Lots-o-stuffs from baskets to scones, Random Acts of Kindess-3 and a home for a Kitty

Woooowee! What a ride the last few days have been !

Warning : this is a long article and there are a good number of photos so it might take a bit to load for you. Thank you for being patient.

By last night I was so physically and emotionally exhausted I went to bed at 9 and slept solidly till 9:15 this morning. I know I needed it because I normally don't sleep that much in on night. It is nice to have nothing but normal house hold chores to do today because I am spent!
So lets see if I can put some of all this in some fashion of a perspective ( for my self ) while I share the Good stuff ( and some not so good) with you!

Tuesday we went to see the Surgeon and he wants to do a but load more test between now and the 22 of this month. On that date he will be looking into my "innerds" and taking some biopsies of some "inflamed" and enlarged tissue areas of my stomach, duodenum, colon, and large and small intestines..

Of course that was after the strange day in the kitchen and was on the day i found out i won that wonderful wind chime in Mrs. B's Giveaway

My husband found out he is in line for a promotion to the position he has been working for for a long time ( he is so lucky to have his dream job!) Which comes with a pay raise and health benefits too!! among other perks !

We also learned that day, that a long time friend was tragically killed in a work place accident. He was reaching out to attach his safety harness when he fell through a snow covered sky light that apparently wasn't on the schematics/ blueprints to this place..he fell 45 feet! There is some comfort to know he died instantly and didn't have to suffer further. This came after he fought his way back from a massive heartache. I pray that God and Goddess cradle his family in love, strength, and healing so they can face all they must in the coming days .

and that was just Tuesday

Yesterday (Wednesday) , I started the day In the garden . I wasn't out long , but long enough to stain my nails with sweet Mother Earth by pulling early spring weeds and checking on all the little plants beginning to peek up. It was so quiet which was wonderful . The birds were singing, the sun shinning , the scent of Springs promise filled the gentle breezes that swirled around me. It was just the spiritual and physical energy boost I needed.

Shortly after, we were off to the hospital to begin all this testing, then over to the pharmacy to turn in my normal monthly 16 scripts plus 3 new ones!!! ( thank goodness they are only temporary ...I Hope!)

While we were waiting to get them filled, my Sweet Sweet Hubby took me to a local thrift shop (not something I physically am capable of often.. but as I said yesterday was a very good day physical ) and among the treasures I brought home were....





this Beautiful dish for $3.00 for our Ostara alter
I love the beautiful earthy tone swirls with the pink and green accents and its oval shape.




It's marked Cal tempo "fish fin" and what looks like AW??
If i remember right Cal temp is 1950's vintage but I am not 100% sure.. I just know I was rather smitten and quite happy with the price








I love this sweet little taper candle holder and snuffer set..

$1.00 ( candle wasn't included)



With the spring storm season fast encroaching upon us this will be a sweet little holder to keep in the kitchen encase of a power outage.


Of course it was perfect when I purchased it and some how we nicked it and another piece before we got them home ( they were in the same bag) But I still love it !






See the nick??





there at the bottom of the rim



it's on the bottom of this sweet little soup and rice bowel set

I love these sets, but don't normally find them locally so this was a real find at $3.00






( then we had to go an nick the thing dang it!)






at least these made it home safely

I love the pot-tea cup and sake set

$8.00 and in perfect condition

Then I found this little vase for $0.50

it's' motif doesn't match the pot-tea cup-sake set exactly but it really looks cute with it .










And I found a box of 2 of those little plant watering globes.. For $5.00


Maybe not the best deal on them but I have been wanting to try them to see if they really work so the price was right for me.







This is Random Act of Kindness Moments !As you know I have been taking part in Random act of kindness month over at the Domestic Witch.. sooo

Tuesday
I managed to arrange with my friend a time to meet at her Mother's house and have my husband deliver to her mom my "treat Box".








My Scones looked so pretty... My Friend's Mother is from Great Britten and Knows her Scones... So I had my fingers crossed that mine would pass her intense scrutiny.







I included 3 kinds of teas, some Girl Scout Short Bread Cookies ( mine were a bust and I didn't have time to make a fresh batch) , and some home made "false" Devonshire Cream, using one of my Gramas ol' recipes, some candied orange peel.. and a sweet little card just to let her know she is loved and always thought of!


The Scones where a HIT !!! My friend has been having a dicken's of a time lately trying to find thing her mom can/will eat.. I guess she Gobbled them Down. My Friend Said that this gift really went a long way to Lifting her moms spirits and making her feels special.. I am soo Happy for that .. because that also meant my friend had a wonderful day with her mother!


