When the Cox Crows

Diet Time

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:40:00 +0000

I'm paying for my baking binge at Christmas and I have simply got to change my ways. I signed up for the Flat Belly Diet through Prevention Magazine today.

I headed right out to the store to buy my first two days' supplies. Wow. The only thing that looks good to me is the sassy water.

Yeah, sassy water. You know, water with sliced cucumber, lemons, grated ginger and mint. You have to make a fresh batch each evening, then drink it down in its entirety the following day.

Well, I'm desperate enough to try anything - even almond milk, another new taste I've not experienced.

I know for sure I had better sign up for team support, also offered by the program. I'm gonna need a lot of encouragement to hold this spoiled baby in the road.

The New Kitten

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:29:00 +0000

She came from the pound with the name Apple. Definitely not a fit. Next we called her Honey, 'cause all kittens are sweet.

Now her name is Jingle, because she is so active that the sound of jingle bells echoes through the house most of the time.

I love to bake...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:25:00 +0000

even though it isn't a good idea. I can't eat just one. At this stage in my life, fat is attracted to me like a magnet.

Even so, my favorite catalog to arrive in the mail each month is the King Arthur Flour baker's catalogue. I love it. Each time I browse through it, I see another baking tool I covet.

This issue has a great little scone pan - bite size scones! What a great idea. I hardly ever finish them. When I was on vacation at Thanksgiving, our B & B hostess made scones and they were so good, I hardly recognized them as such. Turns out she got a pre-packaged mix from a company that specializes in cooking products for B & Bs. Another clever idea.

They also throw in a few good recipes each time. This time they are featuring double-shot mocha chunks - very chocolatey cookies with espresso power in them. You can snag the recipe on their web site - http://www.kingarthurflour.com/. And then there's the german chocolate sheet cake recipe...

I've got a little wish list, and any time a gift occasion comes up, I'm not shy, I pull out my KA list. Right now, I'm hankering for a butter keeper - keeps butter fresh and spreadable on the counter in a cute little crock.

The Food Bank for Pets

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:59:00 +0000

I was watching tv the other morning and saw this lovely lady interviewed who has started a food bank for pets.

She realized that a lot of people are having trouble feeding their families, much less their pets, which has resulted in pets being dumped on humane societies. She reasoned that if she could collect pet food donations, she could help families keep their pets until better times arrive.

I think that is a wonderful thing to do. I am taking some kitten food that my new pet doesn't like over to a local collection point, the Buckhead Animal Clinic.

There are many ways to 'minister' in this life and it sounds as though this lady has found one. Hopefully, it will become a national effort.

Katherine Hepburn's brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:05:00 +0000

Everyone has their own idea of what the perfect brownie tastes like. Some prefer a cake-like texture, and other folks just want it to be a gooey mess of chocolate.

I confess to being one of the latter. Yesterday, my sweet tooth started aching, so I looked through some cookbooks for something chocolate to make. I found this recipe for brownies by Katherine Hepburn, in an old Food & Wine Desserts cookbook. It makes just twelve, decadent brownies. I froze half, so I can have another treat next week.

As the cookbook states "pin up your hair, stand up straight, suck in your cheeks and get cooking".

2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 325. Butter an 8inch baking pan. In a heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate with the butter over low het. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Next, add in the egg and vanilla. and "beat it like mad". Stir in the flour, salt and nuts, and mix well.

Bake for 40 minutes. "Take it out, let it cool, cut into squares and go crazy!" Thank you, Katherine

Hell to pay

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:11:00 +0000

There is something awe inspiring about the energy possessed by kittens. They are a small, constantly moving affirmation of life, of joy, of enthusiasm.

It's just that perhaps all members of the household don't feel that way. Q T Pi, who was the "baby" of the household until recently when my sweet male, Dude, died unexpectedly of cancer, hates the new kitten. The whole point of getting a kitten was to relieve Cutie's loneliness after the death of her friend. Dude was really more like a parent to her, giving her baths in the morning at the breakfast bowl, as though she were still a kitten. Cutie coyly submitted and thoroughly enjoyed this attention.

Dude defended her from other animal visitors, including my neighbor's cat, a huge, neutered tom who thinks his mission in life is to kill anything smaller than him, including other cats.

So for a week, I watched Cutie run in and out of the house, searching for Dude. She sat for long periods on my deck, staring into the yard and hoping to see him stroll down the path in his usual languid manner.

Finally, I called one of my daughters and we went to our very state of the art city pound where we found a three month old named Apple. Apple is now Honey, but answers to "Hey!" best, as she is constantly on the move and is usually threatening the integrity of something I cherish.

Cutie rejected the kitten immediately, which is normal. I fussed over her and gave her treats and let her go her own way. I knew better than to try to rush the relationship. Cutie began to hiss and growl at the newcomer, and also to stay out all night. Since it's the coldest time of the year where I live, this worried me. But, she was insistent. I figured she would get over it and envisioned the two small animals enjoying life together as they decimated my living room.

