent harvesting weeds.

On the topic of the health of Findley Lake, I was appalled to watch a local landscaper blowing leaves INTO the lake. If you use a landscaper to maintain your yard, be sure they know to actually "remove" the leaves from the property. By blowing leaves into the lake, nutrients are being added to the water, which feed the weeds and add debris to the bottom. It's a waste of everyone's money to pay for weed harvesting or weevils, or anything to control the weeds only to have poor lake management practices occurring on individual properties.

Sunday we had an international meal: A French recipe for ground sirloin patties made with ground venison, an Indian spicy sauteed cabbage, and a Japanese grated radish salad. So many recipes, so little time. Now I have my brother trying to get me some purple sweet potatoes to grow this summer.

This and That

Yesterday I got a good view of my fox family and found out that there are two kits. They were playing tag in and out of the burrows. Glad to see that they are healthy and active. Decided to name them Kit and Kat (and there may even be a Kaboodle hiding in the den). Rennie (the mother) looks scruffy and thin. It's a lot of work taking care of and feeding two active kits. The father (Nyardo) looks great, red, bushy, and clean.

I have successfully rooted a stalk of lemon grass. Erie County Farms has stalks for $1.99/pound. I had read that you could root them so I tried putting one with a good end in water. Sure enough, it rooted nicely. It's now planted in a big pot and I hope to keep it outside all summer, bringing it in during the winter. Now I need to find a lot of recipes using lemon grass.

Today the temperatures were in the 70's and sunny. We spent some quality time outside, doing some yard work and totally pruning our Criterion Apple tree. Tried to water witch our well but don't think we were successful.

I had planned tonight's supper yesterday. It's my own recipe using some homemade Thai green curry I had frozen.

Seafood Green Curry (feeds 2)

3 - 4 TBSP Green Curry (either from canned or homemade (see below))
1 - 14 oz can fat free/low sodium chicken broth
3 TBSP minced lemon grass
7 oz coconut milk (half a can - freeze the rest for later)
8 oz fresh or frozen snow pea pods or sugar snap peas (can substitute frozen green beans)
4 - 6 oz fillet Mahi Mahi or other firm white fish
1 lb. cooked shrimp
8 oz fresh bean sprouts (canned also OK)
3 green onions
1 cup cooked rice
cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)
lime wedges for garnish (optional)

Because I had made Green Curry Base and had portions in the freezer, I used one portion. In a 2 quart pot, heat green curry and chicken broth. Stir to mix, then add coconut milk and bring to simmer. Add snow or sugar snap peas, cook for 3 minutes. Add Mahi Mahi and cook 2 minutes. Add cooked shrimp and bring back to boil. Add bean sprouts. Add chopped green onion tops, bring back to boil, cook 3 minutes stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Heat rice in microwave if necessary. Divide between two soup bowls. Spoon on curry, add enough of the liquid so you can see it in the bowl. Top with sliced white parts of green onions, cilantro leaves, and lime wedges. Serve with large soup spoons.

Green Curry Base
6-8 small green chiles, Thai, jalapenos, etc your choice
1 onion chopped fine
1 TBSP chopped garlic (out of a jar is fine)
1 TBSP grated ginger (out of a jar is fine)
1 - 2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 - 3 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBSP Thai fish sauce

Seed and chop the chiles. Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Take 4 pieces of plastic wrap (6" X 6") and in each one put 3 TBSP of Curry. Depending on size of chiles used, you may need more squares. Place each filled plastic into a cupcake tin and freeze. When frozen, complete wrapping each portion and freeze them together in a ziplock. Each portion seasons one meal for 2 - 4 people.

Diverse Observations 4/11/08

A ride around the lake today finds lots of items of note:

Rudolph the Red Socked Nose Reindeer has lost his head. It fell off of its neck last weekend.

New carriage lights on the formerly pink house on Shadyside look great. Nice lake decor.

Shadyside skating rink has been drained and packed up for the winter.

