What I Did On My Winter Vacation

Spent a few days in Steamboat Springs.  Just the STP and I.

Most of the time we spent inside, working on projects, drinking hot chocolate, listening to Christmas music, catching up on reading and relaxing, watching it snow.

But we did venture out in the snow--to Fish Creek Falls.

The falls were partially frozen

 A picture postcard perfect kind of day.

And then later in the week we ventured out again to Strawberry Park Hot Springs.

Which was prettier than a postcard.

And way more fun.  

  

Any Thing I Want--Winding Down

I would weed out and organize my recipes
I took several projects with me on vacation last week.  I felt like Mrs. Beaver in Narnia asking the STP to pack my sewing machine.
Organizing my recipes has been on my 'list' since 1992.
My first recipes were in a box.  Copied from my mom's recipes.  Filed in alphabetical order.
Gobs followed by Green Jello Salad
The STP reorganized them somewhere along the way into categories:  Cookies, Cakes, Vegetables
(When I reminded him he had done this, he couldn't remember doing it.  I reminded him how lucky he is to still be married to me.)
The recipe organization degenerated from there to include the original box and two manila folders full to overflowing with magazine pages, recipes written on the back of various items, and recipe cards that never got refiled into the box.  Some recipes I had two or three copies of because it was easier to call my Mom and get the recipe than it was to look for it here.
But last week, in the peace and quiet, with a fire in the fireplace and Christmas music playing, I tackled the recipes.  And I now have two three ring binders with all the recipes in page protectors.
The first step was sorting and weeding out.

Some challenges along the way, but I powered through.

Bean Salad did not make the cut.  This must have been one I copied from my mom when I first left home.  I have never made bean salad.  I can't get past the first ingredient.  My Mom made this at Christmastime.  I did not like it.  I threw this recipe away.

There was a recipe for salad dressing scrawled on the back of this meal ticket.  I threw this one out as well.  Maybe I should have kept it I case I ever have to prove I served these nine days at Mahaffey Camp.  Time off the tribulation and all.
The best part of the recipe project was the nostalgia of where and when and from whom I have gathered recipes over the past 35 years.  The original No Bake recipe that I knew by heart during my senior year of college.  The no-fail pie crust recipe from the blood bank tech at Allegheny General. There were recipes written by my maid of honor, given to me as a wedding gift.  Recipes in my Mom's handwriting and my Mother-in-law's handwriting..  The fluff frosting that was on the cake that welcomed us when we moved to Spring Creek.  A recipe for dishpan oatmeal molasses cookies from the year I baked cookies with my Spring Creek neighbor.  Recipes for several varieties of zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini cupcakes, zucchini pie, zucchini cobbler. Recipes for wassail and cheese balls served when I had people from the church over at Christmas time.  A recipe for beef and noodles that was delivered to the house after a car accident.  The recipe for the soup my sister made during our first sister's weekend in CA.  At least two copies of Joyce B.s Pasta Salad.  So many recipes with an associated person, place, and event.  All good memories. (Evidently and understandably, I don't ask for or keep recipes from bad events or people I don't like.) 
Feeling so accomplished.   And a little hungry.  And so blessed.  And a little over-confident.
Maybe I really could organize my photos....