A Walk in the Park

With Christmas just around the corner, let's take a step back in time and drive down a peaceful country road and enjoy the fall leaves as they near their peak.

We had taken a day trip to Hanging Rock Park in Danbury to have lunch at the River Rock Cafe (their French Dips are definitely a treat) and do a little walking. 

After lunch, we headed to the park. It was a spectacularly nice day for the third week in October with barely a cloud in the sky, and the leaves were gorgeous. We walked out onto the fishing dock where a guy was fishing and another couple was strolling around and taking pictures.

Next, we made our way to the huge shelter just above the lake. There was a cool breeze coming through the large "windows" which are just openings in the wall. We sat in large Adirondack chairs and chatted with another couple who chose rocking chairs.

Eventually we excused ourselves to go walking before it got too late. We chose a short loop walk, relishing the chance to be outdoors and back to nature even for a short while. I got the video clip on the way out of the park. It's not great quality, but it is a nice reminder of a fun afternoon.

Always remember to make some time for the fun things...it's all about balance.

How To Save Money On Your Food

Are those pesky "best by" dates getting you down, hinting that you should discard the product or suffer dire consequences?  I'll let you in on a little secret. They are just guidelines for maximum freshness and have zero to do with product safety.

Example #1: This is spaghetti that I obviously purchased in April of 2017. This has been in kept in my cabinet in it's original packaging ever since. It has a best by date of December 6, 2018.

Now note the date I opened it...October 3, 2023. That is six and a half years, folks. Now you know. Don't worry if you find a package that has apparently gone walkabout and just now shows up for dinner. It's okay! 

Need more proof? Example #2:

A can of corned beef hash.

Purchased in May, 2015.

It has a best by date of March 15, 2018.

So what did I do? Well, let me see... I cooked it and we ate it. Guess what happened next? Nothing!

If your can is not severely rusted or dented so as to damage the seal and is not leaking, open it. If it doesn't spew, give it a sniff. Does it smell like it is supposed to? Yes, then prepare it and enjoy!

Note: Any time a canned product is bulging, leaking, spews when opened or smells bad, toss it immediately.

The majority of your canned food will last significantly longer than the date printed on the can. As for pastas and rice, kept dry and away from pests, they will last for many years. 

Now, how to save money on your food. Stop throwing out food because of the "best by" date. Use your eyes and nose. If the can and food look good, smell good and didn't forcibly eject itself from the can when you opened it, you're good to go. 

The same is also true for your peanut butter, mustard, mayo, ketchup and hot sauces.

This has been a public service presentation that will save you money in the long run with prices going nowhere but up.

Here is a useful source of information. 

What about the foods in your pantry? Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the ‘best by’ date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor. You’ll know when you open the package if the food has lost quality. Many dates on foods refer to quality, not safety. See FSIS’ Shelf-Stable Food Safety fact sheet for more information.

A Pleasant Fall

This picture was taken a few weeks ago at the Old Homeplace Vineyard. It is a lovely setting and a great place to sit and relax with a nice glass of wine and enjoying the amazing view.

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and for the most part it's still T-shirt weather in my part of the country. It is also very dry. Hubby cleaned the yard of leaves the other day, and the dust cloud was enormous. He said we should probably offer the neighbors gift cards to the car wash. I used the leaf blower to get enough dust off of him so he could come inside. He went to the basement to finish cleaning off with the vacuum cleaner...shoes, socks, jeans, etc. At that point, he could take a shower.

Yes, it was that dusty. We are hoping for a little rain early next week.

This is pizza night! What that means here, to anyone, not familiar with our tradition, is that every other Friday night I make homemade pizza. So, at this point, the dough is rising and we eagerly await the deliciousness.

Some of the men of our church are putting on a short play during the men's breakfast tomorrow. I've seen them run through it five times during rehearsals and it is good and funny, although not a comedy. The guy who plays the director asked me if I was a glutton for punishment. Eh, why not.

If this seems a bit on the rambling side, it's not your imagination. It is exactly that. I'm just trying (again) to revive this blog of mine. Please drop a note in the comment section if you stumble across this. 

A Missed Anniversary

Well, another year (plus a few months) has passed. I totally missed my anniversary in the Blogosphere this year. Roses to Rainbows is still open for visitors, although the proprietor is seldom here. There are a lot of gems buried in the archives. 

Time passes and life goes on, and yes, everything is fine...for some measure of "fine" in the world today. 

Sophie celebrated her 17th birthday in May, and she is hanging in there. Prices are higher and the containers are smaller. Many places have been hiring for months or even years, yet fewer people seem to be employed.

But to everything there is a bright side. We have had some beautiful fall weather, and our front porch has been replaced and looks great. Now, after many months, I can walk out my front door again. The birds are singing and the squirrels are playing or gathering nuts for winter.

We took a few short day trips to various parks around the area, and got back to nature. We listened to two Barred owls having a conversation. That was SO cool.

Two of the parks had a lake, and that is always peaceful. That is what we need most in the world. If you are a praying person, please pray for our nation and our freedom.

I'll be around occasionally to sweep the floors and change the light bulb...it is always on for you. If you happen to stumble upon my humble abode, I would love to see a comment now and then.

Until next time, take care and stay safe.

The Real Rainbow

The original picture from Roses to Rainbows...in a Rose Garden

I missed posting on my blog anniversary this year. It turned 13 on September 30 of this year. What can I say? Times are different and I've lost any readership I had. I do darken the virtual doors on occasion and this topic has been on my mind for a while. My blog is not about rainbows or rose gardens, although both rainbows and roses do appear randomly in pictures I've taken.

That said, on occasion, I have used a rainbow design or rainbow colors as an illustration for a post. As I reflect on those posts, I often regret using anything other than an actual photograph of a rainbow. Why? Because real rainbows only occur in nature when it rains and the sunlight hits the droplets forming one of nature's most joyful sights.

If you are wondering why I object to other uses of the rainbow, I will tell you. The original rainbow was God's promise to Noah that He would never again destroy all flesh with a global flood. Now that sacred symbol is used to represent the pride of a certain group of people. 

What adult people do among themselves is their business, and I'm not here to judge that. I do think, however, that things have evolved from a personal, "live and let live" motto to a very public "Hey, look at me" kind of thing.  It seems to me that no one group (or community as they are often referred to) should be of any greater focus than any other.

In contemplating this post, I did a search and found that the rainbow had been co-opted to represent this community all the way back in 1978. Had I considered that at the time I was searching for a blog name, I may not have chosen Roses to Rainbows, lest potential readers get the wrong idea. Anyone actually reading here would surely know otherwise.

During my search, I also found an article called "Taking Back The Rainbow" which was written in 2007. I believe that one's faith is personal, and again, I am not here to judge anyone for theirs. However, the article, based on the author's faith, clearly states the origin of the rainbow and why it is still important today. I would very much like to "take the rainbow back".

Below are links to how my blog actually got it's name. There was an real rose garden and a rainbow after a summer rain.

Reynolda Gardens (How I Named my Blog - Part I)

It's All in the Name (How I Named my Blog - Part II)