A Haven for Vee

Monday, February 3, 2014

First Weekend in February




It does look a lot like a skinny header (a bad one), but it really is a panoramic 360° view of my home and neighborhood. 

Do you enjoy watching Shark Tank? We catch it Friday nights on ABC at nine. This past Friday, an app was featured using an iPhone to take panoramic views. It's called *Cycloramic.* The presenter described it then as being a free app. By the time I arrived at the App store on Saturday morning, it was no longer free, but selling for $1.99. 

Still a good deal I thought. So I have had some fun with it. I downloaded it to my iPad and you know how not so good my iPad camera is, but I think you iPhone people could do a great job with it. I obviously moved a little fast as one neighbor has lost his entire barn and the other his front door.
Check it out. You might like it, too! (Bet this has Donna and the professionals in stitches...every pun intended. ☺) 

~~~

Saturday was spent lying low literally. I caught up on some much-needed rest and began feeling better almost immediately. 

~~~

By Sunday, I was back up and at'em and made John a nice Sunday dinner of baked steak, baked potatoes, and creamed corn (should have been carrots for the pop of color, but I was in the mood for bland). After washing up the dishes, I made a batch of thin, crispy chocolate chip cookies.



John says that this recipe for baked steak is a keeper. You can see my secret ingredient in the bottle behind the pan on the lower left. (Worcestershire Sauce~1 tsp maybe 2)



