32point5

CSA Weeks 22 and 23

2011-11-10T22:36:00.001-05:00

Finally, here are the pictures of Weeks 22 and 23 from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze.

Week 22 above, had Radish, Garlic, Spinach, Brussel Sprouts, Swiss Chard and Red Fingerling Potatoes. The Spinach was eaten raw in a salad while the shard was wilted down with beef stock and butter for my lunch. I shared the Sprouts with two coworkers. I might be upping my order next year to a full share portion to share with a coworker.

The final box for the year, Week 23 contained Lettuce, Leeks, Parsnips, Beets and Sweet Potatoes. The Big Man was in charge of picture taking that day since I was out visiting one of my friends working on hanging pictures through her home.

Steve and Lisa

I know that my whole family has enjoyed the CSA experience and obviously will be signing up for next year. I want to thank Lisa and Steve, the farmers who run Cooper's for such a great summer harvest. My favourite item was their popcorn!

We are down to our final week in our house. We've made a good start to packing and I plan to make a big effort over the next 3 days. We have a POD on delivery for tomorrow and movers hired for the furniture for next Friday. Wish us luck, my next update will be from our NEW HOME!!!!

CSA weeks 20 and 21

2011-10-28T22:16:00.000-04:00

You know your loved when you get a question like this from more than one person.

"Hi BAbe, Too busy to update your blog? Or not enough time in your day now that we are not there to help with the domestic tasks. -- Mom "

I will admit I did miss last weeks post but, on the upside, I'm early for this weeks!

Week 20 from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze, (shown above) contained as per Lisa and Steve's weekly email: "This weeks share will include, radish, Brussel sprouts, leeks, parsnip, Spanish onion, and potatoes.Our parsnip are as usual, a little goofy looking. We just dig them and wash them. We don't trim them. If you don’t like the tentacles, just run the peeler over them quick to remove."

Now that my parents are back in Florida, there were way too many Brussel Sprouts for just myself. My Husband hates them so I brought in two zippy sandwich bags into work; AGAIN excessive excitement amongst co-workers! You would think people had never seen veggies before!

Week 21 was a really bad photo week....this is the best that I have, darn you rainy fall morning!! Provided was cabbage, carrots, beets, squash, last of the red sweet pepper, and a small bunch of spinach.

I made "Spinach Brownies" and the peppers were used in Fajitas. Squashes roasted and Beets will be on Saturday with Roast Lamb from the freezer.

I was so craving crappy food tonight. I knew there was a box in my pantry, and all day at work I thought about eating was "Kraft Dinner". Let's be honest, it's so easy to eat a whole box by yourself in a sitting but Holy F I had no clue that would equal 840 calories!!!!! WHAT!

Instead I chopped up a red pepper, a squash from week 21, radishes from week 20 (hating myself for forgetting the parsnips) and put them in the oven to roast giving me exactly just enough time to put up this post. See, a massive amount of bad calories saved and a delicious, nutritious meal waiting to fill my belly while I watch the last 3 innings of the World Series...see you next week.

Week 19 and a Quilt Show Visit

2011-10-16T20:00:00.001-04:00

Week 19 from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze included; brussel sprouts, sweet corn an all white variety called Avalon-last of the season, radishes, purple carrots, spaghetti squash, and garlic.

The purple carrots were really interesting, when peeled they were a dark beet purple but still orange in the middle. I ate them raw with some dip, tasted like carrots but somehow not just as sweet. Co-workers were really interested in them and I got a lot of "what are you eating" questions.

Sunday my Mom and I visited the Rouge Valley Quilters Guild 2011 Quilt Show and Sale which was held at the Ajax Community Centre.

This was personally my favourite quilt of the show. I loved that it was made entirely from stash scraps and I thought the circle top-stitching was a perfect choice to compliment the pattern. See photo below for further information.

Now that our house has sold and I don't have to keep it 100% perfect at all times I've had some free time to work on this quilt below that my Husband has claimed as "His".

The pattern is called "A Sparkling Sampler" from McCall's Patchwork and Quilting. I started it Christmas Day last year and am hoping to have it done by this Christmas this year.

CSA Week 18 and Thanksgiving Farm Visit

2011-10-11T23:20:00.000-04:00

Since it was such a beautiful weekend we took advantage of the beautiful weather and visited Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze on Thanksgiving Day!

But first, the good stuff from CSA week 18 which included: freshly dug sweet potatoes, red potatoes, acorn squash both green and white, white spanish onion, carrots, and swiss chard.

I've moved the picture taking to my front porch. With the changing of the seasons the good sunlight is dwindling in the back yard. Look how brilliant that Swiss Chard looks only goes to prove that veggies make your insides/outside look amazing!

It was such a beautiful drive up to the farm. The warm weather and the fall colours were on full display. One of the great perks of having the CSA share is that admittance to the farm and maze are included. The girls were so warm and welcoming as soon as we proudly told them we were members.

There is tons of fun for everyone both young and old. They have lots of things to see and do around the farm, such as mini mazes for both kids and adults, hay rides around the farm, u-pick patches, corn boxes (like sand boxes), an echo tube, as well as lots of animals.

A visit through the country store provided more of their own home grown fruits and vegetables, home made jam, hormone and antibiotic free Angus grade beef, goat, pork, chicken, wild game.

We purchased frozen Mild Italian Sausages, another one of the amazing squashes from last week, a basket of edamame and POPCORN kernels which I can't wait to try out this "Thursday-Jersday" with popcorn and margaritas!

I'm so glad we made the trip out to the farm; it did nothing but add to the great experience our CSA share has brought to our family this year.

CSA Week 17

2011-10-02T19:32:00.001-04:00

I'm loving all the veggies that have been arriving in my share from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze. Week 17 contained white corn, fingerling potatoes, tomatoes, beets, garlic, and an ambercup or buttercup squash and sweet peppers.

Now I don't know if this was a buttercup or an ambercup squash; but what I do know is that it was FANTASTIC! Dry flesh and so sweet, mashed and enjoyed with butter, salt, pepper, smidge of brown sugar and a tiny pinch of cinnamon.

At the disgust of my mother I'm including this picture!! The fingerling potatoes were of such varied shapes....I'll let you guess what I thought this one looked like. Each week I roll my eyes with pleasure, these however were so good, now I understand why they are so expensive to buy at the store.

Week 17 was also fantastic in that I finally received a comment from someone other than my Mom or friend Steph. "Mick" is a runner, like a "real marathon runner"!! and asked about the reason for the move and some pictures.

The move is something that I would have never anticipated. I love the Village of Brooklin and will miss it dearly. The condo that we purchased for my parents has been delayed again. After having my parents live with us for the last two summers it's just not fair to them, or us, to continue to live with no firm date of completion in sight.

