Yachter, thanks for your comments on this table. Not Chrismasy but winter is what I was hoping for when I set it. I set it in such a hurry that I see I didn't turn my trees with the pretty side out on all of them. Magpie, I should of stated DDaughter so you would of known for sure. Either one, glad you liked it. Yes, Karen, Jane and Creek are all having trying times with DDads. OA, thanks and I may try a MG table but don't know if I have much to put on it. I fell in love with these trees and some others at Shopko this year and DD never fails me. She listens to close sometimes but is always thinking of my tables for me while shopping. My jaw really dropped when I seen these stems. May be a little to upper class for me.lol Luvs, this was an accident with the trees and stems but they do seem to go together. When I received them I was thinking about using DM's 3 wisemen and setting a table but didn't have time. Jeanne, 20 years is perfect. Your still young enough to enjoy all the sports and life with them. I always told our children that they needed to be able to support their family if they were alone so it takes alot of hard work to be able to do this. Your DGD will appreciate life more with having to work to achieve it. Both our children own businesses and it's paying off. DD and I are 24 years apart and her and her DD are 25. She had to finish college, get married, own a home before having children. Wish we were all so disciplined in life.lol Thanks for all the wonderful comments on this table. I need to go make dinner rolls for dinner tomorrow evening at friends. May try to start a new table also. Punk

I decided that since I liked the party at White Post Farms so much 2 yrs ago & felt that nothing met all the requirements that at least for this year we'd go back. My daughter LOVES animals & she'll appreciate it even more this yr. It's a room with 5 tables large enough to fit the kids, parents & other family & in primary colors - not cheap folding chairs, has a large acquarium & the walls are painted in an animal theme. The food is great. They have a petting zoo & get to feed the animals, carry & feed the baby animals, get pony rides, there is a train ride & a jumbo sandbox. The girls who work the parties, at least 2 yrs ago were VERY outgoing. All the kids were given name tags & they were referred to by name. The cake is a nice cake with a barn yard theme & the papergoods & invitations coordinate unlike most places which provide white papergoods & balloons. There are outdoor ship, truck & other shaped climbing units. We took the last party of the day b/c I've heard that many people leave b/c it's dinner time & you end up having the outdoor play area all to yourself until closing time, plus in June its always so hot that mayb elater in the day it'll be a little cooler. The favors are nice - I did personalized jumbo pail & shovel with animal crackers last time & then supplemented them with different things, like beach balls, kites, etc. I think yr I'll add water bottles, unless people can come up with something else, either animal themed to go with the party theme or beach themed to go with the pail & shovel. I'm keeping all the ideas I got for next yr. Michie

We made 40 potatoes worth of latkes (by rights, there should be more in that pic I posted, but I ate few more than I should have while making 'em!!), and 32+ apples worth of applesauce. We always shred the potatoes in our Cuisinart (circa mid to late-'80's) with the "fine" grating disc, and then dump them into two cheesecloth-lined colanders (over large glass bowls). FWIW, the cheesecloth (old and re-washed and re-used) came from W-S--very tight weave, so the potato shreds don't fall through any open holes! We pour off the liquid that collects in the bowls, and save the potato starch at the bottom of the bowls to mix in with the latke "batter." The shredded potatoes turn red when they release the starch. We rinse them (over/in the cheesecloth) and wring them out very well. They are then dumped into a large cooler that we use for mixing up all the ingredients (it's the only thing big enough to hold all those shredded potatoes). This year we used 21 small-medium onions (adjust accordingly if using larger or smaller onions)--chopped up very fine/pureed in the food processor with the steel blade. We added 10 large eggs, 2 1/2-3 tsp baking powder, 2 cups bleached, all-purpose flour (give or take), and then salt (kosher and table) and pepper, to taste, and the reserved potato starch. I mix it all up with my hands (wearing latex gloves) and then drop spoonfuls of the mixture into hot oil, flattening the mounds slightly with the back of the spoon. You can adjust am'ts as needed--you'll know when you see how the first batch holds together/cooks up when you add it to the oil, and how the first few taste after they're cooked (you can always add more salt, eggs, onions, flour--but you can't take them back out) LOL! For us, the key thing, is allowing the potatoes to sit for a little while, to release the starch, and then rinsing them well, and draining/squeezing them out well. This way, the latkes come out nice and lacy and crispy, which we prefer (vs. gummy or doughy).

Duck. Then broth with the bones for a ramen soup with Asian vegetables, a few shrimp, sugar snap peas. Snowing now, overnight, then sleet or freezing rain. I fed the birds a lot of sunflowe, peanuts and suet. For some reason we have a small lone male Eastern Towhee. I’m trying to take special care of him — these birds usually go south for the winter. Cross you fingers for him, please. He is on the small size which is why at first, I mistook him for a junco. I love these birds — beautiful, lovely song in spring and they are sharp dressers. 🎶 Tow-hee…🎶 ’Drink-your-tea’