Dredging was done at south end of the lake and new dock is being built by the curve. My
opinion is that the entire end of the lake should be dredged to make a channel for the weed
harvester to make a complete circuit. If the dredged up material was put in the middle of the area, it would form an island and provide nice habitat for the birds, turtles and other
reptiles, while allowing weed harvesting in the shallow end.

Beaver are back at the south end of the lake. Hope their human neighbors can find a way to
accommodate them.

A pair of geese are staking out nesting area along the creek on the south side of Shadyside at the very end of the lake. Last year when this happened, it appeared that a predator killed one of the nesting pair. Hopefully this young couple will be more successful.

Rounding the lake and heading up Sunnyside, building continues at the three new houses and one big remodel. One new house, up on the hillside, now sports siding. Color is a light sand or putty. Again, the color choice is in keeping with the new lake decor, away from strong colors and towards softer, more neutral or organic colors.

New Findley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce brochures/maps/directories are available at
the Waterwheel Overlook and at member businesses.

The Lake level is officially being raised. The plan is to start weed harvesting in May.

Saw Rennie out playing with one kit. She looks haggard from nursing it, but seems well.

Redwing Blackbirds are now arriving at the feeder. Now the seed is really disappearing.

The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring Tra-La

Thank Gilbert and Sullivan for today's theme song. " The flowers that bloom in the spring Tra- La, bring promise of merry sunshine".

Findley Lake spring flowers come in many forms.

While there are buds forming on the daffodils, they still have a ways to go before blooming.

Probably the first flowers to erupt here in early Spring are the Corvette flowers. Several weeks ago we caught a glimpse of a burgundy Corvette, brought out of it's winter shelter for a quick wash and a little hardening off. Just as quickly it was put back under cover, too delicate to stand the still freezing weather. This week, it was out again, taken for a spin on a nice day. Then today a yellow convertible Corvette was spotted. Like most of these flowers, it spends the winters indoors, pampered, fed and resting. Warm weather finds them visiting the Post Office, waiting for the first Whitney's catalog to arrive.

The second Spring flower, and most confusing for visitors, are the "For Sale" sign flowers. Having observed this phenomena for almost 30 years, I can attest to the seasonal nature of the sudden proliferation of signs in early Spring. Usually there are three or four different varieties. Visitors often conclude that the appearance of these signs signals untenable taxes. In reality, the desire to maximize income is a much more human and understandable reason. Also local realtors are adept at keeping first and second string "stables" of homes that could be sold for the right price. While I've considered trying this very popular lawn "flower", I'm more into vegetables this year.

That brings me back to the real flowers. Probably first visible will be the wild/naturalized crocuses in the lawns on School Street. Next will be the regular crocuses and wild daffodils. The Forget-Me-Not's will follow them later this Spring. The first tree to bloom will be the Service Berry, with it's smooth gray bark. Last tree to bloom will be the Locust.

Findley Lake won't see real flowers for at least two to three weeks after they start blooming in Erie. That's the wonder of the thermal flywheel. As we wait for warmer weather to arrive, we'll take any flower we can get. I'm planning on watching for more Corvettes and counting the "For Sale" signs. It's my usual Spring activity and a welcome change from the Winter doldrums.

Bald Eagle Sighting

Saw a bald eagle sitting in a tree off of I-86 in PA, just past the state line. It was sitting just above the nest that has been in the dead trees which stand in the middle of the water impoundment. Dick Miga, our local Chautauqua County birding guru, has asked that people send him information or photos of plants and animals, especially bald eagles. You can reach him by snail mail at 38 Elm St. Fredonia NY 14063 or by e-mail at nbleck@netsync.net

End of the Easter Ham - Great Soup Recipe

First, it was a nice day with temperatures reaching 52 degrees. The lake had a light skim of ice on the edges in the morning, which would melt off later. Still no sign of the eagle but seagulls were flying around.

