20131219 Xmas time is here

Catching up on a few things here.

We've had snow/snow (two reasonable snows Sat/Tues)
Out the front:

I wonder if I should put the Adirondack chairs into the shed?

180 Degree panorama out the back

Then on the 15th we got the tree (between snow #1 and snow #2)

As per usual, Xmas decoration by the Elves of Stiefel Way:

Monica made cookies. I did not help. All her.

I was busy in the Santa Workshop, Wilbraham Annex, making something for the TN Stiefels

(you didn't think I'd really show it to you did you?!)

20131216 Baby It's Cold Outside

Went out to snap a little picture to show the snow

Funny with digital how you can't tell it's 10:30PM, and 13 degrees. But it's full moon:

And Orion has risen above the Walnut tree

And the snow is all sparkly

20131203 Wilbraham Christmas Tree

As requested, some Christmas lights pictures, for those far away who wish to see what the neighborhood looks like this time of year.

First, the neighbors (no tripod, sorry)

 And the center of town with tree and creche

20131110 First Brew Bottled

My BrewMentor Lee split a recipe with Katie & me, in case we didn't like it (he's so nice) and so here is our first bottling of the Alaskan Amber Clone, recipe from DIYBrewing in Ludlow, MA, 13 22 oz and 4 12oz, to be rationed judiciously.

Also, I have the primary going with an American Brown Ale

20131030 The Carving of the Pumpkin (...and the running of the deer?)

Katie and I decided to go symmetrical this year.

With a drill!!

20131013 Something Yeasty This Way Comes....

Katie and I have a new hobby...

Beer

20131010 Walnuts

Brought a walnut to work today; had the inevitable multitude of conversations about what it is, can you eat it, why do you have to pick them up, you whine too much about picking up 16 wheelbarrow loads, you must be lying, you should sell them, make me an offer, etc.

One question was new, though. "What's a walnut tree look like?"
Fair enough. Here ya go, Mike. This one's beside the garage:

This one by the mailbox

This one in the side yard, next to a maple

This one's kinda between the side yard walnut and the mailbox walnut

This one's in the far back corner next to the shed

And my personal favorite, the one that drops walnuts into the pool:

They make lovely rollers for shoes

And cover every inch

And I have a pile of walnuts in the back by an old woodpile:

And a pile under the "shed" walnut tree:

And a pile on the far corner of the back lot

And, there are still plenty to fall:

20131003 The Girls opening presents

20131003 The birthday cheesecake

4 recipes combined to make this marbled raspberry chocolate delight.


I started with a comingled recipe for crust using graham crackers, vanilla wafers and chocolate wafers

After the crust was put down and baked,

I added a schmear of chocolate

The batter is a Martha Stewart recipe using 32 oz cream cheese

I made raspberry puree, sieve out the seeds, mix batter in, same with some ganache and batter

Put half the batter in the pan, pipe in chocolate

and marble with toothpick

Add remaining batter

Pipe on raspberry and marble. Bake in water bath half way up pan

and when it comes out, cool very very slowly