Wonderful Saturday

The sun was shining, giving the false impression of warmer temperatures. Because we are scheduled for a snow storm tomorrow, everyone was at the grocery store today. Lines everywhere we went as people broke out of their homes and "shopped" in the sunshine. My daughter and I did our part for the economy. I got socks, coffee filters and tank tops (dreaming of summer) at Reny's; a cheap acrylic sweater at Goodwill along with a long sleeve tee and a glass bottle. I spent my usual $100 at the grocery store and remembered everything on my list. Even the spelt flour so I can make spelt crackers.

I've sprayed the cheap sweater with Febreze to remove the smell of Goodwill. I will be exchanging it with the shawl I usually throw over my cashmere sweaters (also thrift purchases) as another layer of insulation in my 60 degree house. The shawl keeps drifting into the sink, oven and other inconvenient places. I'm hoping this loose, jacket of a sweater will stay out of my way. It's a nubby dark grey, lightweight and easy to put on and take off. I think the cashmere sweaters end up at thrift stores because people get tired of the dry cleaning and never consider hand washing. I am spoiled by the feather light warmth of cashmere. I wish all my sweaters were made of this heavenly stuff. I have also decided that shawl collars are my favorite sweater style.

My purchase of socks was fueled by LL Bean cancelling my backorder of 4 pairs of my favorite socks. The lovely customer service rep thinks they won't be getting ANY of these socks in. Cancelled orders or a new vendor. Economic woes.

We are having pizza for supper tonight. I think we may start having pizza every Saturday and soup on Sunday. Makes the weekend less work for me. I don't mind cooking on weekdays but on the weekends I like to just do 'fun' stuff. So pizza and beer tonight. Chicken Noodle Soup and Butternut Bisque tomorrow.

I made the most delicious orange cranberry bread yesterday. I zested 3 navel oranges that were getting a bit too old to peel and eat, juiced them, soaked some Whole Foods dried cranberries in hot water till soft and mixed up the batter from a recipe in my 1960's vintage Better Homes cookbook. I added half cup of walnuts. I tend to overlook this treasured cookbook in favor of newer, hipper books. And sometimes forget that older is better. I have some No Knead bread dough sitting and rising for 18 hours. I'll bake it tomorrow around lunchtime.

I am in the midst of reading the new PD James mystery "Private Patient" and getting very British and proper. And wanting to visit London again. Does that happen to you when you read a good book? I used wholemeal flour in my no knead bread. That's the way they say it in London.

I am grateful for my daughter inviting me along on her shopping tour of Bath. It was good to get out of the house and not have to worry about driving on icy streets. The added bonus of the grocery store was great. We had just about run out of fresh food. Sam was excited to find chocolate miniwheat cereal (new). For dessert. When she was a teenager in Germany, she adored Muslix with tiny chocolate bits for breakfast. No nuts or seeds. Hasn't changed much in the intervening years.

The thrift shop clerk and I did get her to think about wearing her newly purchased denim short jumper dress OVER a pair of jeans. Especially if she intends to bend at the waist at any point in time while wearing the dress. Oh! she says. And she is thinking of topping the whole outfit off with a "grandpa" sweater. All I know is that the sweater has a zipper. Sam didn't think much of the shop owners suggestion of a dark burnt orange tee under the dress. I thought it looked fantastic. I have a little pink cotton "shrug" to try as my own something "new" in fashion. $5.

So, a wonderful Saturday. How was yours?