I signed up at www.presidentschallenge.com to try and do some exercise for 1/2 hour , five days a week. Today I did my first half hour on the recumbent bike. Took a walk around the property and dug a little in the garden. Pretty good for me.

Now, on to the Easter Ham. It was a particularly meaty, spiral sliced ham from Giant Eagle. We'd reached the end of about a week of ham meals so I decided to finish up cooking and/or freezing it.

HAM, LEEK, AND MUSHROOM SOUP

2 cups diced ham
3 leeks (about 6 inches long) thin sliced, including green
2 Yukon potatoes, cubed small
2 - 14 oz. cans low sodium/low fat chicken broth
1 - 2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup half and half (or milk)
3 TBSP flour

Dice about 2 cups of ham and start it sauteing in a 2 quart sauce pan. Clean and slice three leeks and tossed them in on top of the ham. Keep heat low and add a little water to prevent from scorching. As leeks begin to soften, add the potatoes. Saute a few minutes and then add both cans of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, stir, and continue to simmer until potatoes are tender. Stir flour into the half and half (or milk). Slowly stir into simmering soup. Soup should thicken some but still be liquid. Serve hot with fresh ground pepper.

Between the low sodium chicken broth and the ham, no additional salt is needed.

I have an experiment to run. I think if I take 4 eggs, whip them up, add two cups of the soup and maybe a cup of milk or cream, I can bake it and it will be somewhere between a custard and a quiche. Still sounds good to me. I wonder if Mikey will like it?

Renee and Nyardo were out enjoying the sun. Nice to see a family spending quality time together.

Spring Break Up

It looks like the ice is definitely breaking up. A quick tour around the lake this morning showed open water along the edges, large cracks widening, and open water in the shallow area off of the Mercyhurst dock. If this was Cicily, Alaska (i.e. the fictitious town in "Northern Exposure"), we'd be working off our pent up energies with the running of the "bulls". Doubt that we will see that here this year. I would have settled for an eagle sighting but that didn't happen either.

I did see my fox today. I've named her Rennie (short for Rene). She's Parisian. Her spouse is named Nyardo. He's a Basque but moved across the mountains to France. (Get the play on the French word for fox - Reynard?). My new bird feeder and woodpecker feeder are getting some use. We already have a nice pair of cardinals coming in, and several types of small woodpeckers. I still have to make up my garden plans, get some seeds planted, and order some Top growing onions. Hopefully, I can do more foraging this summer. There is plenty to eat outside if one has the time to pick and prepare Nature's bounty.

Alas, Poor Pink Garage Door

Alas, we knew you well. Today's ride around the lake found a pristine white garage door had taken the place of our beloved, quirky pink garage door. The new "look" is clean and lets the beauty of the lot and lake flow around the weathered slate sided cottage, very gentle on the eye and inviting. I guess we'll have to give directions now using the Red Sock-Nosed Deer Mount one house down. If you haven't seen that distinctive decoration, take a drive down Shadyside. Gotta love it!

It was gray and kind of rainy/snowy this morning. We had been seeing deer and turkey regularly on the sides of the ridge along Sunnyside, but the animals and birds kept a low profile today, conserving energy.

Siding Anticipation

For all those following the Findley Lake siding decor story, I am hoping to have something to report soon. Ed Mulkearn's new house has a lovely wrap-around deck now. A little bird told me that the exterior decor was probably going to be "Buckskin", but that could change. Obviously weather has not been conducive to painting. That also affects the pink garage door on Shadyside. It's a nice landmark when the door is closed. The weathered slate siding just looks great on the house. The other houses look cold, waiting for better weather to get the exteriors finished.

Fox Family for Neighbors

Last Wednesday, 3/19/08, caught a glimpse of some animal with big ears. No, it wasn't a wolf and it wasn't Grandma, it was a red fox. Since then, I've been able to see a den and also Daddy Fox. Yesterday watched Mama fox move the kits to a new den and then make Daddy go grocery shopping with her. It was pretty funny to watch. He'd gotten bored waiting for her to finish up in the new den and had wandered off following his nose. Haven't gotten a count on the kits yet. Hope they don't run afoul of the local dogs or hawks, or man. Right now they seem like decent neighbors.

