Sunday, February 6, 2011

My Kind of Superbowl Sunday

...which means I didn't watch the game.  Instead I had the whole afternoon to putter around outside in the garden and with the animals.  I'm just not a big football fan (or baseball or basketball or golf).  I know, I know.  So un-Amercian.  I'm telling you, I am actually French and somehow got traded into an American family as an infant.  (Don't tell my family I said that).

This morning Brett and I took the horses on a trail ride.  We took the ridge trail which is, as you would guess, quite steep.  I haven't wanted to take that trail with Jackson since before his hock issues.  But, he's been so strong and sound since he got injected last September that I suggested we give it a try.  It's a great workout for the horses and the views are spectacular.  Of course, we forgot the camera.  Sorry!  When we got home, Jackson was tired.  I was too.  I checked his feet and turned him out to roll and relax.

Next, I made cookies for work.  Once a month, my staff and I bake cookies for the nurses.  I work in a hospital but my department isn't involved with patient care.  So, this is our way of thanking the nurses for all their hard work.  We always bring in homemade cookies.  I made these:
Crisp Cocoa-Pecan Cookies

The game was getting started about then so I scooted outside.  I washed Jackson's tail and then turned him loose on the grassy slope.  He munched away on the grass while I groomed him, erasing all the sweat marks from this morning, and braided his tail.  Then I sat in a chair with our barn cat enjoying the sunshine and the quiet.  It was in the mid-60s today so it really REALLY felt like spring.  After I put Jackson away, I let the dogs out and puttered around the gardens looking for signs of spring.  I found a hyacinth poking it's nose up into the sunlight.





After finishing the evening chores, I headed back to the house and made dinner.  I roasted a turkey but tried a different method.  Yesterday, I cut it into large pieces and put them in brine.  Today, I cut up some onions and carrots and scattered them in the roasting pan.  I added a bundle of herbs from the garden (parsley, thyme, bay and sage) and put the turkey pieces on top.  It worked out great and the drippings made a wonderful gravy.

Wine, of course.  A pinot noir from New Zealand.

I'm trying to control my portion size.  Did I do good?

I'm pooped!

4 comments:

  1. What a perfect way to spend your time during the superbowl. We did not watch it either. Your cookies and dinner looked divine! Today it should be above freezing here today, with no possibilities of working in a garden!

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  2. Trying not to be jealous of your weather! Sounds like you had a wonderful day Annette. (How about cookies for dinner) ;)

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  3. Sounds like a wonderful day! I can't believe you've got signs of spring out there already! I will have to live vicariously through you for another month or two :)

    The meal (as always) looks fabulous. The trail ride sounds great as well. I like some sports games, but your day sounds like a great one to me, too!

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  4. A trail ride AND cookies??? I'm jealous.

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Thanks so much for commenting!