U Haul Geography Lesson, Athabasca Sand Dunes in Saskatchewan

Who knew I'd get a geography lesson from a U Haul truck. When Gary made it to Georgia with the U haul truck yesterday I saw a description of shifting sand dunes in Canada painted on the side. I never knew Canada had sand dunes. I investigated this morning and read they're the Athabasca Sand Dunes in Saskatchewan. The dunes are the most northerly active dune formation on earth. I'm adding a trip to the dunes to my bucket list. In fact Canada in general deserves to be on my bucket list. My mind conjures up wild and pristine scenery at every turn of a future trip.

This past week Gary went to Florida and transferred all of our possessions from our treasure bus to a 26 foot U Haul truck. All our worldly goods acquired over 60 odd years are contained in the U haul minus our motorhome, bus and cars. We're  leaving the treasure bus in Florida; we think we'll have an easier time selling it there. Click the link to read about how we moved from California to Florida on shoestring. If you're looking for a good moving or storage bus let me know. Other uses for the bus are hunting bus, RV conversion, tail gait bus, and many others. The bus is 40 ft long is diesel, with new tires and batters and extremely low miles for a diesel. More info to follow.

This morning we're transferring all our goods into a storage unit in Blairsville, the city in the North Georgia mountains, where we're moving to shortly. It's just twelves miles from North Carolina. I was up early enough to enjoy a beautiful Georgia sunrise. Getting up and out before my usual time affords me the opportunity to enjoy the early morning colors of winter. Our new home move in date is almost here. Coming up new studio sketches, book reviews, herbal delights, and more. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Piquant Cornbread Muffins

The other day I saw a gluten free cornbread mix at the grocery so I decided to try it. In the back of my mind I wanted to spice the mix up a little. I decided to add some peppers to the mix.

I happened to have two poblano peppers, so I blistered them under the broiler, peeled their skin, and chopped them up medium fine. If you don't want to mess with the fresh peppers, you could substitute a can of chopped ortega peppers. I even thought I could add some canned corn. What ingredients would you add to a cornbread mix to spice it up?

I added the chopped peppers to the dry cornbread mix then I added the liquids one cup of milk, two eggs, and half a cup of olive oil. I baked the muffins at 375 F for 22 minutes. Watch closely at the end and don't over cook them. You want a crust on the outside but a soft moist interior.

I decided to put the muffins in cupcake papers so I could get them out of the pan easier. They could also be frozen for later too. If we happen to take a long road trip, these muffins are great to take for a snack while driving. Gary said he normally doesn't like cornbread because it's always so dry. Cornbread can be dry if over cooked. The trick is to see just a slight browning on the top edges. Also if you press your finger on the top of the muffin it springs back, then they are cooked just right.

We're having a yard sale tomorrow and the next day so I've been busy getting ready for that and haven't had much time to visit other blogs, but I will be back visiting again soon. After three years we have our treasure bus almost completely unloaded. We've been downsizing in hopes of traveling around again one of these days. If you're new to my blog, click the link to learn more about our treasure bus and find out how we moved from California to Florida on a shoestring. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

The Modern Cook Book

Look at the gem I uncovered in my household filing today while I was doing the last of the packing. The Modern Cook Book, with over one thousand recipes, promises hours of good reading and recipes while I am traveling along the back country roads of America. The book was compiled by Mrs. T. J. Kirkpatrick and was published in 1890 by Mast, Crowell & Kirkpatrick in Springfield, Ohio. Here's what was written on the inside first page with pen and ink.


This book is worth it's weight in gold just for the wonderful illustrations throughout the book which are crisp and very detailed.


I know Meredith would love some of the recipes in this book and I am sure Julia would appreciate the details about life during a simpler time.


Thanksgiving is coming up soon, here's a recipe just for that occasion.


If you happen to get a cold or the flu this winter, just drop me a line, I am sure I can find a helpful recipe from the section on Invalid Cookery.


I am always pleasantly surprised if I find a newspaper clipping inside a used book and today was no exception. I found a clipping of a recipe published in 1936 in the San Francisco Examiner on President's day for a Washington Cake. Now you and I are looking at the clipped recipe 73 years later and we're looking at the The Modern Cook Book, 119 years later.


I've saved the best treasure of moving on a shoestring in The Treasure Bus for last, so be sure to come back in a day or so for that one. I'll need a little help deciphering, especially if you read Japanese. Hope to see you soon.