Birthdays, baking, and ready for spring

Happy Birthday Granddad

It is another "tucked in" day here as the outside world is cold and wet by any standard but especially for a later-in-April day. I've been taking advantage of the cold chill by continuing our cold weather favorites for dinner. Christopher called to let me know he'd actually be home for a couple of hours yesterday which was another way of saying... feed me.

I had some Laura's Beef in the freezer (love it but I can only afford it on sale) so I quickly defrosted the beef and assembled the ingredients for Holiday Spaghetti. It is a casserole recipe my mother-in-law found in a cookbook we gave her as a gift when Stephanie was little. That's how long it has been a family favorite. Yesterday I made it with whole grain spaghetti and we all had seconds. It's suppose to feed a family of six... yeah, right.

While it was in the oven, I made a quick trip to the grocery store. Working with one car makes it necessary to take advantage of any opportunity the car is available. We must communicate appointments, extra classes, Christopher's work hours, etc. My mother-in-law never learned to drive so she depended on a very deep pantry and an extra refrigerator-freezer in the basement. I understand completely. :)

This is a birthday month for our family. My son-in-law recently celebrated a birthday. He is now... older. Baby Matthew turned two so I guess that means I can't call him Baby Matthew. Hubby's birthday is today. I don't know how he is getting so old when I've stayed thirty-nine all these years. :)

The above picture is Granddad fixing the fence in the back forty last week. Okay, so we don't have forty acres, we have slightly less than one but it feels like a lot when keeping up the maintenance. Christopher and I were quite impressed that he was able to make the fence look as good as new. It blew down in a winter storm and split off right at ground level.

The rest of the day is to be spent doing laundry, working on a couple organizing projects, and baking... an oatmeal cake for hubby's birthday and a Kentucky Derby Pie to give my brother-in-law tomorrow (per his request). If you haven't eaten one of these before, it's like a giant chocolate chip cookie pie, so easy to make and very rich.

The original recipe has a shot of Kentucky bourbon in it (which I have never included, not having it on hand). I'll probably give hubby's brother a few pieces of the oatmeal cake, too. It will bring back memories of his mother's cooking and baking. Both recipes keep well and since he's travelling, that will be necessary.

Isn't it wonderful how just the aroma of certain foods bring back memories of loved ones? I think of my mom whenever I make fried chicken (after all, she was from Kentucky!) or make her vegetable beef soup.

Now... there is lots to do today. Tempus is definitely fugiting.