About Janice

I love California, both in and out of my garden. My passions are gardening and photography. My goal is to make Plum Bird Corner a happy place to visit often.

Christmas Decorating Ahead of the Storm

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Janice

This is our first Christmas without Dad, who passed away in February of this year, so we wanted to help Mom decorate for Christmas. We knew that a storm was brewing, but we went to her home in Seal Beach anyway. By the time we arrived, she had the tree up and beautifully decorated, and most of the inside of her condo was also bright with the yuletide spirit. She really is amazing! We did have a little rain as we began work, but it stopped just long enough for us to get her outside lights up under the threatening skies.

As we drove away from Mom’s, the rain started again. Driving toward storm clouds on a darkened freeway, we were sure we were in for a really huge storm, and we suddenly drove through some very heavy rain, but five minutes later the rain was behind us and the sky was clear.

Motor Scooter Ride to Laguna Niguel

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Janice

Yesterday the weather was perfect for a motor scooter ride, and that’s what we did. Martin rode his Kymco Downtown 300, and I was on the Piaggio three-wheeler.

Here you can see our sturdy mounts as we took a break for a quick snack and drink of water in Laguna Niguel. It was a ride full of curves, especially as we traveled through rustic Santiago Canyon, and then steep climbs in beautiful Laguna Niguel, where we were always rewarded with spectacular views at the top.

We stopped to put gas in my scooter, and at 70 miles to the gallon we don’t do that very often. The total cost was only $7.84, one reason why motor scooters are becoming ever more popular. We rode a little over 50 miles, and I felt as if I could ride forever. When we finished I was already looking forward to our next scooter adventure. These are the two ways I judge if a scooter outing has been a success. This one definitely earned two thumbs up!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Janice

I was given this recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole many years ago. It is one of my favorites. The recipe calls for sweet potatoes, not yams. I have tried it with both, and sweet potatoes are the best. The leftovers are delicious served cold like a dessert. I hope you will give it a try. It is very tasty, and perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

Main Ingredients

Three good sized sweet Potatoes                      2 Eggs
1 Stick Butter                                                       ¼ Cup Milk
½ cup Sugar                                                         1 ½ tsp. Vanilla
¼ cup Brown Sugar

Topping Ingredients

1 Cup Crushed Cornflakes 1 Stick Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar (packed) ½ cup Chopped Pecans

Cook, peel & mash potatoes. Mix with other ingredients (besides topping). Place in an ovenproof glass baking dish.

Mix all the Topping ingredients together with the melted stick of butter. Put topping mix on top of potato mixture in a glass baking dish. Bake at 450° degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. This sweet potato casserole is delicious, and I bet it instantly becomes one of your favorites.

Maine Snow Scene

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Janice

It’s snowing in Maine. Our daughter Ruth lives there, and yesterday she sent me the above photo. She’s been encouraging me to come visit, and had promised they were not going to have snow this year. Guess that isn’t so! I usually travel to Maine in summer, but maybe this winter I’ll get brave and try a snow visit. I lived in Ontario, Canada until I was fourteen, and the first snow was always exciting, but now, having lived most of my life in California, I’m out of practice. We do get snow here, but only at higher elevations.

Ruth’s farm house in Maine (above) is beautiful and cozy. Lots of trees and open space.

Living where they do allows Ruth and our son-in-law and grandson the joy of keeping horses. Ruth and I share a love for horses, and we love to ride when I visit.

In August I wrote about our younger daughter Nicole, who lives in New Zealand, in my post New Zealand, a Wonderful Place to Visit. I wrote that we have wonderful places to travel and visit our children. Now you know where two of our three children live, and in a future post I’ll share the wonderful city where our son and daughter-in-law live. If we schedule visits to our three children right, we can live an endless summer. As we head into winter here, New Zealand is starting spring, its seasons being opposite to ours. But for now, I’ll think hard about a winter visit to Maine: It would mean snow boots and winter coat, but Ruth’s farm sure does look beautiful in winter.

Ginger Cookies, Quick and Easy

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Janice

Ginger cookies, with a glass of milk or a cup of tea, are a wonderful treat, especially as winter approaches and the days grow colder. I’ve been invited to a pre-holiday luncheon that includes a cookie exchange, so it seems like the perfect time to try another recipe I spotted in The Cruising Cook by Shirley Herd. I previously posted a recipe for cherry cobbler from this same cookbook. Please see that post if you would like a great dessert recipe: Cherry Cobbler, Quick and Easy. As you can see, I love quick and easy recipes, especially for desserts. This one, like the cherry cobbler, calls for only three ingredients, or four if you count the water.

Ingredients

14 oz Gingerbread or Spice Cake mix
1/2 cup chunky Peanut butter
1/2 cup seedless Raisins
2/3 cup water
Blend gingerbread mix with water and peanut butter. Mix well. The batter will thicken as you stir.
Add raisins.
Drop by teaspoons full onto greased baking sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes in a 350°F oven.
When ready, cool and enjoy.
Makes approximately three dozen.

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