As a family, we decided to move closer to the city. The biggest benefits are way shorter commute times to work for my husband and myself, and two distinctly separated living areas for all of us.

I don't have a lot of photo's but this will be my new kitchen! I love to cook and generally hang out in the kitchen with my lap top that I plan to set up in that little nook.

I've finally been back at quilting and sadly had to run on the treadmill--boo hiss--due to the crappy weather this morning. Off to watch Amazing Race........

CSA Week 16 and SOLD!

2011-09-26T21:58:00.002-04:00

Week 16’s delivery from Cooper’s CSA Farm & Maze came with carrots, leeks, corn, edamame beans, cayenne pepper, pablano peppers, green peppers and sweet banana peppers. I have to admit the edamame pods looked a little sad but the beans were so bright and tasty!

Saturday the peppers were put to good use as Mom and I made our annual batch of Canadian Living -- Chipotle Salsa. Sadly all my CSA garlic was gone but thankfully more will be in next weeks share.

Mom made a great soup with the leeks. I used the corn and carrots in a Southern Style Pulled Pork Pie with Buttermilk Biscuits from the newest LCBO Food and Drink Magazine along with a side of Asian coleslaw from the cabbage received the week before.

BUT the best thing of all from last week was finally seeing this sign!

It took 43 LONG days on market. Of course we don't do anything easy in our house so we were all super stressed since we had secretly already firmly purchased another house in Pickering.

I want to thank my parents for all their hard work in making the house look awesome at all times and for the numerous times they took Girly to Tim Horton’s while the house was being shown. Our agent was fantastic and did an amazing job in firming up the sale.

Now I can finally relax and stop being a grumpy, horrible boob-head to everyone! Deep calming breath….now on to packing.

CSA weeks 14-15 and "Aruna Shores"

2011-09-18T16:24:00.000-04:00

This weeks post is a double since we were on VACATION!

Week 14 from Cooper's CSA Farm and Maze was awesome! I was super pinched for photo time that morning as I had some viewings booked on our house before work. However, this is a perfect representation on how the weekly box is received. Included were Carrots, Beets with tops, Broccoli, two Spanish Onions, No-heat Jalapeno's, Spaghetti Squash and an Eggplant.

We found that we really don't care for the Eggplant so I decided to take it to work to give to a co-worker. HOLEY MOLEY I'm going to have to hold a draw for the next one the the girls were fighting over it...hilarious!!!

We were on vacation for the delivery of Week 15. My Mom and Dad are perfect little apprentices and took great pictures. My Dad's camera time stamps the pictures so I know that he spent 15 minutes just taking photos not including time spent on artistic arrangement and set up!

Delivery included Sweet Corn, Red Peppers, Swiss Chard, Butternut Squash, Savoy Cabbage and a Chieftain Variety of Red Potatoes. I LOVE SQUASH, butternut and turban are my favourite.

We just got back from a very relaxing week spent at "Aruna Shores" a rental cottage near Tobermory, Ontario fronting on Lake Huron.

Saturday was really warm when we arrived but the rest of the week was chilly and very windy. There was a fire place that provided warmth in the mornings while the sun heated up the cottage in the afternoon thru all the windows.

The cottage was huge for two people but would be great for a family or a two couples. There was a queen in the main bedroom, a double and bunk-beds in the other bedroom and a separet bunkie house with a double bed that would be perfect for kids to sleep in.

A day was spent in Tobermory. Cute shops (I liked Circle Arts the most), restaurants, a grocery store and an LCBO which lets be honest on vacation is mandatory and always a welcome find!

We also visited a small town called Lion's Head. It had a Marina, "full-service" gas stations, schools and again most importantly an LCBO. While there we popped into a a quilt store called Greig's Fabrics which had a most impressive selection of fabric for such a small town!

Tobermory

Sunset at Aruna Shores Beach

Relax-a-roo time!

If you are interested in renting Aruna Shores, use this link here.

It was very clean, well supplied and I would feel comfortable recommending it. The rental service RentCottage.com was top notch as well.

I was especially impressed that the kitchen came with cooking oil and a drawer full of spices. We only ate out once the whole week at a Fish-n-Chip place in Tobermory. Our meals we prepared together at the cottage were fantastic -- hamburgers, steaks, chicken thighs, sausages, spaghetti, baked potatoes, rice, sweet potatoe fries, salads, cheese and crackers, hummus, chips and popcorn, beer and wine. I would suggest to bring a lot of drinking water; we used both a 10 and 8 litre jug along with a case of bottles from Costco.

Books were read, the net was surfed, tons of DVD's were watched -- all in a fantastic vacation!

CSA Week 13

2011-09-05T15:41:00.000-04:00

So hard to believe that Labour Day is here already.....When I was a kid it was the excitement of school starting, now it's just the dread that summer is coming to an end.

Week 13 from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze brought lots of great stuff. Avalon White Corn on the Cob, Green Beans, Field Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, a Passport Melon and Yukon Gold Potatoes.

The Potatoes were amazing! I boiled some down and made a Chick Pea and Potato salad with a Sweet Smoked Paprika and Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing for our lunches.

As per the advice from Lisa at Cooper's I diced up all the Roma Tomatoes and cooked them down in a saucepan with Red Peppers, Garlic, Chili Flakes, Smoked Paprika and a splash of Balsamic Vinegar. I paired it with Pork Schnitzel from the Little Polish Market and some Linguine.

This if anything is just funny. Our dog Girly always likes to be around us. She is not a moocher and doesn't eat "people food" but she contorts herself under foot when we eat at the kitchen table. I don't know how she finds this comfortable but she will nap like this the whole time?? Weirdo....

It's been a great week for Running, except for Saturday....that was like breathing and swimming through pea soup.....so HOT! Have a great week!

CSA Week 12

2011-08-31T07:47:00.003-04:00

Week 12 of my half share delivery from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze brought MELONS!

There was a small seedless Watermelon and two Passport Melons. The Passport Melons smelled amazing from the outside and had a bright yellow rind. I was really surprised that they were light green like a Honeydew on the inside! They were all fantastic.

Also included were Tomatillos, Yellow Beans, a Tomato and Garlic. The Tomato looked a little rough but was just perfect and so tasty, so unlike the flavourless ones from the grocery store. We all got to enjoy it sliced on top of BBQ'ed Hamburgers.

I can't believe that the share season is already half over! This summer has gone by so quickly; how come winter seems to last forever?

This past week has been so busy with getting the house ready for sale. My Parents have been fantastic help! They have cleaned and organized the whole house making it look spectacular inside and out.

My Dad held a Garage Sale last Saturday and made $235.50!! Huh, I guess "One man's garbage is another man's gold" really is true?

