Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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A Petite Santa

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Boy, am I having a hard time waking up this morning! I feel drugged. Sometimes, when I go back to sleep during the early morning hours I will fall into what I call a ‘hard’ sleep. When I finally wake up for the day, I feel incredibly groggy. Plus, I must have been dreaming something dire because all my muscles were tense and my back hurt. Yikes!

Anyway, I’m on my second cup of coffee and I feel better. Just moving slowly –  both mentally and physically.

I ran a couple of errands yesterday and one of them was a stop at a local antique mall that is one of my favorites. I ended up with three smalls, one of which I’ll show you now.

This little guy. He’s about 2 inches tall, if that, and I love him. The vendor had five of them, all dressed in different colors. But they weren’t inexpensive, so I only got one. He’s on skis and he’s holding a bell or a cymbal – not sure.

For some perspective, here he is next to a modest sized vintage Christmas ornament.

Now, of course, I want to go back and buy the others. Isn’t that always the way?

What’s on the docket for today? Some wrapping, I think, and another batch of linzer tart cookies. I want to take some with us when we celebrate Christmas with our pals, Rick and Doug. Don and I had two each last night while watching Christmas in Connecticut  and moans of happiness were heard throughout the house.

How are you all doing? Are you rushing around madly, trying to finish up your To Do list before Christmas Eve? Or are you finished and enjoying family and friends?

It’s raining here today and it’s gray and rather barren looking out there. The forecast for Christmas Eve now says 3 to 5 inches of snow overnight! Looks like Don will be doing some snow blowing before we can make our way to Rick and Doug’s house. (Good thing that one of his presents is a pair of heavy duty gloves to wear when snow blowing! Shhhh.)

Happy Saturday.

 

Linzer Love

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I can only concentrate on one thing today.

“What’s that?” you ask? (Can you have two question marks in the same sentence? I’m thinking no.)

Anyway.

I’ll tell you. These.

Oh my heavens. My attempt at making vegan linzer tart cookies worked! It was a resounding success!

Have to say, it was a messy process, but it was worth it. So worth it that I’ll probably bake a batch to take over to The Boy’s house on Christmas. This will be in addition to baking the annual Christmas Coffee Cake on Christmas Eve.

One of these guys is missing some confectioner’s sugar due to what looks suspiciously like my finger getting in the way.  We each had one last night and promptly reached Nirvana.

Next time, I’ll make them with a smaller-sized cookie cutter. These are almost too big. That way, I’ll get more cookies. I also know now how thick to roll the dough; first couple of cookies were too thin.

This has always been one of my favorite cookies. In fact, when I used to work part-time at my friend Heidi’s now defunct shop, I would consistently trot across the street to the bakery and buy one of these.

I’m chuffed.

The recipe is courtesy of Chef Linda who works with the Catskill Animal Sanctuary, an organization we support. In fact, I just renewed our membership. Here’s the link. They have a whole list of Christmas cookies that have been ‘veganized.’ And let me tell you, no one would have the slightest inkling that these are vegan. I guarantee it.

We are due for some snow and ice tonight, so I’m going to go out and buy the ingredients for the coffee cake so I have them on hand. I might take a run to my favorite antique shop. Just because.

And it just might snow on Christmas Eve night. At least, that’s what yesterday’s weather report predicted.

I call this “Early Morning Glow of the Lights from the Christmas Tree and the iPhone.”

Happy Friday.

A Little of Everything on a Thursday

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Yesterday’s sky as I was about to set off on some present buying. I love a moody sky.

And so far, fingers crossed, it looks to be another sunny day. My mood likes that. My plants like that.

I bought the last present for Don yesterday, and it turns out, the most expensive. But it will make him very happy and I confess I was happy at the prospect of seeing him open it on Christmas morning. Up until that point I was sort of ‘meh’ about my choices for him. But now? I’m excited.

Today, I’m going to try out a vegan recipe for Linzer cookies. It’s from the Catskill Animal Sanctuary’s chef. I gathered up the ingredients when I stopped at Whole Foods the other day. We’ll see how they turn out! Then, after the holidays, we’re cutting way back on our sugar intake. We’ve sort of begun already, but as it’s the holiday season, we know we’ll indulge a bit.

The new leaf has opened on the maranta. I’m so tickled when I see new growth on my plants.

Just want to say again how much we love our little table in the kitchen, which was going to be a temporary solution for removing the sideboard-turned-kitchen-island. It turns out it’s not temporary at all! It doesn’t block Stella (a must) and that aging and weathered blue paint makes me smile.

Finally, I took a picture of a picture. This gem is on Mere’s Christmas card this year and we think it’s one of the best pictures of Little Z we’ve ever seen. (Meredith is the photographer.)

Sweet but full of sass and vinegar, I tell you. Our phone conversations with him are such fun! Oh, I love this little boy. Love, love, love.

Happy Thursday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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