I say the thin, crispy chocolate chip cookies are not going to be repeated. It's from Martha Stewart's cookie cookbook. I love so many of the recipes in that book, but this one? Not so much. Course if you want a cookie that is big and is thin and crispy, *this is for you.*
~~~

Another Downton Abbey in the can...discussion coming Wednesday. After that, I watched Sherlock Holmes for the second time. Fascinating! I think that I'm hooked just that quickly.

Oh and I am thrilled, absolutely thrilled, that there will only be six more weeks of winter. See, it's all in how you phrase a matter. Things are looking up! 

*(Although I have the exact link for this recipe and though I type it in the box, I cannot get it to open either on my iPad or my PC. Slightly annoying. And the thing is, there are hundreds of Baked Steak recipes. I have even scrolled through them a few gazillion times. I've done enough for the cause. I'm sure that any of them are great. I selected the easiest one.)

52 comments:

  1. Your meal for John looks like yummy comfort food, Vee! Sometimes we just don't need a pop of color...yum!

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  2. I like your panoramic photo looks lovely . Oh Yummy , I bet all that was delish . Our weekend was quite as usual it was l rainy Sat , sunny and mild and a sign of spring showed up here in droves Sunday , Posted about it today ! Thanks for sharing . Have a good day !

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  3. Hello. I have books and books of reading to catch up on here. ie posts for months. But I am back. And thanks so much for caring, and for posting what is going to be supper tonight. I just happen to have enough stuff to do it!

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  4. Hello Vee! I love your new Valentine themed header and that panoramic of your home is wonderful! I have done several pano shots and find them fun. Have you tried your hand at the little planets? I have done a few of those as well. Your baked steak dinner looks absolutely mouth watering! Have a great Monday :)

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  5. Hi Vee,

    The steak looks and sounds delicious! The chocolate chips cookies are making me hungry; we have a family recipe for oatmeal choc. chip cookies that get devoured every time we make them. Now I want some! :-D

    We recorded Downton Abbey because we chose to watch the Stupor Bowl -- what an awful game!! However, we watched Sherlock, too; it was our second time as well. It was really good. I didn't like the first one we watched, but enjoyed this one a lot. I can't believe that was the last show for this year -- what a short season. I really like our American version, too (Elementary). I didn't think I would, but it's very well done. Even my hubby likes it. :)

    I like your "thin" panorama, Vee, as well as your pretty header. My husband does panoramic shots sometimes by splicing pictures together. He does a really good job with them. I hope you have a great day in your corner of the world!

    Big hugs,

    Denise at Forest Manor

    P.S. I hope you stop by to see the latest puppy pics -- they're getting really cute!

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  6. Good morning! Love the panoramic view of your home! Sooo pretty. And dinner looks and sounds great. Used to make a baked steak ALL the time, but haven't for years. This may have re-inspired me. Enjoy your day!

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  7. ROFL! I love the pano! I about fell out of my chair when I saw you had a pano shot! (Looks like a "street scene" to me - hint, hint!) You did pretty darn good with it, especially since the app is supposed to be for the iPhone 5s and meant to be taken hands free with the iPhone on vibrate, while the device is sitting on a smooth surface. It is a cool app, that's for sure. Can you believe how incredible the technology is getting these days?

    I'm sorry that you were feeling a bit under the weather. But glad to hear that you are getting perky again. We've watched a couple of episodes of Sherlock and are a bit fascinated by it. The dialogue goes much to fast, though, and I have a hard time keeping up. It is a good show to record and play rewind, over and over, LOL.

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  8. The pan view is pretty interesting but if it's not that great for an iPad, I won't bother checking it further. I swear I'm the only person walking around without an iPhone, they are everywhere - beach and around the pool. Guess I should start hinting to Glenn how much I'm missing in life. LOL

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  9. Love the panoramic view, Vee. Glad you got some well deserved rest and that you feel better. It is rainy/foggy here today and that baked steak would be so tasty. Have a good Monday.

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  10. That would be a fun app for the iPhone, Vee. I could take great mountain shots with it. :) I was really tired Sunday afternoon while I was blogging at my laptop and decided I needed to lay down. I did just that. On the couch. And slept for 2 hours!! I never do that but it sure felt good. I love your perspective on winter. We have to think positive up here in the northeast! Enjoy your day.

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  11. OK. I haven't been watching DA, but love watching Sherlock. Don't know why I forgot to watch it last night and I'll see if it's available through PBS. Dang! Last week was the best. We had a party one night here after church a few years back and put tape on everyone's forehead with a name of a famous person. It was one of the funniest games to play. Thought that was funny for Sherlock and Watson.

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  12. What a fun photo! Maybe I do need an iphone!
    Your steak dinner looks soooo good! I am a fan of color in a meal, too, but sometimes you just have to cook what you want. Bland in winter seems right, doesn't it?
    Sherlock makes my brain hurt. Too much action. Too much to think about. Too many twists and turns. So there you go. Now I have revealed my lack of mental acuity.