CSA Week 11

2011-08-22T22:13:00.001-04:00

Week 11 from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze contained Russet Potatoes, Carrots, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Red Bunching Onions, Cucumber, Swiss Chard and a surprise Cantaloupe!

Look at how pretty all those veggies look! We've had potato salad, toasted tomato sandwiches, cut up cantaloupe and cucumbers in my lunch at work. Just like last weeks Okra, now I'm stumped on what to make with the Eggplant.

I've had Green Thai Curries before, but usually just push the eggplant to the side since I didn't really like the texture. However I do love Baba Ghanoush; think I might give this recipe a try.

This last week has been super stressful with some major life decisions. In the past few years both our work locations have moved farther into the city resulting in 1 and 1.5 hour daily drives back and forth to work. My husband and I have made the difficult decision to put our beloved house on the market and start the search for something closer to work.

If you're looking for a well cared for, super awesome home in the Brooklin area, let us know. Here's looking forward to the beginning of another new chapter........

CSA Week 10

2011-08-14T19:07:00.000-04:00

This weeks half share from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze was interesting. It had two huge Cantaloupes, Strawberries, Romaine Lettuce, Cucumbers and Okra.

The Cantaloupe was very good, sweet and juicy without being mushy. The cucumber I have been taking sliced in my lunch sprinkled with Splenda, Vinegar, salt and pepper. The strawberries were simply sliced and eaten with lunch.

I will admit the Okra is still sitting in my fridge. I really have no idea what to do with it. I'm kind of afraid cause I've heard that it's "slimy". It looks very interesting; any suggestions.......

Saturday our friend TJ had us over for dinner. As always everything was fantastic; BBQ'ed Ribs, Quinoa salad with feta, herbs, tomatoes and cucumber with corn on the cob with cilantro lime butter.

As you can see desert above was so pretty, homemade Raspberry Ice cream with chocolate Pim's cookies.....just perfect.

After dinner we sat around the backyard campfire. It looks so totally real but it is propane! It's called "Patioflame" by Napoleon Gourmet Grills. We have a pagoda, but since we live in the city I'm always afraid that someone might complain. The Patioflame was awesome, no annoying smoke and plenty of perfectly warm heat.

CSA Week 9

2011-08-09T08:13:00.002-04:00

Sunday I was busy having dinner and a good chat up with some girlfriends so this weeks post is a few days late....

Week 9 of my half share delivery from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze brought a Romaine Lettuce, Carrots, Green Beans, Corn, Potatoes, Cucumber and Garlic.

Best thing created this week was a potato salad with oil, apple cider vinegar, fresh parsley and oregano, celery, crumbled feta, black olives, dash of lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Since there is no mayo it can easily last all day in a lunch bag.

Even with the lack of rain my herb garden is exploding. My Basil plants have done exceptionally well this year. Sunday, to go with Spaghetti and Meatballs, I made a Tomato, Bocchini and Basil Salad. Very easy to do -- slice, pick, layer then sprinkle with Balsamic vinegar, drizzle with Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper. Probably my Husbands favourite salad.

Blech, nite time pictures--trust me, in real life, these cookies look and taste fantastic!! I was a bit rushed this week so my Mom was very kind and baked me Shortbread Cookies for a bake sale at work.

A co-worker recently passed from Ovarian Cancer. In her honour "Ovarian Cancer Canada" presented and information session to employees who wished to attend to go along with a bake sale on Wednesday where all proceeds will be donated in her name. As my part I would like to provide the following link. I encourage you to take a moment and briefly read the symptoms.

If caught early Ovarian Cancer has a 90% survival rate. Ovarian Cancer is a very silent disease and most times it is not caught until it is in it's further stages, which sadly do not have a very good survival rate.

CSA Week 8

2011-08-01T01:08:00.001-04:00

This weeks box from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze was HEAVY!! A dozen corn!!

I really encourage you to read the following link from Lisa and Steve. Just when I thought I was having a hard week living with the heat -- The Cooper family was dealing with no power and very little water available for their crops and animals!

This weeks share had a dozen Norther Super Sweet Corn, Red and Golden Beets, Napa Cabbage, Green and Yellow Zucchini.

My Dad has collected stamps forever and now that he is living in the Durham Region he is back to attending philatelic meetings. One of the meetings is held by a berry farm so he picked up a bunch of fresh raspberries for me. Saturday we turned them into 12 jars of Raspberry Jam. This recipe was so easy resulting in a firm set and yummy, fresh taste!!!

Sunday, I made "Chinese Napa Cabbage Salad" that I found on All Recipes. We all really enjoyed it--toasty, crunchy, oniony!!

I also made home made Jamaican Patties from a Martha Stewart recipe called "Beef Patties" that I have been using for years. I will admit there are a lot of steps to the recipe but they turn out great every time. They taste good served either warm or cold--excellent for lunch boxes or pot-lucks.

My Mom finished sewing the binding and washed our "Make a Wish - Eastern Ontario" charity quilt. My Aunt is visiting this week from Kingston and will deliver it to my cousin "Nerrad" to be used in a fundraising raffle this fall.

I am so proud of the work that went into this quilt by my Mom. We both put many hours into this quilt. I can only hope that the funds raised will help in granting a wish to a most deserving child.

I think this week is a great example of learning how to not take everything you have for granted, and remembering to treasure all the good you have.

CSA Week 7

2011-07-24T22:17:00.001-04:00

This weeks photo was artfully arranged by my Mom and Dad since we were away on Holidays!
As per my weekly email from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze this weeks basket included; red bunching onions, napa cabbage, zucchini, red potatoes-a new variety we are growing this year called-Norland, cucumber, sweet yellow banana pepper, and something a little different, purslane.

I grill wrapped the 'taters' with olive oil and chopped herbs from my garden. We had them with homemade souvlaki kabobs and a Greek salad. Always a favourite meal.

On Monday and Tuesday we vacationed in the Niagara on the Lake area staying at Maria's B & B in the Laura Lynn Suite. Maria's B & B is perfectly located close to all attractions, dining and wineries. Marielle and Jai were awesome and funny hosts providing delicious breakfasts and a well maintained, clean home. We visit the Niagara area often and this will most definitely be on our return list.

While in Niagara on the Lake we enjoyed "High Tea" at the Prince of Wales Vintage Hotel. I begged my husband to go to this and I'm so happy he enjoyed it as much as I did. The hotel is FANCY! I would love to stay there sometime, it was just a bit expensive for our trip budget this time. I really enjoyed this experience--the hotel lobby was filled with fresh roses and smelled so pretty.

On Wednesday we went to Stratford to see the Grapes of Wrath. I chose this play because I wanted to see Janet Wright. You may know her as "Emma" from Corner Gas. I'm going to be honest, all of the actors in the play were FANTASTIC, the play however ---- ummm --- perhaps I should have read something about it before going?? It was not really our thing; we found it very depressing and a bit awkward and squeemish at the end.