When I took the kitten in for her free exam, destined to enslave me to the vet for life, I mentioned our compatibility issues and the vet gave me a very helpful handout. Unfortunately, it was too late to do the things it suggested, which included restricting the newcomer to one area of the house, feeding the animals on either side of the door, and many other solutions to psychological trauma. What happened to the good old days when you threw the cat in barn and cussed it out when it didn't catch mice?

Now, a cold war rages in my household. It has been three weeks and Cutie has done everything she can to let me know she now hates my guts. If she could fly, she would be towing one of those banners from a small biplane over the city.

When my other daughter comes to visit, Cutie pours her heart out to her, giving her all the sordid details in long, drawn-out meowing sessions.

Where will this all end?

Christmas gifts adding up...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:35:00 +0000

I've now made several of the very pretty scarves from rainbow mohair. The third pair of fingerless gloves is underway and I'm planning to make a more playful pair from the leftover yarn from the first three.

I saw a little pattern for mittens with buttons sewn on them, and I may give that a go.

Found a great pattern for the marvelously colored Rowan biggy print - it's a toque and took perhaps an hour to make. Totally cute and fun. I plan to make a couple more of those - so easy.

I'm also planning to crank out a few more of the fun cotton dishcloths and perhaps a few cat toys from the left over cotton yarn and my catnip plant.

Making personalized gifts is so much fun!

Just wrote a new article on Hubpages

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:10:00 +0000

I've been writing articles on Hubpages sporadically for about seven months now. It's really good practice and I'm actually having fun doing it.

I decided this fall that I would make personalized gifts for friends. I don't have a lot of free time so I needed quick and easy projects.

From that came this article on easy-to-make Christmas projects - The Gift of Giving Your Own Creation.

Yummy Soups...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:00:00 +0000

When my son-in-law gave me a large soup cookbook for my birthday, I had no idea I would enjoy it so much.

Because it is primarily vegetarian, I have tried out about half a dozen of the recipes so far. I am finding that my grocery bill has gone down, simply because the soup makes enough for four and I am able to freeze it, so can get several meals from one batch.

Soup is especially good with fresh homemade bread. I did make one or two that I didn't like that much, but all in all the book is a winner. The aroma of the soup makes the house so inviting and there's no big guilt trip for eating a lot of fattening food.

Today I made a soup of parsnip and leek. It is spiced with fresh grated ginger. Once the vegetables are tender, the entirety is pureed, then topped with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream if that's what you have. Very tasty!

Quick and Easy Christmas gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:45:00 +0000

If you're looking for something quick and easy to knit for your favorite girls on your Christmas list, try these fingerless gloves. They're great for warmer climes, or for folks who drive a lot. You can whip a pair out in a weekend and they'll cost you less than $10 a pair if you already have double point needles. For the pattern, check out the Fetching pattern on Knitty.com on the web.

Beauty tucked away...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:28:00 +0000

In the garden, beauty can be found in the most mundane places. I was preparing my pot of succulents to take indoors when I noticed the "pearl" of water at the heart of one of the clusters.

Digital Satisfaction

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:57:00 +0000

Our culture here in the US really emphasizes the need for higher education, and downplays the creative. Sometimes it seems as though creative people are treated as though they are slightly daffy for wanting to pursue their craft.

But consider this.

There is a great deal of satisfaction in using one's hands to create, whether it stirring batter, snapping photos, knitting a sweater, or painting a picture. The most prized, lasting relics of former civilizations are often works of art, as in the beautifully carved Chinese burial soldiers, or the sarcophagi of the Pharoahs.

Might we have a more satisfied society if we encouraged the creative of beautiful furniture, clothing made by loving hands and left the machines to more mundane tasks?

Which would you rather have, a sweater made by a machine, uniform and uninspiring, or one made by someone's skill?

Fall spurs creativity...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Woke up this morning and decided I needed new earrings. I love the antique look of brass beads and also everything Oriental.

Zucchini Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:59:00 +0000

Ummm! Got up this morning and looked in the refrigerator to see those zucchini I purchased last weekend looking a bit sad. Jumped on the web and found a great recipe for zucchini bread. I think this will be a great addition to my Christmas present list.

I have always loved to bake more than to cook. When my kids were little I made hand cut Christmas cookies - really dough sculpture and not for eating - shaped like toy trains, candy canes, piggybanks etc. The kids loved them. Even as a housewife with time on my hands, it usually took two days to get them done. I have long since lost the recipe, but family photos have memorialized those cookies.

The zucchini bread recipe belonged to someone's mother. Another reader had substituted a cup of whole wheat flour. and I adopted that suggestion. I have just recently come to realize that this gives breads an entire different flavor and texture and really enhances quick breads.