Great Bird Watching in Findley Lake

It's been a great ornithological month in Findley Lake. March 2nd had a very close view of a Pileated Woodpecker working the Beech trees on Shadyside (where it parallels Shadyside Extension). That was on a Sunday. The next day, we actually had one in the Crabapple tree out back (see photo with Robin). Then on March 8th, the Tundra Swans were on the frozen lake. They sat hunkered down in the middle of the lake. I think they usually head north during February and we don't see them much. As usual, when they show up, a bad storm isn't far behind. Sure enough, Sunday saw nasty weather arrive. However, it didn't dampen my feeling that Spring was just around the corner. After all, the Swans had arrived !!

February 9th Storm

Had an interesting time storm watching on Saturday, Feb. 9th. We knew that the weather was going to change radically so made a Jamestown trip to Sam's Club and Home Depot. Heading back on I-86, you could see the clouds on the leading edge of the front coming at us. We had expected to see the temperature start dropping but strangely enough, it didn't. The clouds looked like the animated sand storm in the movie "The Mummy". They formed a roiling line across the horizon with misty gray haze in front, pushing our way. Arrived home safely and decided to drop off some venison and paperwork down at Ed Mulkearn's. There had been some small sprinkling of rain on our drive home, sporadic and light, then a little hail while we were in the house. By the time we reached Ed's back drive, the rain was really coming down. In the time it took to hustle to the back door, deliver the goods, and return to the car, it had turned to true snow showers. As we headed home on Sunnyside, the temperature dropped 6 degrees in less than one mile of driving. You could barely see across the lake. It was a very good lesson in just how caprecious Mother Nature can be. Around here, forewarned is forearmed (and safe).

That Sunday, my nephew arrived on his way from Arkansas to New Jersey. Having been a helicopter pilot in Iraq and now flying helicopters out to the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, he knows a thing or two about weather. He came through the front door saying that our snow storms were the equivalent of the sands storms in Iraq. Dangerous and difficult to maneuver through. Fortunately, we were able to hunker down and ride out the cold weather and icy conditions safely at home.

Turkeys And Eagles - Truly American Birds

Had a banner day seeing both birds. We headed south on Rt 426 towards camp and when we crossed over French Creek (in the town of French Creek), there was a Bald Eagle. It was sitting in a tree on the right side of the road. With Findley Lake frozen over this past week, I had guessed that the resident bald eagle was hunting along the unfrozen creek. Let's hope there is more than one in our area. They are so exciting to see.

Got to camp, checked the propane supply, and saw about 20 Wild Turkeys walking up hill and along the ridge behind camp. Even heard them talking. This was at about 2pm. We tried to use a turkey call but I suspect we are inept with it.

On the drive back home, saw a huge flock of about 30, on one of the farms that we pass on Rt. 27 outside of Garland PA. The cows looked so cute there, hanging over the fence pensively eyeballing the turkeys. They probably break up the monotony of a day at pasture.

It's always exciting to see wild turkeys and the bald eagle was a real treat today!

Bitter Cold Means Time for Furnace Work

I really don't know why it is, but with 12 months in the year, we always have furnace work done when there is snow on the ground. Today will see the start of an experiment. We are adding 8 feet of convector in the family room to try and get some more heat there. It's a miserable day outside for humans or animals. The wind is suppose to be gusting between 25 - 35mph and the temperature is a balmy 19 degrees. With the thermostat set at 70 degrees, the family room is only able to reach 67 degrees. I'm running the pellet stove while the work progresses since they will have to shut down the furnace, cut into the line and install the new convector. It's already brought the temperature up to a reasonable 72 degrees.