In Stratford we stayed at the The Caversham House Bed & Breakfast staying in the Sheridan Room. Mary Lou and John have created a elegant B & B experience. The house is decorated beautifully and located within easy walking distance to all the theatres and shops. Breakfast was outstanding and I loved that they make the effort to source their produce locally and that everything was home-made.

I sadly said goodbye and gave my trusty Singer Sewing machine to my niece for her 10th birthday. My Singer was a wedding present from my parents and has served me very well for the last decade. I discovered my love of quilting with this machine.

On the upside! I did go and pick up this baby on Tuesday via a little cross border shopping trip to Bailey's Embroidery Supply in Leicester, New York. It's a Bailey's Home Quilter Pro 15.

I am so excited to have this machine!!! I know with time and practice my long arm quilting skills are going to be amazing with the help of this machine. It's the stretch-limo of sewing machines!!

Thanks Big Man for such an awesome week off together. You work so hard for our family. I hope you know how grateful I am to have you and all that you provide. XOXOX --- except for this cold you gave me, that kinda sucks!

CSA Week 6

2011-07-17T19:59:00.003-04:00

This week so far has been my favourite from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze!
As per my weekly email from Lisa and Steve: "This weeks basket includes; snow peas (do not pod), a small bunch of beets, including the beet greens, (use these in salads, or steam like spinach), zucchini, fresh garlic, a cucumber, head of lettuce and fresh new white potatoes. (superior variety)".

GARLIC!! I love fresh garlic it beats the poop out of the stuff you find at the grocery store! I used it in Chicken Fajita's on Saturday and in a marinade for Steak on Sunday.

3 Zucchini's--that's a challenge in itself! I sauteed two with the Snow Peas in a chicken broth, thyme and cornstarch glaze.

The rest was used to make "Chocolate Chip Orange Zucchini Bread". This has been a go to recipe I found at All Recipes a few years back. It makes two loaves that slice and freeze perfectly. If you decide to make this, be sure to beat the eggs and sugar until they look "lemony fluffy white"; this is really what makes or breaks this recipe.

I spent most of this weekend using my long arm quilting frame to stitch a clam shell pattern onto a charity quilt my Mom and I have been working on. We will be donating it to my cousin to raffle off for the "Make a Wish Eastern Ontario" chapter in the fall.

This weeks newly blooming flower was a Day Lilly. The cat in the background is my neighbour's cat "Misty". Every time I come back from a run she hangs around with me while I "stretch things out"; she's a sweetie. A co-worker gave me an orange miniature Poppy that continues to keep flowering.

Sunday's dinner: garlic marinated BBQ steak, boiled beats, sauteed zucchini and snow peas, grilled foil pack potatoes with sage -- delish!!

Wow, Southern Ontario really need some rain! My grass has stopped growing and is brown and dry. I've been watering my potted plants which seem to be surviving so far. My poor herb garden is so wilted; I'll have to water it tomorrow morning for sure.
This week has been really hard for running (ok, who are we kidding, slow jogging). After my run on Saturday I seriously almost passed out twice! Once while picking up dry cleaning and then driving for groceries. I had to buy and chug a Gatorade--please try to keep cool and power down the liquids.

CSA Week 5

2011-07-10T18:31:00.001-04:00

This week my share from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze brought Green Onions, a Green and Yellow Zucchini, Red Leaf Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, Broccoli, Green Peas and 3 Bok Choi. Wow!

My whole family is really pleased with how our farm share adventure is going. A co-worker commented this week about how great my salads look. I told her all about the share, she was surprised and admitted that she had never heard of the farm share concept before. Perhaps another convert in the making?

This weeks flower is a daisy again -- but a super awesome watercolour daisy. Joy, my friends Mother so graciously painted and framed this picture for me. Stephanie's house is full of beautiful pictures and I admire them every time I visit her home.

Joy, Thank You so very much for this painting. I LOVE it! I've hung it up in my living room just outside the kitchen and I admire it with every passing.

I'm in awe of anyone who has artistic talent no matter what type of medium they create with. I'm good at quilting; but drawing and painting are definitely not a talent I possess.

Sunday's dinner consisted of a simple Romaine Lettuce and Green Onion Salad. In the oven I roasted the Green and Yellow Zucchini, along with Red Peppers, Red Onion, Mushrooms and the stems from one of the Bok Choi's. My Husband requested the Green Onion and Cheddar Scones again.

Anyone who has a Costco membership knows how big the pack of pork ribs are! I used two slabs and made the "Baby Back Ribs on Maple Planks" from the most recent Summer 2011 Food and Drink magazine available at the LCBO.

I used Pineapple Juice instead of Apple Juice ('cause that's what I had on hand--keep comments to yourself Mother). I also did not grill them on the maple planks but on my stoves grill pan on the top shelf of the BBQ. Mmm, hmmmmm........sticky, crunchy, barky, goodness. I recommend!

As per the picture above, I have finally gotten a smart phone! YEAH! It is an HTC Sensation 4G Android phone. I'm learning how to use it but I look forward to posting much more interesting "Tweets" now that I can include pictures.

I know there is the hot debate between Android and Apple. I chose the Android platform to work in conjunction with my Husband's phone. I already have an I-Touch that I want to keep more for songs, movies and the occasional "app".

That's it for this week. I hope the weather chills down just a little bit; it's so hot to run in the morning if I'm not out there early.....let's not even discuss the colour of my poor lawn.

CSA Week 4

2011-07-03T21:54:00.000-04:00

This weeks share from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze contained Asparagus, Large Green Onions, Garlic Scapes, Savoy Cabbage, Red and Romaine Lettuce and a Zucchini -- the box was heavy and could hardly be closed!

I've been taking salads for my lunch at work and popping lettuce into my husband's sandwiches. The Asparagus was grilled to go along with Turkey Burgers that I blended Scapes and Green Onions into the patty mix. We still haven't used the Savoy Cabbage; not sure exactly what to do with it?

Wednesdays, Watson's Farm has a table outside of the subway station by my work. I picked up 2 baskets of Strawberries for $8.00 and made Strawberry Kiwi Jam. The recipe is from a book written by Yvonne Tremblay -- "250 Home Preserving Favourites". This is my second year making it after watching a segment on Canada AM.

The jam labels were created by Cathe Holden and are available to use on her blog called "Just Something I Made". She is very creative and is an amazing digital artist. I love her site and all the crafty projects and inspiration that she provides.

Daisy's were the blooming flower this week in my garden.

Tonight I made "Zucchini Spice Loaf" created by Jennifer MacKenzie found via the Summer 2005 LCBO Food and Drink Magazine. It smells fantastic and if it tastes as good as the batter it should be YUMMY!