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  13. That cookie recipe would be perfect for me. I love thin, crispy, crunchy things. K likes soft, chewy cookies. Since he doesn't eat a lot of sweets (prefers salty), cookies come out the way I like them. I need to try that app on my iPad. I don't have an iPhone. Would it work on a Smartphone? I'll see what it says. So many things are made just for Apple products. I really like your panoramic view. You see problems, but I don't see them at all. I think you did a great job! The baked steak sounds good. I still haven't started working on our February menu calendar. I'll have to add that recipe.

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  14. The problem with having children with iPhones is they take pictures that are never ever printed out. At least with a digital camera, they seem to have gotten printed once in awhile.

    It is amusing to get well into cooking a meal and find it all beige. Perhaps that is when my mother opened a can of beets? Who knows... Love that baked steak recipe, will have to try it.

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  15. I have been making baked steak for years and my recipe is similar to the one you chose. Your whole meal looks delicious. I think the cookies look good too!

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    1. Beth, it was you! And here I was at Mildred's thinking it was hers. That will explain why she got so many hits for "baked steak." Oh dear. I am getting my blogging buddies confused again.

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  16. That steak looks yummy! I don't have an iPhone, I have an old fashioned flip top phone. I think I am the only person left on the planet that doesn't have one.

    Yesterday it was 69 degrees here and sunny. Today it is raining and in the 50's but it is suppose to get colder as the week progresses. I am so ready for spring.

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    Replies
    1. We can be twins! I, too, have an ancient flip phone. Even John has moved on. Not I!

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  17. Your baked steak is making my mouth water. I make something very similar and it's very good. Also, leaving out the mushroom soup and onions and the baking process, we call it country fried steak. I make gravy to spoon over the steak and mashed potatoes with the drippings. Yum, yum! It's one of our favorites.

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  18. It is cold here today. Unusually so. I suspect the primroses will be frozen solid before long. I am intrigued by that new ap and I think I'll have to give it a shot.
    We sure do like Sherlock at our house. I think I love the wit and mystery and underlying relationships that continue to develop. We did a marathon on netflix catching up on the series and now we are very hooked. Looking forward to Wednesday's discussion.

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  19. Fabulous dinner choices Vee! You must be an amazing cook! so enjoyed your post today!

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  20. The steak sounds delicious! I will have to Pin this one for (near) future use! I know you are so over the snow, but it sure is lovely, and I do like your panoramic view of your neighborhood. So glas you were able to enjoy a relaxing weekend!

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  21. Never watched Shark Tank and I've never had baked steak. What a sheltered life I lead! : )
    It's snowing again here. 7 inches so far.

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    1. A great way to use cheaper cuts of steak...

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  22. Taking a day to just lie around and rest is all one needs. So glad you feel better. Baked steak sounds delicious and warming on a chilly day. I made beef stew for yesterday and that was good, too.
    We are watching Doctor Who on Netflix these days. Weird but oddly entertaining. When that's done, perhaps we'll start Sherlock since I've heard so many good things about it. Are you watching the American or the British version? (I think there are two???)

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    1. Brit version I presume since it is on PBS following Downton Abbey. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Sherlock.

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  23. I love the way you phrased that, only 6 more weeks of winter. That cracks me up as technically there are 6 more weeks of winter on the calendar. Let's hope things start getting milder. We are promised freezing temps for this week. Your meal looks like comfort for sure! Have a wonderful day...

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  24. I've been trying a few gluten free recipes and some have been very good and others not so much. Your steak looks good, but I have to give up creamed soups because of the gluten. I had actually lost 3 lbs. so this might not be so bad. Hopefully I feel better too.

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  25. I am sitting here at lunchtime drooling over your baked steak. Yummy looking! I bet it tasted great too.

    My iPhone has a panoramic view I can take with the camera. I really like it.

    We are Sherlock fans here - I loved this season best!

    Deanna

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    1. Does yours move on its own? This app for iPhone rotates on its own.

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  26. Your steak looks great, i will be trying that recipe. And your cookies look really good, too. I dont think i have ever met a cookie I did not like! Well, we are in the middle of yet another snowstorm, ad nauseum! xo

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  27. I don't know what Shark Tank is...I have like three shows on tv that I watch! I wouldn't have know about Downton Abbey if I hadn't found it on Amazon Prime. That steak recipe sounds good. I just tried tator tot casserole for the first time ever...and it was wonderful! I learn something new every day. LOL

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  28. After seeing your panoramic photo,( brrrrrr) that dinner sounds marvelous! I am going to give this one a try. Stay warm.

