FIRST TIME TO KEY WEST, FLORIDA

My husband was hoping to escape from the cold we usually have in Kansas City this winter so I told him to see what he could find. What he found was a 14-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean sailing out of Tampa, Florida. We have made two other cruises in the Caribbean to the Eastern and the Western, but not to the Southern area. I don't think he thought I would say okay when he told me about it because he was so happy when I did. The fun thing that happened was discovering that our friends Carol and Keith were going to be on the same cruise. Actually they went to the Western Caribbean the week before on the same ship and just stayed on it to take the next cruise. 

Our ship - The Rotterdam

left port in Tampa at 4:00 Sunday afternoon

Another cruise ship left not too long after we did...

and we docked the next morning in Key West at 11:00. My husband and I had never been there and were excited about seeing seeing it. The ship wasn't leaving until 6 o'clock so we tried to see as much as we could. I don't know how far we walked that day, but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't close to 5 miles. 

You can read about the Custom House and the Lighthouse here. I focused on the Kiss statue instead of the Custom House in my picture.

We thought we were in Hawaii with all of the chicken and roosters running around...

Behind this wall is Ernest Hemingway's home.

Key West Lighthouse... (It was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1969.)

The Light Keepers Quarters and museum (built in 1887)

Views from the top after walking up 88 steps...

A fun thing that happened while we were at balcony was a young man trying to hold a Buffalo Bill football team flag over the side. He asked us to help hold it out for him (it was a little windy up there) while his father took a picture from the ground. He told us he had been to many places with it and taking pictures. Two places I remembered were the Olympics and the Taj Mahal.

Down the street from the Lighthouse was the Southernmost Point of the Continental USA. The line was long of people waiting to have their picture taken by it so I just took a picture of someone taking a picture of a couple who were in front of her in line.

My husband had to buy a coconut when he saw a man selling them along the street...(hard to see but that is a straw sticking out of it to drink the coconut milk)

Had to take a picture of this old movie theater that is now a drugstore...

Didn't tour this house (Patterson - Baldwin House) built around 1838 and moved to this location after the hurricane of 1846 but took a picture of it. Just didn't have enough time to see everything completely...It is also considered the oldest schoolhouse because classes were taught there until 1860.

My husband and I did go through this house - The Oldest House in Key West and Southern Florida built in 1829 by a ship's carpenter using cedar and pine.Captain Francis Watlington lived here with his wife and their nine daughters. Their descendants occupied the house until the 1970s when Mrs. Rosemary Austin bought the house and donated it to the State of Florida. It was really interesting and complete.

The front of the house...

A statue of Marilyn Monroe from the famous photo...

A pretty church...

We had to go in and give it a try. It claims to be the birthplace of the Key Lime Pie in Key West 1856. It was good. My husband got the Coconut Cream Pie instead and Carol got a piece of a Coconut Key Lime Pie.

Just some of the pretty homes...

Carol and Keith went back to the ship while we stayed to tour the Little White House. President Harry S.Truman used the house as a retreat and a functioning White House from 1946 to 1952. Five other presidents also used it. Photos are not allowed to be taken inside the house.

We had to leave the tour to hurry back to the ship before it was to sail, but I had time to take one last picture back at Malory Square and the Custom House (red building in the center).

Back on board, we spent the next two days at sea going to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

DOROTHY'S DATE-NUT TEA BREAD

I recently shared a Date and Nut Bread I made from one of my Amish cookbooks that was really, really good. When our canasta group met at Friend Dorothy's house, she served us her favorite date nut bread. Even though the name is the same, the recipe isn't. Dorothy's was sweeter tasting than the Amish one and everyone really enjoyed it.

DATE-WALNUT LOAF
DATE-NUT TEA BREAD

1          (8 ounce) package pitted dates
1-1/4    cup boiling water
1-1/2    cup brown sugar, firmly packed
6          tablespoons butter or margarine
1          egg, beaten
3/4       cup chopped walnuts
2-1/4    cups sifted flour
1-1/2    teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2    teaspoons salt

Cut dates in small pieces into medium-sized bowl; pour boiling water over; stir in sugar and butter; cool to room temperature.

Stir in beaten egg and walnuts.

Sift flour, soda, and salt onto waxed paper; stir quickly into date mixture just until blended; pour into greased and waxed-paper lined loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 - inch); let stand 15 minutes.

Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) 1 hour and 10 minutes or until center is firm; cool 5 minutes; turn out on wire rack; cool completely. 

CAROL'S YOGURT PIE

If you are looking for a light dessert to serve when entertaining a small group, Friend Carol's Yogurt Pie is just the recipe you are looking for. Friend Ellen made and served it to our canasta group when we met at her house. She used raspberry flavor jello and yogurt, but you could use any flavor you liked. Ellen also made it truly "light" by using sugar-free jello and whipped topping.

YOGURT PIE

Graham cracker crust
4       oz. Jello mix (sugar-free will work)
1       cup boiling water
2       6 - oz cartons Greek yogurt (any flavor)
8       oz. carton whipped topping (thoroughly thawed)

Dissolve Jello in water. 

