Cat Nappin!

Cats are so helpful, aren't they?  Sophie was "helping" me make the bed the other day, except she stopped for a cat nap before we were done.  I went ahead and finished up without her.

Ummm.  See what a good nap will do for you.

Recycle-cat

What's for Dinner?

A while back I gave you my tried and true method for boiled eggs, and it really does work - that is when you follow directions.  Now if you plop the eggs into the pot and crank the burner up on high, you're following directions.  But if you then go switch on the mind-numbing, I-can't-hear-a-thing vacuum cleaner and proceed to clean in the next room, well, I can't be responsible.  Oh wait, that was me (hangs head in shame).  When I had to shut the vacuum off to move to another room, as I'm limited by my 16-foot cord, I heard something that jogged me back to the present.  There was rattling and a weird hissing sound coming from the kitchen.  Water was bubbling over onto the burner, and the eggs were crying out that it wasn't enough to be boiled alive, but their little bodies were being badly beaten, too. 

I quickly turned off the heat, and figured since they'd had been at a hard boil for several minutes, they would be over cooked if I left them on the burner.  So in my effort to salvage the eggs, I pulled them off and set my timer for the usual 15 minutes.  This is what I got.

Eggs - medium well.  Unfortunately, they weren't suitable for my potato salad, but it wasn't the end for these eggs.  No siree!  I'd find a way to use them, and I came up with a plan.  This was last night's dinner.

I started with one large baking potato, scrubbed and diced.

And about 1 cup of chopped onions.

I cooked the potatoes and onions together over low to medium heat, and added salt and pepper.

In another pan I cooked 1/2 pound of "hot" breakfast sausage, and when it was browned I added the eggs and chopped them into the sausage.

I combined everything into one baking dish, topped with shredded cheddar, and warmed in the oven until the cheese melted.

It was pretty tasty, especially considering what inspired the dish.  Sometimes accidents are the mother of invention.

A Little Sunday R&R

I thought I'd share some of our recent wanderings.  This was an afternoon filled with fun, relaxation and beauty.  

This is the sign for Flint Hill Vineyards.  We were out there weekend before last for a tasting.  They have some really nice wines, and my favorite is their Viognier.  

Here is what they say about it:   Picked at the height of ripeness.  Our Viognier is aged in stainless steel and has the perfect mix of fruit and floral notes.  The wine sets itself apart with juicy peach and apricot flavors.  Try this wine chilled with your favorite light dish or on your back deck at evening sunset.

 

This is the family home as it was restored.  Much of it, however, is still original.  It houses both the tasting room and the Century Kitchen restaurant.  You can read more about this here.

On our round about way to Flint Hill, we came across this interesting mailbox dressed up like a grasshopper.

Later that same day we visited Reynolda Gardens to look at the flowers.  This is a peony, and a bumble bee going in for a pollen sample.

There were many varieties of peonies, some with with big, full flowers like these.

To ones like this with a single layer of petals, and another little bee sampling the goods.

Restaurants.com Gift Certificates Now 80% Off

Restaurants.com has a new promotion going on now through May 13.  All gift certificates are 80% off.  Just use the promo code ENJOY when you check out, and your discount will be applied.  You can get $25 gift certificates for just $2.

What a great way to eat out and save!   

Quote of the Week

True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.  

 - William Penn

This statement holds much truth that in my youth I did not believe.  Quite often now silence is truly golden.