Thoughts for Thursday - Flannel

Okay. The name of Thursday posts is changing. Last time. Promise

Sean pointed out that I often tell a story on Thursday. It isn't always geared toward being thankful. So, I found another word that sounds nice with "Thursday" and has a broader scope. Besides, I was starting to feel very cliche this month. Everyone else is being thankful as Thanksgiving is coming up, and I want to be different. Still thankful!

So.....here are my "thoughts" on.....

Flannel Sheets

Growing up in Arizona, there was never a huge need for warm bedding. In the winter, it was FREEZING (comparatively to the rest of the year) and that just meant adding another blanket or two to the bed. Problem solved.

I also had the personal feeling, that the "normal" feel of sheets was perfect. Use something else and it messes everything else. The whole sliding-into-bed factor is thrown off! Solution: don't mess with something that already works great.

Well last winter, we were living in our fun one bedroom do-whatever-you-want-with-the-place rental. It had horrible insulation. We put plastic on the windows, and it was still very cold; and it didn't help that every heating element we had available ran on electric. (It's a sign when you get home from work and it feels warmer outside than inside.)

Anyway, my mom suggested we try flannel sheets. A part of me was really reluctant because of my whole sheet psychology mentioned above. We tried them. It made a difference. A huge difference! The little house was still cold, but we were able to stay warm at night.

Flannel sheets are amazing in the winter!! They hold your body heat better than regular sheets, and your foot isn't met by unwelcoming ice when it moves around during the night. They also cuddle you a little more, which is a happy feeling.

Even though we are in a different place this winter - one with much better accommodations for cooler weather - it was a happy thought bringing out the flannel sheets last month.

Think about it. It could change your life as it did ours. Hooray for flannel sheets!

Tuesday is Tasty

Apple Crisp. Apple Crisp!!

I've been working on this one for a while. We have had lots of apples to play with, so I have made several apple crisps. (Happy thought.)

I actually haven't completely decided on the recipe, but I thought it would be good to share what I concluded so far.

Some crisp recipes are very simple, like the one pictured above, but they lack a few key things: liquid and lemon.

My main sources for the recipe: America Test Kitchen Apple Crisp, and Relief Society Apple Crisp.

ATK mixes actual lemon zest in with the apples. It brightens the apple flavor, instead of the flavor becoming dull. The Relief Society recipe adds apple juice or water to the apple mixture. It keeps the apples from drying out, and also adds to the flavor.

Recipe:

TOPPING

6       tablespoons flour

1/4    cup packed brown sugar

1/4    cup sugar

1/4    teaspoon cinnamon

1/4    teaspoon nutmeg

1/4    teaspoon salt

5       tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, softened

3/4    cup rolled oats

FILLING

6 - 8  apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4    cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2    teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/3    cup water or apple juice

1. For the topping: Mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Add the butter; pinch the butter chunks and dry mixture between your fingertips until the mixture looks like crumbly wet sand. Add the oats and toss to incorporate. Refrigerate the topping for 15 minutes before baking.

2. For the filling: Preheat the oven to 375. Mix the apples, sugar, lemon juice, and zest together and place in a 8-inch quare glass or ceramic baking dish or 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Distribute the chilled topping evenly over the fruit.

3. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is deep golden brown, about 40  minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Thankful for Thursday

Nature. Ever Changing.

It is fun living in a place so immersed in nature. Yes we have grocery stores, restaurants, bike shops. It doesn't take much to be away from civilization here.

Back story. The plant Sean works at is down the end of the Colorado River. I am envious of that drive he gets to take every day. It is beau-tiful! The river, the red rock cliffs, everything.

Monday morning, Sean called me from work and informed me there was a rock slide near the plant. Apparently it happened five minutes after his carpool passed the spot.

This is the cliff face that released the rocks.

There are railroad tracks between the cliff face and the road. As you can see, they will be unusable for a while.

 

 The gash in the road was five feet deep, and it was impassable. The spot was quickly filled with gravel, and the city had the road patched by the time Sean was done with work. As of yesterday, they took away the last boulder that came down.

Thankfully, no one was hurt by the rock slide.

Isn't it fun how nature keeps us on our toes? It goes to show, we can only control a handful of things. It is nice to remember the important things in life, and enjoy when things get a little....rocky. (Yes, that was an intentional pun!)