Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Frozen Valentines

What a frigid day out there - but at least it's sunny in our neck of the woods... It's so cold, Spunky needed daddy to rescue her because her back foot froze in a matter of walking about 50' toward the barn. Poor dog - and she's part Arctic Wolf!! The younger dogs want desperately to be out chasing canned snacks (read snowmobiles) but it is dangerous to let them out. Pooky lasts about 2 minutes and has taken to peeing right on the porch - poor old thing, she tries... The recess time at the Ayton school has been shortened because of the risk of frostbite - this is a wise move. Kids are notorious for not bothering with mittens - my daughter is a perfect example of that idiom.

So it is Valentines... My husband procured a CD by Maria McKee (Live, Acoustic Tour 2006). This is an artist I never heard of before I started listening to Pandora. I have a station devoted to Laura Nyro, and Pandora chooses to add artists with a similar vocal style/range/category and Maria is one of them... I love music, and have waxed nostalgic this winter, so I appreciate his gesture. That, and a marabou feather light-up heart pen. Cool. I have yet to give him his card, as I prefer to let him suffer... Angeni gets her gift after school.

Today Brian and I have baked... 18 banana/honey/bran muffins, 15 chocolate fudge cupcakes and shortly we prepare a roast beef, with carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes around the roast, and some corn (to satisfy junior Valentine eaters). Normally I can't cope with anyone in my kitchen while I cook - I'm claustrophobic to a certain degree, and watching out for someone else in the way can throw me off... But we managed to have a lovely time... dinner will be wonderful and I'm saving back some of the icing from the cupcakes. I have a sinister plan for that - later baby. Anyway, we bought some froo-froo toppings for these cupcakes - the recipe said I'd get 24 cupcakes and I got 15, so these are a bit on the large size... I can whip up a vanilla cake in my mushy heart-shaped tin, if these are yucky. They smell great, though...

Have a wonderfully sweet, playful, Valentines, my friends..

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