I've also started work on quilting the baby quilt on my Grace Mini-Pini quilting frame. I'm trying out a pantograph pattern that I purchased from Digi Tech Designs. I bought the PDF file but I think next time I'll just order the printed copy and have it delivered.

The quilt is for a co-worker but I'm using it more as a practice piece. My long arm quilting skills are very new so I don't feel that I am "fantastic" yet. I've been reading lots of blogs and instruction books but I think it's going to come down to lots of "Practice makes Perfect".

CSA Week 3

2011-06-26T22:56:00.001-04:00

Week 3 of our CSA Farm share from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze contained Asparagus, Garlic Scapes, Green and Boston Leaf Lettuce, Spinach and Strawberries.

Our share arrives around 9:30 am on Wednesdays. Each week I leave out the empty box to be exchanged when the new box arrives. Everything comes neatly packaged.

As a family we had never tried Garlic Scapes. The scapes smell fantastic and we used them during the week as an alternative to garlic. I think we all really enjoyed them! The Strawberries were awesome and since the farm plants an ever bearing variety, they should be available until October.

Our local paper "Whitby This Week" had an article on Thursday written by Jillian Follert titled "Bring on the farm fresh veggies". I was surprised to find out that most farms only plan to offer shares to 75 to 100 families per season. Sadly, by the numbers reported by my local farmers, it seams that they have so far only sold about half of their projected sales.

I'll admit that my husband was apprehensive about joining a farm share due to the up front cost and not really knowing what to expect. Both he and my parents are SOLD on the idea and we plan on purchasing a full share next year.

It was a pretty slow week around the house. I did the usual work, jogging, visiting the library and some quilting. I'm itching to plan my next trip.....so I thought I'd share some snaps from our April trip at the SuperClubs Breezes Jibacoa in Varadero, Cuba.

The resort is a small Adults only (16+). It is very secluded, hidden in a valley behind hills. The animation director will take guests on a hike up a very steep hill; resulting in our amazing picture above.

The beach was beautiful. The sand was soft and contained finely crushed shells. The water was rocky with a coral reef very close to shore. I'm not much of an Ocean swimmer; I love to lay out by the Ocean for the breeze but I prefer to swim in the pool.

The food and alcohol were excellent, plenty of choices and no "tricky tummies". Below is the view from the beach BBQ grill. I know Hot Dogs are the worst thing in the world to eat but yowza, soooooo good. We had an ocean-view room, but in all honesty, no room has a bad view. The whole property is lovely and well kept. I would recommend this resort.

I love going on vacation and travelling......hmmm decisions, decisions

Congratulations to Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz on getting hitched -- lucky girl -- till next week.

CSA Week 2

2011-06-19T16:23:00.001-04:00

Week 2 of our CSA Farm share from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze contained Asparagus, Green Onions, Pak Choi, 2 big bunches of Spinach and Red Leaf and Romaine Lettuce.

Sunday afternoon we had a nice big salad made with the Red and Romaine lettuce, along with grilled asparagus, sausages and a great bottle of wine from Columbia Winery from Prosser, Washington, USA.

My Mom used a bunch of the spinach to make "Spinach Brownies". She used the CSA Green Onions and added Bacon Bits to the recipe. These were great and would be perfect at room temperature for party finger foods. She is planning on making another batch to take to her CWL potluck.

Wednesday, I weeded the yard and enjoyed some time with my dog Girly who turned 10 last weekend. We had our Cherry Tree and a Spruce removed from the yard this spring by Total Tree Service Inc. With the changes we made last year, the yard is now very low maintenance.

My Poppy survived the yard changes and I've started the lay out on a baby quilt for a co-worker.

My Husband added this pendant to a chain that I chose from my Nana's jewelry collection. She passed away this April. Nana was famous for her card playing skills and I love that this pendant represents a deck of cards.

Well that's about all for this week. I still have the Pak Choi to use up; think I will saute it with a nice light glaze. Till next week......

CSA Week 1

2011-06-11T17:05:00.002-04:00

Huh? What's that, it's been over a year since we last met?? How does time go so incredibly fast? I won't make excuses for my absence but will try to bring things up to date over the next couple of weeks.

So, my parents are still living with us during the summer while we are STILL WAITING for their condo to be built. We've been advised that it should be ready by December 2011??

To try something new I decided to buy a half share of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from Cooper's Farm in Zephyr, Ontario. Our first delivery included: 2 Green Lettuce, Spring Onions, Asparagus, Rhubarb and Oregano.

The Rhubarb was exactly the amount needed to make Smitten Kitchen's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Mmmmm.....Pie!

I used some of the spring onions to make Green Onion and Cheddar Scones from Canadian Living. BigMan loved these and has declared that I can make them any time. (this is surprising cause he HATES scones)

We had a great Saturday lunch of Pork Souvlaki marinated with the fresh Oregano, Tzatziki, Greek Salad, Green Onion and Cheddar Scones, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Red Wine.

Really, can it get any better than this? I think not! I love the process of cooking and baking and thrive off the compliments received from my family. Tomorrow's dinner will be hamburgers, grilled asparagus and three bean salad.

I'm looking forward to the challenge of making the best of what my farm share brings me each week and for the opportunity to get back to blogging.

To update, here are some things that have happened over the past year and a half:

I visited Punta Cana, DR twice and Varadero, Cuba
My dog Girly is fine, just older, grumpier and has "tuna breath"
BigMan is still working hard for a living and making everything easy for me!
I still LOVE quilting
Cough, I might be at 33.5 instead of 32.5 BUT I still run 5km every other day and hope to be back to the 32.5 or lower PDQ!

So if you remember my blog....thanks for still checking! If you're new to my blog; WELCOME, sit a spell, have a read and drop me a comment.

2010-03-16T21:56:00.008-04:00

Ahhhh.....I'm finally finished with the twin quilts for my husbands co-worker.

My pictures for this post were taken by the Big Man as I was busy folding laundry and running around trying to get ready for work.

I was going to use a white fabric to match his sister's quilt, but as per the advice from Stephanie at Eat Run Quilt, I kept with the original tone of blue as suggested in the pattern offset with feedsack fabrics in browns and creams.

This is on my queen size bed so it's a bit bigger than the other quilt. The pattern was very easy to put together and took me about 4 weeks to complete. I hand stitched the binding to the back while watching the Oscars. The back fabric is white with blue and pearlescent dots to mirror the fabric used in his sister's quilt.

Below is the original quilt titled "Fresh Tradition" designed by Darlene Zimmerman and was featured in the Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork & Quilting magazine Issue 84 from February 2007.

I'm glad to have these quilts finished since I'm in a quilt swap with 5 other ladies. More on that after this Saturday. Other than that, I have been keeping busy with work, jogging and home stuff.

