Earlier this month when I looked down my road at the lake, I saw boats in the water with people fishing - first time since last summer.

I don't fish, but seeing people in their boats was proof positive to me that spring is here, and of course, summer is next. I'm still working on my winter projects and probably will be for a while.

For some reason these past two weeks I have been dining out instead of at home, and I loved it. If I have been asked to go out for a breakfast, lunch or a dinner, I said yes immediately, or I have been the one to say, “why don't we go out to eat?” I do have to say where ever we went, the food was very good. Auburn has many, many good restaurants. Having grown up in the restaurant business, it was our way of life. We always ate all our meals for six days a week in my dad's restaurant. Once a week, when he took a day off, we ate our dinner at home and the meal was always the same: broiled steak, Greek spaghetti, tossed salad, a vegetable and ice cream for dessert. My dad always broiled the steak with butter and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, oregano and lemon juice. It was delicious. Try it; you'll like it.

Seeing the boats on the lake reminded me it's probably time for me to plan on fixing up my yard and maybe planting a garden soon. This year, my yard is strictly mud for about two feet in front where there used to be grass. My porch needs painting and my window boxes will need doing. I'm not spectacular with yard work, but I do love flower beds. Do you think if I whine enough, I can get some family volunteer helpers? If not I suppose I will do it myself, gradually.

Every year my yard seems bigger to me. I know that's not so, but every year it does take me longer to accomplish what I want. I have decided to switch to all perennial flowers from now on, and I already have some of them growing. Yay. Does anyone else notice their yards look bigger?

A friend of mine told me that a couple of weeks ago she read an article that listed the names of the businesses that used to be on Genesee Street. So often people in our conversation will ask me or whoever else is with us if we can remember the names of businesses from the “old days.” We always have different opinions of what went where. Then we remember interesting things that had happened when we went to these stores. If anyone thinks of something interesting to share, send it to me, and I'll share it. Also, send bloopers.

Time to say have a good spring. Hope all is well with everyone and everything.

My ethnic recipe this week is Syrian and for Tadjin Ahmar (sour cream topped hot pot). My other recipe was given to me by Mrs. Joanne Crandall Burt, and it's called great biscuits.

Today's blooper

My blooper for today is a bride's. She was cooking her first meal for her new husband. She chose chili and very carefully put all the ingredients needed in. One mistake only - she used cinnamon instead of chili powder to season it. The new groom never said a word. It wasn't until she sat down and started to eat that she realized.

Diana Sobus, of Auburn, specializes in making ethnic foods.

Tadjin Ahmar

Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 pound veal or beef cut in small pieces

4 scallions, chopped

6 tablespoons butter

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into pieces

1 sweet green pepper, cut into slices

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of tumeric, saffron, cinnamon for seasoning (oregano optional)

1 1/4 cup of stock, with juice of 1 lemon

1 1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt

Toss veal in butter, mix chopped vegetables together and toss in the butter with the veal. Pour stock over mixture and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender. Top with sour cream and serve. (Chopped mint may be added).

Great Biscuits

3 cups of flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 heaping cup of shortening

2 eggs, beaten with 1 cup milk

Knead well; roll out and cut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with milk to brown.

Note: If you want to make shortcake, add 1/3 cup sugar to mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.