When the Bedbug Bites

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:23:00 +0000

That is the title of my friend Athlyn's children's book - the first of three. It is soon to be published. Athlyn is a blogger extraordinaire, as well as an excellent writer and she has posted this blog about her book - http://www.thebedbugblog.com.

She is a very high energy lady and very knowledgable about the web. With her help, perhaps someday someone will read my posts!

Creativity

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:36:00 +0000

I had so much fun yesterday creating this new blog and especially in making the little banner for it.

The Internet offers such boundless opportunities for enjoyment, creativity and learning.

Feels like fall today

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:53:00 +0000

So naturally I put on a pot of soup.

Also got a yen for gingerbread. Think I'll make some later today, with lemon sauce! I'll be the 300 lb. granny by Christmas if I keep up this baking.

A request for a photo

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:49:00 +0000

This is nice. Someone who sells seeds has asked to use one of my photos - the Seashell Cosmos. It really is a good pic. I keep thinking I should put together a calendar of my best flower shots and market it.

Who has time? Maybe I need to try more discipline - set up blocks of time during the day to tackle specific things. I read recently that multitaskers waste a lot of time. I'm not sure I agree with that, but a little less enthusiasm might be a good thing in my case.

Italian Coffee Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:27:00 +0000

Last week I made this Italian coffee cake. Yummy! Quick too. It calls for artisan flour (the top of my refrigerator looks like a sample collection for flours at this point).

You just toast some chopped almonds, then knead in the almonds, golden raisins and chopped dates. I can remember when I was younger chopping dates, using a floured board. What a chore. Now you can just buy a nice little carton of them neatly chopped.

Life is good!

The evolution of flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:20:00 +0000

Here is a link to a very interesting article about the evolution of flowers, featured in the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/science/08flower.html?_r=3&tntemail0=y&emc=tnt&pagewanted=all

It was posted by my cousin Kyle, a very bright young man, who has a strong interest in our planet.

As I read the article, I was amazed to discover that I have two of the oldest species known to man in my own garden - the water lily and the anise plant!

Gardening is work of the soul

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:37:00 +0000

There are few hobbies that capture the imagination of the participant to the extent that gardening does.

Every year in a garden, new possibilities offer themselves. The slightest change can create an entirely new vista.

Years later, plants may suddenly sprout from seeds lost in the soil. Like magic, they appear out of nowhere, reminding you of the year that you planted that variety. Often, it makes you wonder why the plant didn't survive, only to have its seedling reappear at a later date.

Gardens re-create themselves as well, spreading a little here, shrinking a little there. Shrubs and trees grow large and change the landscape. Suddenly a perfectly proportioned garden becomes a jumble of large shrubs, heavy shade or random growth.

Gardeners must make that quick tour each morning and evening, dead head that last flower, examine the soil, search for pests.

Caring for a garden is such a nurturing, creative experience. It brings us close to the soil and reminds us that paving is not nature's intent. It reminds us how closely we are linked to green things and how much more important they are than we realize.

Getting that last little bit out of the tomatoes...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:39:00 +0000

My tomatoes have been so wonderful this year. I now have several packets of frozen sauce and stewed tomatoes and have shared many of the very sweet little cherry tomatoes.

Of course, the vines look awful now, leaves all damaged by spider mites and curling. So, what harm could it be to pick them off and pinch back the stalks.

None, because the recent rains have encouraged new growth and I am getting just a few more fresh 'maters'. Yippee!

Miserable old August...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:19:00 +0000

The eighth month of the year is always the worst in the garden. Until now everything has been growing, producing, green, wonderful...then August comes around. Always it brings drought and heat.

You look at your garden and think "How could I ever have thought this place was pretty? It's overgrown, no pattern, everything is drooping, browned off..."

But, fall will be upon us soon. We can put in fall bulbs now, start to cut back the exhausted growth of summer and put away seeds from our favorite plants.

Raccoons are smarter than me...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:35:00 +0000

I put the tray out last night with a bowl of cat food in it at the rear, per the instructions.

This morning, the bowl is empty and has been pulled to the front of the cage and the trap is sprung. Raccoonless.

Hmmm

Havoc in the pond...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Cox) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:19:00 +0000

The back garden has seemed calm lately, but I now know that was wishful thinking. My morning tour reveals that the raccoon twins have been busy terrorizing the pond. All the frogs are gone and more fish are missing. It was easy to see where they had been. Pots are overturned and broken, bird feeders have been yanked from trees, etc.

I have to face facts. They are dangerous to the cats and they are going to become a bigger problem as they mature.

That's a photo from someone else, but pretty representative of my animals.

Tonight, the have a heart trap goes out. We will try relocating them because in spite of what Walter says about them not relocating well, I don't have the heart to condemn them to be exterminated.