Sweet & Simple

2010-02-13T10:11:00.011-05:00

Here is part one of the two quilts I'm making for a set of twins born to my husbands co-worker.

Mine is the picture above and below is from the Better Homes and Gardens Quilts and More Fall 2009 issue. It's titled Sweet & Simple. If you feel like making it, the instructions can be found here.

Hard to believe that it's almost the middle of February. There are big patches of grass everywhere and maybe 2-5 cm of snow in spots. Not gonna complain!

I enjoyed the process of making this quilt; it took a lot more time than I had planned but I learned a lot of new techniques. The Big Man has already stated that it's one of my best. The block is called a Churn Dash block.

I was apprehensive in starting this quilt because of my fear of the 5/8 th of an inch measurement involved. I lucked out that I had a roll of 3" Thangles that were the exact size I needed to make the half square triangles.

For the back I used a pink toile fabric from my stash that I absolutely love. I added a strip down the middle created from the front fabrics to increase the width. The binding was hand sewn to the back while I watched the Grammy's.

The best part is I created a design wall behind my ironing board. It's so nice not to have bend over the floor trying to arrange blocks and rows prior to sewing it all together. Nothing fancy, just quilt batting push-pinned to the wall.

My parents have successfully sold their property in Peterborough. Come May 17th I will have a live in staff consisting of a cook, cleaner, gardener and dog walker! -- Just Joking Congratulations Mom and Dad!

I highly recommend

2010-01-31T14:17:00.008-05:00

Ahh...if you have $41.00 in your pocket, go over to Nice One Nails in Brooklin and get yourself a manicure and pedicure. I went there today with Stephanie from Eat, Run, Quilt! Fabulous!!

Not much going on, just the usual January blahs. We've been lucky that there has been very little snow this year but some very cold days. If you remember I had said earlier that I was working on a boy and girl quilt for a set of twins born to my Big Man's co-worker. The girls is done except for the hand stitching of the binding to the back. Below is the startings of the boys quilt. I really like this pattern so far, incredibly easy.

Now I FOREWARN YOU.....the next picture is pretty gruesome.....the Big Man had to get a mole cut out of his back for precautionary measures. The cut is about the length of a thumb but has been healing beautifully. It's only been two days and it looks great....if that's actually possible.

I hope everyone is keeping well....SUPERBOWL is next weekend, must jog extra hard and long this week cause I see a feast in my future next Sunday!

New Year = New Bedroom

2010-01-10T21:10:00.011-05:00

My Big Man had to work over Christmas so I took advantage of 4 days off from work to re-paint and organize our bedroom. Below is the final result. Before, the TV used to be mounted on the wall and there was a mirror on the dresser that drove me crazy because it was always dusty.

Originally the bedroom walls were a dark red. It was a Ralph Lauren paint colour called "Thoroughbred Red". I loved it but I had used an eggshell paint finish that showed all the imperfections in the walls and major dust bunnies. There were dark brown curtains and sheers on the windows. I forgot to take a before picture; this is the best I have at the end of the first prep day, Christmas Day.

UPDATE: My Sister in Law from New Zealand just sent me this picture of our bedroom before! Thanks C!!

On day two, Boxing day, I primed all the walls with Sico brand primer. I hadn't noticed when I purchased the primer that it was oil based. It was super smelly but one coat provided an excellent fresh canvas.

Day Three was one coat of paint in the morning. Shopping for new pillows, a duvet and cover from Sears in the afternoon. Finished with a final coat of paint that evening. Again I used Sico Cashmere paint in a Benjamin Moore chip colour called "Princeton Gold" that I stole from a friends dining room. I love it, it's gold in the day but greenish at night.

Notice the new blinds. In the picture above, the are pulled up, but they also have the option of dropping down from the top. They are an accordion pleat style with a metallic room darkening core to help when the Big Man is working midnights. We purchased them from "Blinds to Go" in Whitby. Pricey but I would recommend this store -- excellent employees, ordered on a Sunday afternoon and they were ready for pick up by 10 AM on Tuesday.

I moved the bed closer to the window, the tall dresser used to be where the bed side table is now. With the curtains gone and the new furniture arrangement the room feels so much bigger.

On the final day I painted all the trim and baseboards. Girly was really good and never bugged me once. We're so happy with the end result. It is fresh and new and feels like being in a hotel room.

Ops, I forgot I had a blog....

2009-12-13T18:33:00.007-05:00

Why yes, I am still alive!! My lovely Big-Man reminded me the other day that I have a blog but have neglected to update it for a while.

I thought I would give a quick post and update you on at least 10 things that have happened in between.

As per below picture, the Christmas tree is up
I had jury duty two Monday's in a row, sadly was not picked
Made and mailed out my Christmas cards last week

Going to the gym with Quilting Newbie on weekends when the man is working
Stopped colouring my hair to find out that I have more gray hair than I remember
I spent over 1,700.00 on car repairs in the last two weeks
As per below, turned 37 to a fantastic bottle of wine and "New Moon" movie

Working on two baby quilts, damn twins, just joking!!
Babysat 6 month old, confirming I made correct decision not to have children
Had a freaking fantastic trip to Punta Cana!!

My cheap Price Chopper Amaryllis has exploded, I have 4 flowers on the one stem and 5 on the other, and another bud stalk on the way. I hope everyone that reads is doing great and I promise not to be gone so long again.

Mmmm, Salsa!

2009-09-13T16:55:00.006-04:00

My cousin Nerrad and his wife are amazing cooks! Nerrad has often gifted us with jars of home-made Salsa proclaiming how easy it is to make; I decided to give it a try this afternoon.

I already had plenty of jars at home but I wanted the wire basket lifter thingy for the pot of water and the rubberized jar tongs so at noon I went to Canadian Tire to pick them up. The rack was perfect for dropping and blanching the tomatoes and the tongs also worked to pick up the hot tomatoes.

I had picked up this book from the Library on Thursday to find the perfect recipe. From beginning to end it took about 3 hours and made the exact quantity specified. I ended up with 5 x 500ml jars and about a half cup left over.

Click on the picture to make it bigger

Taste testing the leftovers...it appears that it's going to be awesome! I think it needs a little bit of salt to round out the flavours. Next time I'm going to make it an all day adventure and make a few different batches. Somehow I don't think these will last very long!

New Garage Doors!

2009-08-29T12:46:00.007-04:00

Just a quick post to show off our new garage doors. Below are the awful doors we had....

and these are the brand new doors. I love them so much! The new doors are so quiet when they go up and down. Only minor downfall is the lack of daylight since we chose to not have windows.

We had Durham Doors arrange the purchase and installation. Great Guys, excellent quality product and I would recommend them to anyone in an instant!