Stopped at Sander's Market in North East this morning. It is the former Jubilee Market. They make very good donuts at VERY wallet-friendly prices. With a quick flick of the wrist, an apple fritter and an old fashioned plain fry cake were headed to doom and destruction in Findley Lake. So much enjoyment for about $1 total.

Anyone who hasn't tried Sander's homemade sausages is missing a treat. I think they are the best store bought sausages you can buy locally and, when on sale at $1.99/pound, some of the cheapest. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

Here's a nice Venison recipe that I made up several years ago.

SPICY VENISON SAUSAGE PATTIES
1# ground venison
1# Sander's Jalapeno sausage

Squeeze Jalapeno sausage out of casing into large bowl. Add ground venison and mix thoroughly together. Form patties and fry in pan. Freeze unused cooked patties.

These can be used for supper or breakfast.

Some Questions Answered This Week

Referring back to some previous posts:

The pink house on Shadyside is being sided in a weathered slate vinyl siding. It looks great ! Trim is white. The garage door is still pink but it's interesting this way. Love the siding color and I find it so attractive that I may use it on our hunting camp.

Private skating rink on Shadyside is officially known as the "Woodland Shores" skating rink. For a great article about two Olympic skaters bringing world-class skating to Findley Lake, check out http://www.findleylakeinfo.org under the news button. Read the "Tapestry" cover to cover (both sides) on the internet there and keep up with local news.

Regarding our Findley Lake resident Bald Eagles, Dick Miga would like to receive written observations of your sightings. Please send the date and location to Dick Miga, 38 Elm St., Fredonia, NY 14063. I expect he would like to hear anecdotal information as to whether the lake is frozen over, adult or juvenile (judged by head and tail coloration), etc would probably be welcomed also.

So far, this winter has been relatively easy to take. Much of the snow has melted off and even now, the temperature is above freezing. We keep having big booms as the ice falls off our upper roof onto the lower one, then slides down it with a rumble before falling off. I almost hesitate to put the dog out tonight. Would hate to have him crushed by an errant roof-burg.

It's a shame that grass showing in Cleveland and Erie cuts down on the skiers at Peek 'n Peak. Some of the best skiing is when the temperatures are mild. Come on skiers, take advantage of the easy drive and come skiing in Findley Lake.

Bitter Cold and My Cold

Temperatures last night ran between +5 to +9 degrees. Glad I wasn't out in it. Found the fuzzy icicles and the rose tinted sky quite appealing when I put the dog out this morning. Check out the photos.

Fighting a cold for a week has been an up and down affair. Yesterday's lunch was a tried and true cold buster. Easy to make and surprisingly good. Think I'll go and make another batch today.

Medicinal Chicken Broth

14 oz can chicken broth (Swanson or College Inn are best)
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 TBSP Asian fish sauce (start with 1 tsp if you aren't used to it)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
sprinkle of red pepper
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh or frozen chives or leeks

Optional - spaghetti noodles broken into 1 inch pieces.

Usually I double this so there is enough for two of us. Heat the broth, garlic, fish sauce, ginger, red pepper, lemon juice, and chives in a sauce pan until it boils. At this point, the broth is ready to serve. If adding the noodles, turn to simmer and add noodles. Simmer until noodles are tender, then serve.

I found that this soup is not only good for congestion, it also settles the stomach. The trick is to serve it in very small portions (a Chinese tea cup does nicely). Served hot in a small cup, it can be spooned or sipped slowly. After 20 minutes, serve another small cup. For congestion, serve in a normal soup bowl but provide plenty of tissues as it really helps clear the head and chest.

The recipe was adapted from a Thai or Vietnamese soup recipe that was printed in Sunset Magazine many years ago. The list of ingredients included lemongrass (not a staple in my house), and several other items not readily at hand. I paired it down to the basic flavors and congestion fighters, then found that it also worked with stomach upsets.