Wednessday
2nd : while I was at he thrift store I picked 5 random children's book off the shelf and stuck a $1.00 bill in each . ( Sorry, I just wasn't sneaky enough to to take a photo of the books with the dollar bills in them)

ALso Yesterday (Wednesday)
3rd: while I was in the thrift store, ( this is kind of why it was soo hard to get a photo of my effort) there was this adorable little boy , whom apparently thought I was a safe adult to ask questions of, who kept coming up to me and asking little Questions like, " can you tell me what size this is mommy said i have to have a 4, is that a 4? " and asking if i could help him reach things- which i would with a nod of approval from his mother. At one point became curious as to why i walked with the "that thing" ( my walker) . .so I just told him I had a "bad back" and my knees didn't work as well as his probably did.. that is a much easier explanation for a kid to understand... His Mother was so apologetic, and I assured her he was fine and that I was having a good time helping him and answering ALLLLL his little questions... Then I slipped a buck into the pocket of his hoody when he wasn't looking..

I have a "random act" planed for today too . But I will post about that one tomorrow..


So the last of the new is double edged in a couple ways..

remember me saying that we had sent some groceries to a friend and his kitty-cat who's been a little down on his luck lately.. well , yesterday when we got home from all the days activities, he was here waiting for us. I knew something was very wrong by the way he was caring hims self. As soon as we made eye contact , his eyes welled up with HUGE tears, and he let us know that he came home from work to find his kitty had died ... Our friend lives alone and Tomas was his only constant companion .. I know the heartache of loosing long loved critters .. and it broke my heart.. I think my husband and I were sobbing almost as hard as he was.. He was kind enough to help us into the house with our packages. My hubby took him into the living room and I made coffee , and we all sat and talked about Tomas and our memories of him and Our friend Shared some funny stories with us about him. Ok to make a long story short....

I have had 4 kitties here i have been looking for homes for... and one of them .. my Lil' Star just would not leave him alone...
He has always been a bit smitten with her....









He took her home with him last night (photo is of him and her in his apartment )... So Lil'Star Has a New home and our friend has a new companion..

I hope they will have many long years of happiness together.



Many Happy and Loving Blessings every one !
Ma Fey

Peppered Black Currant Vermicelli and Chicken Pizza

Warning this post is photo heavy! please be patient while it loads. Thanks.

Actually you can eat 2 meals on this recipe .
the second ( or first) being the pizza and the other being one of the following serving alternatives

The first:
Make up the Peppered Black Currant Vermicelli and Chicken using chicken breast and thighs instead of tenders. Serve the chicken on a bed of the peppered black currant vermicelli which has been topped with fresh or roasted sweet bell peppers , roasted or fresh sliced tomatoes, a sprinkling of fresh chopped sweet basil and top the whole thing with shredded mozzarella and asiago cheese..

The second:
Slice a loaf of focaccia bread into 4 equal parts. Then slice each part between the top and the bottom to form a rectangular shaped "bun" ( you should have 4 tops and 4 bottoms.) Brush all sides of each top and bottom lightly with olive oil (can be Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and place them open faced on a cookie sheet lined with parchment papper . Cover the sandwich tops ( should be a bit thicker than the bottoms) with the chicken that has been sliced to about 1/4 inch thick . Cover the bottoms with the Peppered Black Currant Vermicelli. Lay fresh, thinly sliced sweet bell pepper, tomatoes and white or yellow onions over the vermicelli side and lay Pancetta over the chicken side . Top both sides with some fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and sliced Provolne cheese . Place under the briler for 3 to 7 minutes to melt and brown cheese or bake in a 425 degree F. oven for for 7 to 13 minutes. remove from the oven . let set 3 to 5 minutes then fold tops onto bottoms and cut in half . Serve

OK, now that you have the alts , lets get to the pizza shall we??

Ingredients :
For The Peppered Black Currant Vermicelli:

4 cups cold water
1 tablespoon Olive oil ( can be extra virgin or virgin)
1 good sized long black pepper
1 scant Tablespoon loose Black Currant Tea leaves (brand-optional)
1 sliver orange peal (preped as in the candied orange peal recipe)
Fresh crack ( in pepper mills) the following with the turns given

Organic Cubeb pepper- full 3 turns
Grains of Paradise- 2 full turns
Pink peppercorns - 4 full turns
Organic Green peppercorns - 3 full turns
Organic Ceylon White Peppercorns- 3 full turns

1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dry Tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1 -- 6.3 oz bag vermicelli noodles
6 to 8 thin chicken tenders
For Pizza:
2 to 3 tablespoons sun dried tomato bread dipping oil or olive oil
Your favorit pizza crust ( for a 12 to 14 inch pizza)
5 thin slices each: yellow, orange, and red sweet bell pepper
1/4 cup diced tomatoes ( caned or fresh)
1/4 cup diced red onion ( any onion works here)
1/2 cup mushrooms (Iused can tonight but fresh are awesome too)
3/4 cup Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 - 1/2 cup Grated Mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Into a heavy sauce pan place the water, oil, herbs, spices, tea leaves, orange peal peace, and the long black pepper piece broken in half. Bring this JUST to a boil , then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Add the washed chicken tenders and cover. Simmer another 45 minutes ( use a meat thermometer to be sure the chicken is cooked through out!).