Went to the Legends Centre gym in Oshawa with Quilting Newbie this morning. I'm so very proud of her; she has stuck firm to her commitment of a new healthy living!! That's about it for now. I have a new quilt picture for me next post.....see you soon.

Vacation = Another Reno Project

2009-08-16T09:44:00.002-04:00

Like most of our vacations, if we don't go away, we tend to tackle some sort of home improvement project. This time we chose our front entry doors.

After two price quotes at about $5,000.00 each for new entry doors, we decided to go the less expensive option and try and improve them ourselves.

Our main complaint about our front doors were the builders window inserts. You can see by the picture above that they had to cut a chunk out of the window framing in order to fit the insert plate (that is normally behind the lock).

This creative cutting was not only on the outside doors but also on the inside doors. I can see if it was a fluke, but EVERY house in our neighbourhood has the same cut-outs. Obviously this must have been a measure once and cut situation!

After the doors were out, and it being a sweltering 38 degrees out, we tried to keep the AC in the house. No such luck, Big Man still sweat off 7 pounds during the whole process.

Doors sanded and ready for painting in the oven; sorry, I mean the garage. Two coats and 10 hours later they were dry enough to add the new window inserts and hardware.

We are trying to do as much home improvements, within budget, as we can this year. The Canadian Government is allowing you a 15% Home Renovation Tax Credit for the 2009 taxation year.

It took us a total of 3 days to complete this project.

It was not one of the easiest projects, but for about 17% of the cost of the original price quotes, I'm definitely satisfied and proud of our efforts. -- Amazing how we could get the door locks to fit properly!

Our vacation was not a full working holiday, we also spent a great day out in Kingston, Ontario with my cousin and his wife, thanks Nerrad and Map! There were birthday celebrations at The Keg and a visit to the Farmer's Market in St. Jacob's.

Now I'm just really tired and need a vacation from my vacation.

And it's not even my Birthday!

2009-07-28T09:06:00.004-04:00

I'm sure I've mentioned it before but I have the best Big Man in the world!! Look what was waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday...a 16GB I-Pod-Touch!!

I'm not quite sure exactly what I did to deserve such an unexpected and amazing gift! (I wonder what I have to do to get a new Bernina 440 QE with BSR?)--just joking Big Man.

Look, he even got it engraved with my name, cell number and 32.5!

Now I have to learn how to use the freaking thing, technology is not my strong suit. One guess on what my first movie download will be........"Twilight" you say.....that's right, just think Edward at my fingertips wherever and whenever!

This is just the GIANT spider that has made a huge web across my backyard sun tent. I feel so bad that I'm going to destroy all his web crafting, but I almost walked into it a few times already....the scream would/is going to be insane when I actually forget and plow straight into it.

32point5 One Year Later

2009-07-18T13:24:00.011-04:00

The year is over in the 32point5 plan. To recap, I wanted to see what exactly it is that I do all my time with the intention of reaching a waist size of 32.5 inches.

I should have called it the 33point25 plan. Sadly I was off by 3/4 of an inch, however pretty good considering the starting number was 38. I know, disgusting!

Comparing the pictures above I have on the same shorts and belt. What you can't see is that I was actually holding it in in the first picture, the pants were unbuttoned and the belt was tight. I'm relaxed in the after picture, fully buttoned up and the belt on the last available spot.

These pictures don't really show much of a comparison other than I am a lot happier and physically fitter. Exercise has become a part of my daily routine, I now enjoy long walks, running on the treadmill and tennis. I've always thought that I eat well, however I still struggle with portion control.

I especially have to Thank my Big Man. He is constantly my biggest supporter. Some days were tough and he was always there to kick my ass and motivate me to keep going. He's my own personal "Tommy Europe", the white chocolate kind -- Smooches!!

Finally, what better way to celebrate the end of a great year....with home made Bumble-berry pie! Best part is half of it is still in the freezer....see portion control.

Thanks to everyone that took the time to read my blog. I will still be posting; it's been nice to realize that my life is not as boring and lame as I thought it was.

Stacked Coins

2009-06-27T09:20:00.013-04:00

I'm going to a Baby Shower this afternoon for one of my girlfriends who's baby is due the first week of July.

Above is after washing

Nothing like leaving things to the last minute; I only finished hand sewing the binding and washing it this morning.

Above is before washing

The idea came from Crazy Mom Quilts blog and the pattern can be found here at Moda fabrics. (Don't forget clicking on the pictures make them bigger)

I used one charm pack of Moda's "Flutterby" pattern and random fabrics from my stash to finish out the required coins. The baby's room is in green so I made that the focus colour with orange as the second colour because that's her favourite colour.

It took me three weeks from start to finish. One really solid weekend of sewing and then just here and there before and after work.

I didn't really find any mistakes in the pattern; although, I had to trim the top and bottom coin strips by a bit to make them fit the white lenghts of fabric in between the rows.

I really like how this quilt turned out. I enjoyed the process of making it and would recommend the pattern. My pictures don't really do it justice, it's wicked in real life and crinkled up perfectly after washing. The Big Man gave it his stamp of approval!

NOW THE BEST PART is finally here....since I had such a tight time line on getting this done I REFUSED to let myself start reading "Breaking Dawn" which is the final book in the Twilight Saga written by Stephenie Meyer. I snuck one look and made the Big Man read me a random paragraph to tide me over from the withdrawl I was suffering. See you soon!

Bye Bye Water Bell

2009-06-12T21:23:00.007-04:00

One of my favourite things about our town was the Water Bell. I work so far away, it was always a welcome sight in the horizon knowing that I was almost home.

Sadly she is now gone. There is an article about it here from our local paper. You can't really make it out on the lower left hand side; but during the night some kids went up a spray painted "Brooklin Boys-Boo Ya!" Yowza, we really have some toughies in our town -- watch out!

It's so funny, any type of vandalism you might see is quickly cleaned up within a few days. That's what I like about our neighbourhood, everyone knows that shit-heads and messy houses are not allowed. Brooklin membership has it's privileges!

In other news, my Poppy gave me five magnificent blooms this week, with no rain to really damage them.

My husband even took the picture below for me today so I wouldn't miss out on it.

I'm working on another baby quilt this weekend. Saturday is busy, playing tennis in the morning with my husband, a walk to the farmers market in the afternoon with a girlfriend and going to a sneak peek of The Proposal with another girlfriend in the evening.

I plan to spend the evenings with Edward. Enjoy your weekend!

Is this wrong?

2009-06-01T22:13:00.004-04:00

It's possible that I might have cheated on my husband with the Edward in my head.

Image borrowed from here

I'm not much of a book reader but the girls at work have been really raving about "The Twilight Saga" written by Stephenie Meyer. I picked up the first book to read in Mexico. I finished it on the weekend and have already started the second and succumbed to buying the DVD to watch the next weekend my husband's at work...in the dark...with a glass of wine...is it wrong to be so obsessed this fast?

