just one last time!

i couldn’t resist this final picture of my snowy pine woods walk. footsteps to glory.

a sweet little sheep farm

the other day we went by our friend jenif's sheep farm.  she raises the sheep and harvests the wool to make these lovely felted scarves and spin into yarn.  we had fun feeding the sheep and taking in the lovely day in the country.

virginia willis' chocolate pecan cookies

i am a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies and i was paging through my virginia willis cookbook the other day and couldn't resist.  so i cracked some pecans and baked a batch.

enjoy....i know i did!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp.

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

8 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

6 ounces best-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 ounces best-quality milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cups chopped pecans

30 perfect pecan halves, for decoration

preheat the oven to 375 degrees. line a baking sheet with a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper.  in a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.  set aside.

in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and cream on medium speed until light and fluffy. add the salt, vanilla extract, and egg and stir to combine.

add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined.  add the semisweet, white, and milk chocolates and chopped pecans.

make balls of dough using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop or with your hands shape the dough into balls about the size of a gumball; place 6 dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.  using the palm of your hand, flatten each cookie slightly.  press a pecan half into the center of each.

bake until the cookies are just brown around the edges, 13 to 14 minutes.  using an offset spatula, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.  repeat with the remaining cookie dough and pecan halves.

enjoy!!

tired leaves

after all of the chilly weather and snow that we have had, the leaves are exhausted.  i love the exposed skeletons of the plants that show through.

sunny woods

there's nothing like the play of light on a sunny day in the pines.  if it happens to be springtime when the sap is rising, you get the added bonus of that spicey pine scent filling the air.  not yet, though.  for now just silent footsteps on a cushion of pine needles.

red mule- our friends tim and alice

tim and alice mills are some of the nicest folks you will meet.

we first got to know them, years ago, when we would all do the holiday market at big city bread.

we would all be huddled up in the cold, albeit in a festive, glowing atmosphere, but they would always be smiling, just happy to be there.

tim and alice and their red mule, luke, grind grits, polenta, and cornmeal and sell it to many of our local grocery stores and co-ops, and also to our best restaurants.

luke grinds it by walking 'round an engine shaft that tim rigged up to power a grinder in his shed.

tim's innovative and thrifty design has been studied by folks at UGA and has even inspired a similar grist mill in africa- built with local, found ingredients.

tim is telling me how it all works:

while alice watches:

you know you are in the south when...

i recently went to a grocery store out in the country.  i got a kick out of the truly southern food there.

winter's sparkle