Leave the chicken and spices in the water and add the amount of vermicelli noodles you need ( i use the whole bag so i have enough to make one of the alt recipes and this one) ..







the cooking time for the noodles will be the time recommended on the package.. i cooked my noodles for 7 minutes


Remove the long black pepper pieces and the orange pieces before serving or using the Peppered Black Currant Vermicelli and Chicken.







While the above is cooking, prep the Pizza crust

about the bread dipping oil , I get this inthe bakery/deli section at walmart, But if you can't find it you can infuse olive oil ( type of your choice) with wonderful bits of herbs, sun dried tomatoes, and spices to your likeing and use that.








Place the pizza crust into/on a good pizza pan that has been well sprayed with olive oil (I use a restaurant quality deep dish pizza pan for this. these pans can usually be found at a local restaurant supply shop/store)
Poke holes into the dough.. called docking.. you can do this with a fork.. cover the surface evenly with lots of little holes to keep the crust from bubbling up and displacing your toppings.
Brush the crust with the bread dipping oil




start with the pasta .. ( click to enlarge the photo) Drain about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta . Don't use a lot. and Spread it evenly all over the pizza.
then add the chicken torn to bite sized bits.
then the peppers ( isn't that pretty)








next addd the tomatoes and onions.

then the mushrooms ( speaking of mushrooms this is awesome with fresh spring Morel or morchella mushrooms and Mushroom season is coming!!! WOOWHOO!)




top with the cheeses starting with the Parmesan, then the mozzarella , followed by the cheddar ( and maybe some asiago if you have some?)

Place this into a 425 degree F. oven for 14 to 18 minuted








Bet your wonderen' what I want them pliers hu?
(Insert a almost- wicked Grin, raised right eye brow, the "I know a secret." twinkle in the eye and a semi-evil laugh here. )
Actually you may know this trick.








I use the pliers to hold on to the hot pizza pan .
This only works with the heavy duty deep dish style pizza pans and some times cake pans that have the rolled edge like the pan here. You should be able to find a pan like this at the local restaurant supply store. This is also a very useful tool to take pans on and off open fire cooking when camping .. any way ..





get a good hold of you pan and with a flat large spatula loosen the the pizza from the pan by sliding the spatula between the the pizza and the pan going all the way around the pan .








then use the spatula to guide the pizza out of the pan and the pliers to pull the pan out from under the pizza .






let the pizza sit 3 to 5 minutes before cutting .
isn't that a lovely little crust??









waiting that 3 to 5 minutes for the cheese to set is the hard part...

OK.
Time to cut








mm-ya-oh-yesss..mmm--soryy..hot
Sorry guess i shouldn't tal.. um, type with my hands full hu??



Enjoy!



Bountiful blessings
Ma Fey

Ma Fey's Currant Tea

Ma Fey's Currant Tea
Per cup:
1 Lg Tablespoon Currant Preserves
(one made from champagne/pink or red currents is best)
1 Tablespoon Alfalfa Honey
1/4 teaspoon fresh peeled and grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon fresh Magic Michael basil ( or common sweet basil)
(can also use 1/4 teaspoon dry basil of the varieties mentioned)
1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice blend ( home made or good store bought)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 healthy pinches loose black (or green) tea

cover with 8 ounces (1 cup) - ( just to but not quite boiling) hot water.
Cover and let steep 5 to 7 minutes .
Pour / strain through cheese cloth or paper ( coffee) filter.
Serve hot.
With lemon if desired.

Ma Fey's Tea of Joy and Happiness

Tea of Joy and Happiness

from

Lady Feoneafey the Kitchen Witch

1/2 cup dried calendula petals (fresh or dried

1/2 cup chamomile flowers (fresh or Dried)

2 tablespoons grated orange peel(fresh or dried)

1/4 cup chocolate mint ( fresh or dried)

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

honey ( or diet appropriate sweetener ) to taste ( alfalfa or star thistle honey is most excellent in this tea)

Mix all ingredients together well..

( if you use one dry ingredient use all dry ingredients..)

( if some of your ingredients must be fresh, then store this mixture in the freezer up to 3 months for between uses.)

then, to a tea ball or other type tea strainer add 1 teaspoon of herb mix for each cup of tea you will make then add 1 extra for the pot. add water that has been brought to just boiling, cover and steep 5 to 7 min. strain as you serve or not if you plan to read the tea leaves.

this is also pretty good served cold with a slice of orange ( in place of lemon)

Enjoy!