Spring in the winter. A walk along Capital Swamp Greenway.

The weekend weather was spectacular with temperatures in the 70s! Many Spring plants are blooming early, as well as the Winter bloomers!

Saffron Crocus in my garden.

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Prunus mume at JC Raulston Arboretum at NCSU.

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Daffodils at JCR.

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Hellebore in my yard.

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We decided to visit one of the greenways in Raleigh. My favorite greenway is what I call the Capital Swamp Greenway. It has a boardwalk that winds through a swamp, over a large and shallow body of water next to Raleigh Blvd, under Capital Boulevard, and then heads toward Wake Forest Road. It runs along  a heavily wooded section of Crabtree Creek once you leave the swamp area. Wildlife is abundant and its not crowded most days.

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The Gazebo and boardwalk along the marsh at Capital Swamp.

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Many turtles were sunning themselves on the warm day.

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Looking North from the boardwalk over the open water. There is a beaver den in the background.

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Looking North toward Highwoods Business Park over the open water.

I like to park at the lot on Crabtree Blvd just off  Raleigh Road inside the beltline. Its just a short walk to the boardwalk. We then walk all the way  almost to Atlantic Avenue. Its about a two mile walk.

There is an app you can download for free. It locates the greenways using GPS and also will track your mileage and time. The link is below.

Raleigh Greenways

The program shows the entire 77-mile greenway system including parking and weather. There is a ‘see,click,fix’ option for reporting repairs, fallen trees, or potholes.

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My cookware comes into the new century!

In case you didn’t notice, my cookware is from the last century. The blue T-Fal set I purchased in 1990 from Wal-Mart has been with me through college, moves from Beaufort to Morehead City to Greenville to New Bern and,finally, to Raleigh. Survived a thousand and one crazy roommates. It’s lived a good, long life.

Recently the fry pan has lost its nonstick properties. I think someone cleaned it improperly. No one will admit guilt or responsibility but I am pretty sure that is what must have happened after 21 years of service.

Instead of taking this as a defeat of my ability to properly caring for my things I decided to take it as an opportunity to upgrade!

But then all my fears of decision-making about what brand and what style to purchase sets in. Calphalon? Cusinart? Gee, have you seen the price? That would be giving up a house payment!

I already have two enameled cast iron Bella casserole pots (We call them Dutch Ovens on this side of the pond.) I purchased them from Macy’s during their after Christmas clearance sale last year for a very good price. I love them.

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Then there are the accessories that some sets include. This could seal the deal or at least help me narrow down the choices? Or so I thought. Still too many choices! Should I get the new ceramic cookware that will replace Teflon when it is banned later this year? More choices! Aarrgg!

As is normal, my final decision was made by a good sale. I settled on T-Fal Balanced Living 10- piece set. It includes an egg poacher and a steamer. Two items I think I will use to create healthy meals in the coming year! They also have silicone coated handles and clear lids with a vent.

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I love poached eggs so I broke in the egg poacher this morning! Starting with just one egg.

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Simply place about an inch of water in the pan. Bring to a boil then turn it down to a simmer. Place the poacher in the pan and place the egg in the cup. Cover with the lid.

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Wow! That was easy. About five minutes later I had a poached egg with the slightly runny center I love.

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I was so excited I ate it before taking a picture! More to come as I practice with the steamer, too!

Yeah! Something new to play with when it is too cold to be out in the garden!

Danny Bloom has a good series on YouTube for the line as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-F_Dy2tVAE

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Found Things – thrift store books.

Thrift stores are wonderful places to find all kinds of stuff. Most things in thrift stores are junk but books are great finds as they only cost a $1.00 or so.

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Gus and I spend many nights browsing the recipes or gardening ideas and I laugh at some of the dated hair styles or how foods or plants that are now common were once considered exotic!

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The most treasured items to me are the hand written notes, photographs, or inserted recipes I often find. The one below looks like an address in Paris followed by a series of numbers. A Paris phone number? A woman’s measurements? It was found in a cookbook afterall!

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Sometimes after a couple readings I decide its not worth keeping so I donate it back to the thrift store or to Goodwill or The Salvation Army Thrift Store.

Or some times after I get home with my find I realize I already own a copy. Anyone want this duplicate copy of Pillsbury’s Kitchen Family Cookbook? I have two now!

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It will probably be on the shelf at The Bargain Box Thrift Store in Cameron Village after my next donation!

Besides, its time for Downton Abbey and I should see what all the fuss is about.

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