Our First Fire of the Season . . .

. . . means cozy days have returned to Wisteria Cottage.

Life around Wisteria Cottage has lulled back to our normal pace after a frenetic ride that derailed the routine we have come to love so much. With Grandma Gloria mending nicely in a care facility and her daughter waiting at Gloria's home to care for her upon release, we of the nether reaches of the family have once again returned to phone chats and e-pics until we meet up again.

It is GOOD to get back to the boring business around here of ordinary life . . .

. . . like collecting eggs, warm and adorable from makeshift nests.(When will these ladies learn proper household keeping?)

Recently we purchased four adorable little pullets (ladies, not yet of egg-laying age), sporting the cutest coats of houndstooth check. Unfortunately these sweet ones have disrupted the harmony of the feathered colony a bit, but soon all will smooth out . . . or so we hope. ; ) Though we enjoyed the raising of chicks, the prospect of double the eggs without all that stinky indoor mayhem makes me positively giddy!

. . . and the Baking of Pies, like this one sporting braeburn apples.(Observe Miss Elizabeth's very first attempt -- a fine specimen, I'd say!)

Our recent culinary adventures have taken us deep into the South for some good ol' cookin'. The recent reading of Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose inspired me to crank up the Jazz music and cook away. Elizabeth's gorgeous pie shows that the adventurous spirit has spread deliciously around here. : D

. . . as well as the routine bread baking and yogurt making to fill the tummies with healthful sustenance and tangy delight.

I'm sorry I have not posted the details of my yogurt-making adventure as of yet (though I did promise, I know). Sadly the close-and-play instructions of my Yo'gourmet appliance produced a heat factor too high to retain the essential cultures I seek. BUT . . . with a bit of coaching from Gary about thermal properties and a handy instant-read thermometer, I have managed to find the perfect technique for attaining the 100-110 temps required for healthy fresh LIVE yogurt incubated over a 12-hour period. The nifty appliance promised to be oh-so-easy, but the contraption topped 120 degrees on my first attempt, hence no live cultures likely survived, though it tasted delicious. After a "testing period" with thermometer in hand and experiments regarding water levels in the "bath" I have quickly zeroed in on the "formula." (Any interest in a step-by-step post? Let me know . . . )

To date I am turning out several quarts of LIVE yogurt in a week to keep up with the needs of my family. Though noses turned up a bit at the first tasting of this tangy "unsweetened" product, a drizzle of local honey and a sharing of the health benefits of said yogurt, coupled with a few delicious dips and delights of Mediterranean cuisine ("Tzatziki, anyone?"), has relegated "store-bought" yogurt to the bottom of the shopping list. (Though it is nice to know I can still buy that yummy tangy Bulgarian yogurt at my little market in a pinch -- if there remains any on the shelf after delivery, that is . . . it goes F-A-S-T!) The buying of Greek God's brand "Honey" yogurt will become a treat, like ice cream -- a once-in-a-while yummy treat.

I wax joyfully over the ordinary miracles in a day and celebrate the peacefulness that reigns in our routine around Wisteria Cottage even as I pack for a trip taking me far away from home. This coming Sunday I shall accompany my dear friend Lily to Honolulu, Hawaii to attend the funeral of her sweet sister Susan. Lily and I will reside for several days at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and enjoy the tropical breezes, fresh seafood, and relaxed life of Hawaii, where both Susan and Lily lived for many years.

So, as I will not be carrying my laptop with me to Hawaii, my blog will lie fallow on holiday as will I. When I return my camera will surely spill with gifts for all to share here. Though I have visited Hawaii before, I choose to leave the busy tourist pace behind on this trip, preferring to R-E-L-A-X after such a busy time of late.

When next I post I shall sport a tropical glow
and new tropical tales to share.

Until then . . .

ALOHA!