No-Bake Baking

   Since I am still without an oven it has been difficult (though not impossible) to keep myself provided with sweet treats to nibble on in the evenings. But today I dug out my friend Cathy's no-bake recipe for energy balls. They turned out well, I think the secret was to chill the mixture well before trying to roll it into balls. 

It's probably too small to read but you get the idea. Cathy's helpful comments included.

Here they are ready to go in the freezer from which I will extract one a time for a snack.

   Granddaughter's 14th birthday yesterday so I was summoned to join the family party. It was lots of fun and a nice meal besides. No cake but we had Creme Brulee (Natalie's choice). I am now officially the smallest person in the family. Beside my tennis friends I feel quite tall as two are shorter than me, but around the grandkids I feel like a shrimp!

A Special Treat

    I treated myself the other day to a special cheese and some new (to me) crisps. They went perfectly together and the veggie chips were just the right size for digging into the cheese. It doesn't take much to make me happy!

Despite being full of vegetables the chips were not particularly healthy but, boy, did they taste good!

Something to Cheer About!

    It may be gloomy and wet outside but, in my house, the blooms are still coming!

Both hibiscus plants loved being outdoors for the summer and are rewarding me with these gorgeous blooms after being taken indoors.

   Second raking done this week but there are still leaves to bag up and dispose of. Some will go in the composter but it already is almost full.

Saying Goodbye at Rosemary and Thyme

    You will be tired of seeing the same four faces in my photos but, truthfully, these are the only people, other than family, I am seeing at the moment. Things are very slowly opening up here and we are ultra cautious about venturing out. The masks only came off when we sat down at the table. Brunch was lovely especially the endless coffee. Cathy and I had Eggs Florentine and the other two had different breakfast specials.

This was our final get-together of the year as we go our separate ways now that tennis is over. My first meal out since I was treated to a meal in a restaurant for my birthday in September 2020!

    Cathy (in red checks) will be playing tennis in Florida come January but the rest of us will be on hiatus from tennis until April at the earliest. After this taste of "life after Covid", I am excitedly looking forward to the family Festive Special outing at Swiss Chalet next month! We had to miss it last year for the first time in about 10 years.