Bitter Cold Day

For those ex-pats who miss Findley Lake, today it's 11 degrees, blowing wind (15-25mph forecasted), and over 15 inches accumulated over the last two days. My husband plowed our parking area yesterday and is headed out to plow again today. Even when the snow isn't falling fast, the wind is blowing it off of the fields across the street and into our yard.

Check out the new photo, taken today, at the south end of the lake. It was 6 degrees there when the photo was snapped. Weather not fit for man or beast.

As usual, had a congenial breakfast at the Blue Heron Inn. Wide ranging discussions with other diners covered Sicilian Meat Balls with mint in them, the state of the economy, Raynaud's Disease, farm animals including a seven year old pig (pet), three kittens, fallow deer, and a dog named Shep.

For the first time this winter, we have run the pellet stove all night. No point in paying for natural gas when we've already paid for bags of pellets. I must say that it is a pleasure to be warm in our family room while the wind blows and the temperature drops to 10 degrees outside.

Jamestown Post-Journal Bloopers #1

The Post-Journal has a long history of headline misspellings that have kept us in hysterics or despair for years. Probably the best example would be a headline that convulsed us while out at breakfast over a year ago. In reporting that the Feds had located and filled in a tunnel under the Canadian border, the headline read "Feds Sh_t Down Tunnel". That's the cleaned up version. Have to admit we got a lot of laughs showing that around the restaurant. I even wrote the P-J an e-mail, which was never answered, giving examples of the problems and suggesting that they hire a retired English teacher to vet the headlines.

The latest entries into the Post-Journal headline wall of shame are:

Thursday, 1/10/08 "Clinton, Obama Dig In, Richardson Drops Out of GOP Race"
I could have sworn that Richardson was a Democrat.

Friday 1/11/08 "Distaster Planning Key For The Future"
Since the article was about government disaster preparation, I guess that there is no job for a chief distaster planner. However, as is often the case with these bloopers, no one can argue that the initial responses by local, state, and federal governments did leave a certain distaste in one's mouth, and a wish that things had moved faster and more effectively towards assisting those left stranded and homeless.

"Cool" Lake Photos

The lake was stunning on Sunday morning. Temperature was 34 degrees with a biting breeze. Drove downtown and was just blown away by the view of the lake. The East side of the lake had a sheen of ice while the West side was open water. The sun shone through high overcast. Living here year round you would think that we would get jaded by such things. Instead this required a quick trip back home for the camera.

Today (Monday) we are back to snow on the ground (not much by Findley Lake standards) and it's 26 degrees this evening. Ran the pellet stove all day. Venison chili and coleslaw for supper. TV is pretty much a waste land tonight so watching "Dance Wars" for the first time. I'd rather just watch Carrie Ann and Bruno dance together.

Seed Catalogs are Arriving

Today started off with a little sun light and the smell of Spring in the air. Already I've received a glossy "Jung Quality Seeds" and a large "R. H. Shumway's Illustrated Garden Guide". It's hard to hold yourself in check when you can almost see the grass starting to grow. Here in Findley Lake, the proverbial January Thaw is just a teaser before the End of January Blizzard that seems to last until March finally leaves like a lamb. Perhaps a little Global Warming would be a good thing. I grew up where the rule of thumb was to have your peas planted by St. Patrick's Day. Here, we'd be digging through 2' of snow to do that most years. At the top of my list for purchases this year are Egyptian Walking Onions, also called Multiplier Onions. Friends in Hop Bottom PA had a huge section of the garden dedicated to these. In the spring, pull up the young ones for scallions. The Missus in Hop Bottom considered anything under 2" across as a scallion. During the summer the tops of the plants would form clusters of bulblets that look a little like tiny shallots. You can pickle or use these bulblets to make creamed onions. Sprinkle them on the ground and start new onion sets. My foray into growing them here has been unsuccessful, mostly because of poor site location. Whatever I do, I'm going to buy enough of these to get a decent bed started. Once established, you have a perpetual supply of scallions and onions. I see that Jung's has my favorite Zucchini, Aristocrat Hybrid. Stan's Garden Center also carries it. Try Johnny's Selected Seeds for varieties proven to grow well in our short seasons. Also this year, I'm tempted to try growing mushrooms outdoors. As usual, the biggest decision to make is "What Kind?" to grow. So many varieties with so many different characteristics. Gardening is a good way to learn life lessons. Good choices, hard work, a little luck, and your pantry and freezer are filled with home grown food to nourish body and soul during the gray days of winter.