Stir in yogurt with a whisk. 

Fold in whipped topping. 

Spread mixture in crust and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Can serve plain, with added fruit, or even added whipped topping.

Serves 8.

MARIE'S CRANBERRY NUT BREAD

This recipe came from my "sister-cousin" Marie. Being an only child, I was fortunate enough to have two cousins who were more like sisters to me than cousins when I was growing up. Our mothers were sisters and we grew up with 38 miles of each other. They often went on vacations with my parents and me. The other unique thing about Marie and "Sissy" is that they are "double first cousins" because their mothers who were sisters were married to brothers. Marie's mother is the only one of our parents who is still living. Sissy's daddy died a few days after Christmas. We were in CO with our older son and his family having our Christmas with them. Instead of coming back to Kansas City, my husband and I drove to Northeast LA for his services. That's when I discovered Marie's delicious tasting Cranberry Nut Bread. She brought a mini-loaf of it along with several other varieties that she had made and frozen before Christmas. When we were leaving, Sissy offered one of the loaves to me.

We enjoyed it so much that after we got back to KC, I sent Marie a text asking her for the recipe. She was more than happy to share it with me. Marie made three mini loaves but I made only two. I like my mini loaves to almost fill the pan and rise nicely when they bake. She had these cute little bags decorated with holiday motif that she had frozen the mini loaves in. My mini loaf would not have fit in her bags. It is an excellent recipe to bake and give as gifts during the holidays. You can freeze them as Marie does and then have them available if an occasion arises to give them to someone (as Marie did). You can also just make them to enjoy for yourselves.

CRANBERRY NUT BREAD

2         cups flour
1         cup white sugar (I used 1/2 cup stevia/sugar baking blend)
1-1/2   teaspoon baking powder
1         teaspoon salt
1/2      teaspoon baking soda
3/4      cup orange juice
1         tablespoon dried orange peel
2         tablespoons mayonnaise (I used salad dressing)
1         egg, well beaten
1-1/2   cup dried cranberries (I chopped them up a little since I was making mini loaves)
1/2      cup chopped walnuts or favorite nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a larger loaf pan (9 x 5 or 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 - inches) with nonstick cooking spray. You can also use 2 or 3 mini pans. (Marie uses 3 mini pans. I used 2 because I like my mini loaves to be generous.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda using a whisk.

Stir in orange juice, orange peel, mayo or salad dressing, and egg.

Mix just until blended. (I started with the whisk and changed to my wooden spoon.)

Stir in the dried cranberries and walnuts.

Spread evenly in larger loaf pan or separate evenly in mini loaf pans. (If you want the loaf to look nicely with the dried cranberries "bursting out", make sure they are at the top of the batter. Notice the one in the dark pan.)

Bake for 55 minutes for larger loaf or about 45 minutes for mini loaves. Check doneness with a toothpick.

Cool on rack for 15 minutes in pans.

Remove and finish cooling on rack. 







Use plastic wrap or foil to store. Freezes well.

MY REMODELED BATHROOM

I have been wanting to remodel my "hall" bathroom forever, it seems. The bathroom isn't very big and I just always felt so cramped in it. I found an antique washstand at an estate sale probably close to a year ago that I wanted to use for the vanity. It was smaller than the vanity in the bathroom and so much prettier. I had planned to buy a new toilet, but decided the one I had was too nice (even though I could have gotten a smaller one that would have given me even more room). 

Well, I finally got it done before Christmas (that was the main reason I ended up not decorating for Christmas - if you follow my blog and read about this fact earlier) and I am so happy with the results.

Here is a picture of it before....

Everything out and ready for new tile on the floor...

We also had the entryway at the front door retiled with the same tile. Love it too. Wish I had a before picture of it.

Now for the finished bathroom....AFTER...

Friend Janice and I found the mirror in an antique mall. It goes perfectly with the washstand.

Trying to decide on a towel to hang on the rack...

The other wall...

The wall cabinet above the toilet was made by my maternal grandfather. (He was the village blacksmith in the town I grew up in.) In the picture below you can see how he stained it. I didn't want to mix the two different wood stains, so decided to paint it the Betsy's Linen I used on the wainscoting.

Here are pictures of that ordeal...

I set it on pint jars to raise it up to paint...

The three drawers, each unique for the slots... so unique that after they dried, one would not fit in the slot with the several layers of paint. I ended up having to sand the sides and edges to remove as much paint as I could so that the drawer would slide into the slot. (That's why I referred to it as an "ordeal".)

I shared the "after" picture on Facebook on a post from a group I am in called HGTV Fixer Upper Show Followers and someone asked me to show pictures of the inside.

I loved the results of the top drawer that Marcus, my contractor, did so that I still have use of most of the drawer. (I am still deciding how best to utilize the space.)

Did you notice the different shower curtains? I made them from quilt tops I made. I didn't need another quilt so just decided to make my own shower curtain. Since the first one, I have made these two more. The one in the "before" picture is my favorite quilt block, churn dash. The other one is a disappearing nine patch. I hope to make one that would be "fallish" before fall this year.