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  29. I made those cookies too - blah. I'll stick to my tried and true recipe. just in from shoveling we;ve got about 10 inches so far - ugh. Oh well no work today:)

    Leann

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  30. I missed Downton, due to the Super Bowl, I was just simply to lazy to walk upstairs to watch another tv. That's fine, I will read it. I like Sherlock as well. Blessings

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  31. I'm so cheap that I never pay for apps..lol! We watched to Superbowl but it was all downhill for us Broncos fans after the beautiful national anthem sung by opera soprano Rene Fleming. It was fun to be together as a family and eat a lot of good food, so the evening wasn't lost. DA was good this week--lots of teasers! More snow of the way here tomorrow-- the winter is going to hold on for awhile. I love it though!

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  32. Vee, your snowy panoramic view looks pretty wonderful from here! Nothing like a hearty baked steak, potatoes and cream corn for such weather; pure comfort food! Hmm. I'm curious to why Martha's cookies didn't measure up. Glad you're feeling better. Let's hope that those six weeks of winter will not overstay their visit!

    Poppy

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  33. I like to try new cookie recipes, but I seldom find one that is a keeper. And if I don't put an "x" on it, I will look at it again and think "that looks interesting...." forgetting that we didn't like it that much.

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  34. I am laughing that one neighbor lost their barn and one lost their door. Looks like a good app even if you DID have to pay for it. My hubby would probably like those flat thin cookies- not me-I like the fat soft centered ones. Six more weeks, huh? sigh...xo Diana

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  35. I love Shark Tank! I always feel like I am one good idea away from being a millionaire!! :)

    Your meal is making my mouth water right now. Our dinner will not be nearly so exciting. I need to get with it and cook something yummy.

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  36. I watch the shark tank, sometimes I think why didn't I think of that..
    those cookies look delicous :)

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  37. Hi Vee - I think I will try that "baked steak" recipe. Looks like one my son (17-years-old) would really like. He is a "steak and potatoes" guy. Thanks for sharing.

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  38. I think your photo looks great! Do you recommend the iPad purchase?

    I've watched all 9 Downton's! Loved them! The hubs bought season 4 for me, I was home sick!

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  39. The cookies look delicious! Nice and crispy. And I've discovered that secret ingredient, Worcestershire Sauce, too. I love it in stew and even in a pot roast. So yummy!

    My Downton Abbey Season Four DVD just arrived today. I had pre-ordered. Couldn't resist. :-)

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  40. I'm pretty fussy about my chocolate chip cookies. So I'm with you and not sure I'd want them thin. :-) Absolutely love your new header, so very pretty, and enjoyed your January review.

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  41. Glad you are feeling better!! Your Sunday dinner looks so good. I haven't felt well today and haven't eaten much but THOSE pictures just gave me an appetite! Not good since I am about to go to bed!

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  42. OMG, I just wrote a long comment and forgot to hit publish...
    In short I thought the steak looked yummy. I'm watching Sherlock,
    but finding it zany. My favourite Sherlock is Jeremy Brett. I've never heard of
    Shark's Tank. And I think your panorama is pretty darn cool!

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  43. We watch the Canadian counterpart of Shark Tank...Dragon's Den. There are so many fun new things featured there...a some lame ones as well. Apps? I've only got a few and they were all free.

    Glad you are feeling better...and up to cooking for 'dear John'. We have mostly missed out on winter till now...but it has finally arrived, Brrrr! It's cold over here.

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  44. I have been here 14 times since you posted and have yet to leave a comment. I keep getting called away. (OK, so much for hyperbole...) I have yet to see Shark Tank. I would probably like it but I watch so little TV anymore. I love the panoramic view but don't have an Ipad or Iphone of I- anything. Maybe I need to show that to my husband.

    As for me? I have been busily trying to remove things which might cost me $8000 or something from my blog but unable to find suitable replacements for them yet. (Case in point: The old drawing of my flower cart that used to go next to my name...) Yes, I'm still stuck in my head on your post from last week and the link you sent me.

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  45. the baked steak and all the rest looks great, who cares about color? I love corn! We watch Sherlock too, love it! I think Cumberbatch is the best Sherlock ever and that's saying a lot!

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  46. Happy February! Only a few more weeks to spring! Soon we'll be throwing things on the grill instead of in the oven but your baked steak looks comforting and delicious.

    I haven't wanted to look at any of your Downton discussions for fear of spoilers :) I've heeded your advice to exit quickly. We love Sherlock Holmes too. I've missed it for the past two years and so glad it's back again.

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  47. The baked steak looks delicious, Vee. Served with baked potatoes - perfect. I love Shark Tank and try not to miss it. They had quite a bidding war over that particular product. Hope you are not getting another big storm. Seems the east coast has been dumped on quite a bit. Yes, ONLY six more weeks till spring! :)

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