Sweetiebarbara

About Me

I live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with my husband and our cat, Lizzie Borden. We had a wonderful dog, and now have 3 more cats to keep us company.

This is Lizzie's kitten picture.


... and a recent photo



Lizzie on the Japanese Bridge

We had a lovely and sweet doberman named Beatrice, but she is no longer alive.

In 2008, we bought a Siamese cat, Breena. She was pregnant, but unfortunately had 2 stillborn kittens, and one kitten that we had to have euthanized.

Breena on her first day with us, and her son, Albert 1 (RIP)

We worked with the vet on her health and recovery from the pregnancy, and let her visit her old beau... 63 days later, she had 7 healthy kittens. We sold 5 and kept Albert 2 and Victoria.

Breena, 2010

Albert, 2010

Victoria, 2010

We have restored a Victorian home, and both my husband and I love to cook.

Actually my husband, Chef #342197, is the day to day cook. We figured this out early in our marriage.


I like to cook the complicated and complex recipes. I take forever, use all the pots and pans in the kitchen, and you never know what time dinner will be served. Michael, on the other hand, comes home from work and has dinner on the table, usually by 6 or 7pm. He is also a good cook. But for dinner parties, holidays, and the fancy stuff... well I just love to shine! From time to time, when he gets a hankering for one of my dishes, he buys the ingredients, tells me what he would like, and I come through. Needless to say, he also does all the grocery shopping.

About my rating system...

***** 5 stars. It was wonderful, we all loved it, I probably put into one of my cook books, and a recipe I'd recommend.

**** 4 stars. A good recipe. One I made adjustments to, and still worth making a third time, to see if it is a keeper.

*** 3 stars. We didn't like it, perhaps it was just not to our taste. Won't make again.

** 2 stars. Disappointing. Something's not right, perhaps I did not understand the directions.

* 1 lonesome star. Does this recipe need to be proof read? Maybe something is missing or there was a typo. Maybe it is a hoax to test our rating skills.

Here is my recent travel to Thailand.
My Travel Blogs


We use our "DCS" stove in all seasons, and the "Home Comfort" (wood cookstove) only when it is cool enough, which is Fall, Winter, and Spring. We love them both.




We have very little counter space. We use the stove areas, the table, and the two small actual counters. Some days, I think about getting rid of the table and getting an island...

Our kitchen is very small (11'x12'), but we packed a lot into it.

This is the back door that goes to the deck.


Here is a link to the "pantry"
http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=194969&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=915

This is the "back hall" where I got the cabinet maker to span the doorways between the bathroom (left) and the library (right) to make some more storage space. My husband gave me the fire extinguisher. What a loving and thoughtful gift!


I am a full time artist. Have gardens, play bridge, and love to cook, especially "fancy meals".
I have been asked when are we going to fire up the wood cook stove, well we did, this weekend. I made Stuffed Peppers on, and in, the stove.
This is the firebox with a really nice hot fire going. It certainly took the chill off the house and gave the kitchen a cozy feel.


This was SUCH fun!...


This was my table...

it was my mother's 88th Birthday Party






This was GREAT!



I got to post several recipe tutorials. Dear Chef #329769 made the banners for my tutorials... they blew me away...

These are my contributions:

http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=275715


http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=275976


http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=276205


http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?p=4101505#4101505


http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?p=4105674#4105674


http://www.recipezaar.com/reviews.php?reviewer=157425&ls=rrd&categ=460%2C225


http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?p=4107623#4107623


http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=276974


http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=277036


http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=277176