Alas, Poor Bike, We Knew You Well

Sometime between Tuesday and Wednesday, our beloved orphaned bike slipped between the waves and vanished. Speculation has it that the bike will arise again when the Weed harvester seeks it out in the Spring. We look forward eagerly to that day.

Bike Update

For those of you thinking of entering the betting pool on when the bike will sink beneath the waves, there is still time. After three days of increasingly warming temperatures, the bike remains above water. Current air temperature in Findley Lake is 55 degrees. Check out the new photos of the bike, especially the great reflection in the layer of water covering the ice. Yes, it's a gray day but that means a great day to drink coffee, make soup, and maybe venture out to take down the tree ladder stand at the back of our property. Lots to accomplish indoors too. Good news yesterday is that we made progress getting the pellet stove back into use. Did a major clean out of the exhaust which seems to have helped some. Construction/reconstruction continues around the lake at the various houses. Hope to see the new siding colors soon. They will be an odd but welcomed form of Spring flowers.

Curried Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My own invention, this is easy and filling. Quantity serves two adults for a filling supper or about four - 1 cup servings.

CURRIED BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
2 TBSP butter or olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets, cleaned and cut into small pieces
1 - 14 oz can chicken broth
2 TBSP "Patak's" Madras Curry Paste - Hot (or 1 to 3 tsp. Curry Powder)
4 TBSP flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or more)
Additional milk or chicken broth as necessary

Melt butter over medium heat until melted (don't brown). Add broccoli florets and stir. Cook over medium heat until broccoli is bright green. Cook for another 2 minutes. Push broccoli to one side of pan and add 1/2 can of chicken broth. Add the Curry Paste or Powder to the chicken broth. Stir to dissolve, then stir back in the broccoli. Add the rest of the can of broth. While this heats, put the flour into the empty can and add one cup of milk to the can. Stir well to mix in flour. Add second cup of milk to pan and then slowly add the flour/milk mixture, stirring well. As mixture thickens, add additional milk as necessary to keep soup at desired thickness. Turn down heat. Slowly add grated cheddar cheese (I used Crowley's medium white Vermont cheese). As soon as cheese is mixed in, remove from heat.

If you aren't used to using curry powder, start with 1 teaspoon and then taste and add more as necessary. I use curry powder frequently to "brighten" cream soups, but not to overpower the flavors. Notice that I did not add any salt or pepper. The broth and cheese both contain salt so no additional salt was necessary. Pepper was ground on top of each bowl of soup. I put a garnish of fried onions on top but this isn't necessary. This soup stands on it's own.

Mystery of the Week

Check out the "Mystery Photo". Early this week, a bike appeared on Findley Lake at the boat ramp. When it first appeared, there was a cleared area of ice about 30' out from the ramp and the bike was another 15' or so further out. Since there was no obvious hole in the ice and since there were people out and about, it appeared to be a childish prank. Now, almost a week later, the bike remains. Who's bike is it? Will someone retrieve it? Is it frozen into the ice? It takes one back to the days (before my time) when they use to race cars on the lake. I think "Prairie Home Companion" had a recurring theme of bets being taken each winter as to the date that a sacrificial car, parked out on the ice, would descend into the depths, thereby declaring the official arrival of Spring. Anyone want to put bets on when the "bike-sicle" will disappear into the water? Winner will get the bike when it is hauled out of the water in the Spring.

