A Coffee Cake and Flying Jay

Another day and lots of things to write about. 
First: A Blue Jay at the bird feeder. But, as  soon as I got closer he took off. 

A "Flying Jay"!

Then I dug up 3 garbage bags full of raspberry roots! And one can't even see that I worked there!

My garden plot

My advice: don't ever plant raspberries in your garden and then forget to contain them for several years. A nightmare!

I got hungry and because it's weekend it was time to bake something for the afternoon coffee break. 
When we still lived in Cold Lake, AB,  I purchased a cook book at a yard sale. 
While I leafed through the cookie-part of the booklet I thought:  What would be better than:
Coffee Cookie Sheet Squares (how to: see down below)

Coffee Cookie Sheet Squares

In the evening, when I accidently glanced out the kitchen window there was this red shine on the other side of the bay. Must be near Perry, ME. A bush fire! I run up on our upper deck and took a shot. Hope they get it contained before it damages property and people!

Bushfire, (Waldbrand, skogsbrand)

How to do:

Coffee Cookie Sheet Squares

submitted by St Paul's Lutheran Estonia, SK

Ingredients:
1 cup dates, chopped ( 1 had only 1/2 cup left over so I added)
1/2 cup of dried cherries and apricots to the recipe
1/2 cup of coffee
1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped
2/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 2/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Grease a 9 x 11 cooking sheet pan, preheat oven to 350 F (190 C).
Cook dates, and other dried fruit with coffee until they start to soften. Add vanilla.
In a separate bowl cream butter and sugar, Add eggs one at a time. 
Mix baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon with the flour and fold this into the egg mix. Add fruit mixture and nuts. Blend well.
Pour into cooking sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and ice.
Icing:
1 1/2 cup icing sugar (took only 1/2 cup)
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. cream (I didn't have that) 
1 tsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. vanilla (didn't use that here) 
Mix real well and spread over the cake.
The cake/cookie turned out very well. I could have eaten the whole batch by myself!

For Norsk tekst se nedenfor (read more)

Heute war ich Backlaune und habe einen Rührkuchen zum Nachmittagskaffee produziert. Siehe:

Pasta Salad and Garden Chores

What did we do today? Let's sum it up.
I started to clean several windows. I tell you, it takes a while before I get around the whole house. 
A little later a neighbour came along and brought two forsythia root-clumps for my garden. I had to think hard where I would like colour splashes in the spring, but they got each a spot and I hope they will thrive and bloom.

Meanwhile JP. was busy building a square foot box for me (4'x4') so that I can start gardening soon. Have you ever heard of square-foot-gardening"?  Nice for the novice gardener.

The afternoon was used to dig the raspberry roots out of the plot designed for my garden.

One of the black-capped chickadees war not at all shy and I walked up to the feeder ( 10') to take some shots.

Thank you little bird!

While still battling with that immense root system, J. P. announced that he was in the process of making a pasta salad for and grilled sausages for himself.  

That was easy for me. A colourful salad and an orange.

Was haben wir heute alles angestellt?

Birds and "Stick"- Pea Burgers

While doing the dishes I looked out of the window and saw two woodpeckers (northern flicker) on the grass, occupied with showing off to each other. Luckily my camera was handy and I took some shots. 

Wasn't that funny? But i became funnier.
The plan was to make false burgers (pumpkin chickpea burger) for supper. I cooked kidney- and great northern beans and mixed ingredients and cooled the whole. For my version of the burger see here: Thursday, April 12
"What are you cooking, it smells funny?" asked hubby. I wouldn't tell hence he got a prejudice.
Additionally I fixed some shepherds-pie for J.P., incase he wouldn't eat my burgers. 
You never know.
When he tried the burger, (mmmh THAT tastes GOOD!), he smiled over the table towards me saying: 
"This is somthing you made from these "STICK-peas" you cooked earlier this morning, right?" 
I laughed so hard that my tears run down my face!


STICK-PEAS! 


"You know, there are stick-pills and chick-peas, but nothing like "Stick-Peas!" 
Oh these funny husbands! We had a good laugh both of us, and I was still giggling while doing the dishes.
Now we have a dish called:
"Peter's Stick-Pea Burgers."

Shephards pie, salad, and Stick-Pea-Burger

Heute hatte ich Glück und konnte ein paar Spechte auf Film bannen, die sich gegenseitig den Hof machten.

Birds and Batter

Tried to take some bird photos again. Red Winged Black Birds are migrating and I love their song. And their sight when they flash their red wing spots. But, they are very elusive and take off as soon as I walk out or shove the camera through the window opening. Had to go on the net to find a nice photo.

Even the American Robin stayed at a careful distance.

Hubby did the cooking today. Fried fish in a crisp batter. He is outdoing himself lately.
I got my BP measured today at the doctors office. 119/79 , that was good news.

Hätte so gerne ein paar Bilder von den Zugvögeln gemacht, die gerade hier durch kommen. Aber sie sind leider zu scheu und immer auf und davon bevor ich die Kamera schußbereit habe. Auch die Amerikanische Drossel (Robin) hielt sich auf Abstand.

J.P. hat heute wieder mal den Kochlöffel geschwungen. Er wird noch ein Meisterkoch wenn das so weitergeht. Die Panade um den gebratenen Fisch war krosch und sehr leckern.

War heute wegen eines Gesundheitsattests zum Arzt. Blutdruckmessung ergab 119/79. Viel besser als letztes Mal.

Potato and Onion

The other day the old bird feeder was filled with seeds and, now I am waiting for the birds to find it. While I was doing garden chores I could hear some in the trees around. I could get close enough. It is easier with flowers than birds.

In the garden my crocus got a white companion.

Today I tried a dish my mom often made. Sliced potatoes and onions layered in a pan and baked. There was still stew for J.P.

Cooking directions see below

Deutscher Text (siehe unten)

Signs of Spring

The snow from yesterday melted overnight and Monday turned out somewhat grey with the sun peeking through the clouds a few times. A great time for clearing brush and dead branches on the side of the driveway. My hope is that  J.P. will use this space now to park our auto trailer. Sitting along the road it disturbs the nice view towards the water. 

After a break and a cup of coffee we had a stroll down the road with Molly. 


Black Willow (salix nigra)

Common alder (alnus glutinosa)

Pussy Willow (salix discolor) 

I saw more signs of spring if even so hesitant. 


After returning home hubby volunteered to do supper today. 
Maybe he got scared by my newfangled ideas of no fat, no meat? 
Well, he used the leftovers  and he created a fantasy sauce for his pork stew.  I got to taste a spoonful. Tasty. And again I attest that he is fully able to do the kitchen job. 
Sorry no photo, it looked too much like the 
ones from yesterday.

Der Schnee schmolz über Nacht und heute war das Wetter nicht übel. Grau mit gelegentilchen Wolkenlöchern.

Snowy Easter

What a difference a day makes..... So true.

Yesterday the sun shone bright and, the sky was deep blue.

Today we had snowfall and grey clouds all day long.

No matter, Molly and I had our afternoon walk. Lucky Me - I still had my coverall from Norway. Great, kept me warm in the strong cold wind. There is no bad weather, but bad clothing!

After the walk was time again for supper preparations.
Today we had asparagus (asperges), goulash (pork stew)for J.P. and
mashed potatoes. 

I made for myself a comforting vegetable stew.

for norsk tekst, se (read more)

Wie sich ein Tag von dem anderen unterscheiden kann! Gestern noch schönster Sonnenschein und heute Schneegestöber.