Yes, hubby’s birthday is Valentine’s Day.  That means he’s extra sweet. 

My daughter and I made him some cookies.  They are old-fashioned chocolate oatmeal cookies that you cook on the stovetop.

In a pot you put the following:

• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/4 cup of cocoa
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of milk

Bring to a hard boil.  My daughter is not allowed to help when this stuff is boiling.  It is like lava. 

Once boiling good and hard, you must let the mixture boil for 3 full minutes.  Remove from heat and add the following:

• 1/2 tsp vanilla (will bubble up when it goes in) 
• 1 cup of oatmeal (or a bit more, to your liking)
• a big scoop of peanut butter, smooth or crunchy.  Amount can vary.  I probably use nearly a cup.

Mix well and drop by the spoonful onto already-laid-out wax paper.  You should be able to tell if the cookies are going to get hard before you start dropping them out.  This is one of those old recipes that might come out right and might not come out right, but I usually have success. 

Here’s a tip: if they seem like they are not going to get hard, add a few marshmallows and stir in.  This almost always does the trick.

We cut up some carrots, put out dressing, made some deviled eggs, made some Valentines, and now we have a nice birthday snack table for “Papa Bear” when he comes home.  There’s also some soup cooked — two kinds. 

You know what Papa Bear’s favorite Valentine gift is though, right?  Mama Bear. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Lynn

We woke up to snow this morning.  It’s so pretty.  And I wasn’t expecting it.  It’s like The Snowy Day.  What a nice surprise. 

The daffodils appear to be unaffected.

One of my favorite flower beds is my “outdoor room” that contains three trees under which I sit.

The snow looked so pretty this morning as the sun began to rise.

Sarah Elizabeth Gramble is covered in snow…

The rosemary has a little blue bloom that is undaunted by the cold snow.

I can tell you my daughter is loving this!

We’ll have to have hot cocoa today and watch Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman while our wet clothes are drying.  I think this might also be the perfect day to revisit Snowflake Bentley.

Lynn