Into The New Year Boldly

Had about a foot of snow on Wednesday and seemed to have accumulated more since then. So far this week we've celebrated New Years Eve with friends, visited with my Father in the nursing home in Erie, paid bills for my folks, picked up a furnace repair part and actually fixed the furnace ourselves. The zone valve motor for the first floor had worn out and wouldn't engage regularly. Nothing like waking up to a cold house to get one motivated. Next we need to fix the pellet stove. It's not a good time of year to have both heating units on the fritz. Finished up the venison hamburg soup tonight. Ummmm good ! Rode around the lake about noon. Found contractors working on two of the new houses that are being built. It's reassuring, given the state of the housing market and all the "Henny Penny" predictions that in one small community, we have at least three new houses being built. The weather has been cold (below 20 degrees much of the time) but we are to have a warming trend, possibly up to 40 degrees. Some adventurous weatherman has even suggested we'd see 50 degrees. I think that is overly optimistic but I can deal with it. Read an interesting post on the Internet. Leaving commentary aside, the writer suggested that each town the in the US host a refugee family. That would mean providing shelter, jobs, education as necessary, and other support systems until the family could be self supporting. Just looking at Mina, French Creek, Clymer and Sherman, that could be four families taken in. Every time I think about it, I hear in my mind the chorus version of the poem on the Statue of Liberty "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free". What a wonderful way to share our freedom.

Venison Soup

Sunday I made hamburg/vegetable soup using the ground venison (doe). My soups always end up thick, like stew (not thickened, just full of stuff and not a lot of liquid). My Mother used to make this with regular hamburger. I added the herbs and found that it made the soup more "continental", plus it smelled good. You could use basil (would probably be good with ground chicken too). I haven't tried it yet but I think it would be good made into a pot pie. You'd have to thicken the liquid a little. You could add Bisquick drop dumplings and then serve over the cooked dumplings. Maybe that's what I'll do with the leftovers from tonights supper.

If we are on low carb, I double the amount of ground meat and use the amount of veggies as listed. I like to serve it with some grated sharp cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a splash of hot sauce over the sour cream. You don't have to drain off any grease because the venison is 90% lean and there isn't much oil used. I occasionally serve homemade garlic bread with this.
For more of a southwest flavor, subsitute two cans of Rotel tomatoes with chiles for the one can of tomatoes, and substitute 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp dried oregano for the herbs. Substitute pinto beans for the kidney beans.

HAMBURG VEGETABLE SOUP

1# ground venison or any ground meat
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 - 1# bag frozen mixed vegetables (I prefer the ones with carrots, peas, lima, corn & greenbeans but didn't have it on hand).
1 - 12 oz or so frozen italian green beans or cut regular green beans
1 - 14 oz tomatoes (chopped, or whole squeezed into bits plus the liquid in the can)
1 - 14 oz water (use can)
1 - 14 oz can kidney beans (or your choice, navy, canaloni, and include the liquid, don't rinse)
2 - (optional) potatoes cut into small cubes
1 - tsp dried marjoram
1/2 - tsp dried thyme (powder or leaf)
salt and pepper to taste

Using pot big enough for soup, brown ground venison in tablespoon of olive oil. Crumble as you stir it. When half of venison has lost color, add the chopped onion. Continue to cook until the onion is transluscent (venison should completely lose raw color but do not over cook. Doesn't have to actually be brown and crispy, just cooked).

Dump in frozen mixed veggies, frozen green beans, tomatoes and additional can of water. Stir and maybe add a little more water (enough so that it almost, but not quite, covers the veggies). Cover and cook on medium, stirring every 5 minutes until the veggies have defrosted (about 10 minutes).

Dump in can of kidney beans plus bean liquid, optional potato cubes (we omit this mostly), marjoram and thyme.

Stir, cover, and cook until potatoes are done, about 15 minutes. Turn heat down as necessary and stir occasionally.

Salt and pepper to taste, cook for another 5 minutes and serve. Freezes well.