Other than that it's just been the same old every other day, hence the lack of blogging.

32point5 plan is going great, my bone spur issue has gotten better with the running and we have taken up tennis as another exercise alternative. Eye-hand co-ordination, umm, I need some practice but super fun! Back soon......

Adios Mexico!

2009-04-29T18:33:00.006-04:00

Well, our SECOND vacation in two weeks has been cancelled.

picture borrowed from here

I was so looking forward to our trip to Mexico this coming week but things seem to have gotten a lot worse; not only in Mexico but even in our own countries. Freakishly, both ourselves and our friends that we're supposed to be going away with both have the same week off in October. Fingers crossed nothing else goes wrong and by then we will finally be able to go away together.

Any good at home vacation suggestions? Any nice Ontario resorts?

As I stated in my previous post, Quilting Newbie and I went to the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival this past weekend. I found that there was not as many fabric booths as there normally is and some of our favourites were missing. I CAME HOME with money left over?? What's up with that?

I just bought some random fat quarters that caught my eye and my usual purchase of quilt basting spray that I just can't live without. Oh, that fat roll, contains 10 fat quarters of this Japanese fabric that I fell in love with at one of my favourite stores "Quilters Cupboard" in Uxbridge.

I really wanted to try out the long arm quilting machines that they have on display. So does anybody have a spare $13,000.00 they want to give me? I soooooo wwwannnttt ooonnneee!!!

This is to prove that summer is just around the corner! My Girl is so funny, she will follow a spot of sun as it moves with time.

Mexico here we come!

2009-04-24T23:35:00.003-04:00

Well, well, well….where have I been you ask?

First, I spent a maddening two weeks researching every resort in the Dominican Republic and finally settled on Dreams Palm Beach, Punta Cana. I booked the trip late on a Wednesday night and the VERY NEXT DAY the tour provider Conquest Vacations ceases operation. WTF!

So within 12 hours we (my Husband and our friends M+D) decide on a new location and have now booked the Gran Bahia Principe Akumal in Mexico. Now Mexico has some weird Swine/Bird/Human flu killing people off…again I repeat WTF! Somehow I think we're destined not to go away!!

So “lo seinto” for the long absence, I’ve just been totally frustrated with this whole fiasco. In happier 32point5 news the jogging is really paying off, I stepped on the scale the other morning and was utterly shocked to see the number 7 pounds lighter than what I was expecting!! Whoot, Whoot!! Mexico here I come!

I’m off to the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival this weekend with Quilting Newbie; nothing like abundant fabric purchases to drown my vacation planning horrors!

Fly Away Home

2009-04-04T09:27:00.008-04:00

Here it finally is! This was my labour of love over the winter. It took me from December 2008 to the beginning of March 2009 to complete this quilt. The pattern is titled "Fly Away Home" designed by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts, published in the December 2008 American Patchwork & Quilting magazine.

We wanted a quilt to hang on the wall area above our stairs to the basement. I liked this pattern immediately and knew it would be a great way to use up some of my Moda fabric "Charm Packs". Included was "Swell", "Wee Play", "Full Moon Forest", "Porcelain" and "Za Za".

Above shows the perspective of how it fits in to the wall. I live in a raised bungalow with 10 foot ceilings; at the entrance you can either go up a few flights to the main floor or down to the basement. Hence the previous "Big giant wall of NOTHING".

Remember -- clicking on the pictures makes them bigger to see the details up close.

I so loved how this turned out! The measurements were exact, every corner and point lined up perfectly and was a pleasure to sew and cut. I never pre-wash my fabrics because I like the crinkly look after washing.

Yeah, all done! I am already working on another quilt will fill you in on the details on that one soon.

On the 32point5 subject, things are going good. My running schedule got messed up due to the training week at work. I am definitely a "morning workout" person! How do you people work the horrible 9 to 5? Check out this Healthy Living blog by Meghann called "The Inner Workings of a College Graduate - running, eating & living in the real world".

March Girls Night Out

2009-03-30T20:46:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to pop in and say Hi and give a few updates.

I had super fun on Saturday night with the girls. Much food, beverages, giggling and dance floor stalkers!

The running plan is going along nicely. All this month I only missed yesterday, but did my 5 K run tonight instead. I'm on a training course at work this week which means working 8 to 4 and traffic....grrrr!! I have finished and hung my fly away home quilt, pictures to follow shortly. I've already started working on another quilt.

Not much else is new except for the GREAT possibility of going away in May with some friends. We're contemplating Punta Cana (I love it, Punta Cana sounds like a dirty word for lady parts)! Anyhow, does anyone have any recommendations for somewhere warm you have gone to and enjoyed?

Joining the WWW in your 90's?

2009-03-21T17:32:00.001-04:00

Uh huh, I do loves me some corn bread! Corn bread can be a tricky monster. I find most that I come across are hard, dry as a rock and really bland. This is light, moist but crumbly and sweet.

I've been making this for a few years now; I found it at All Recipes it's called Golden Sweet Cornbread. It has over 827 reviews so you know it's amazing! I have linked the recipe here.

The only extra thing I do, is after 20 minutes of baking, I take it out of the oven and drizzle corn syrup over the top and then pop it back in the oven for the final 5 minutes. The corn syrup leaves a nice crunchy sweet crust. I always make it in the bundt pan but I bet it would make amazing muffins. Fail proof, easy recipe.

We had the corn bread for lunch today with amazing pulled pork that I started in the crock pot last night. Good stuff!

Finally, my Nana has just bought herself a laptop and has joined the world wide web. See even at over 90 you're never too old to learn something new. Rumour has it she snuck out during installation because she had a card game to attend. If you knew my Nana this is so her. The day she got her pace-maker she was spitting mad because she missed a game.

Nana and Mum

Martha Stewart Living March 2009

2009-03-19T11:51:00.009-04:00

We're into the third week of March 2009 and things are starting to liven up outside with a little over a solid 12 hours of sunlight! I checked on my herb garden on the weekend and my Oregano and Thyme are already perking up!

As I had previously stated I'm going to quantify my Martha Stewart Living subscription by using one article every month. I've been super busy, so I cheated with the easiest article I could find. "Good Things" on page 50 suggests using an envelope and scrolled scissors to make a page saver. Click here for the instructions from Martha's website.

See super easy! The book is The Comfort Table written by Katie Lee Joel. Ugh, she is so pretty! I only wish I could be casually elegant like her. I love in the foreword written by Paula Deen she states "I don't trust a skinny cook!". Hilarious, but secretly I think true as well.

Lastly, I thought I should give an update on the 32point5 plan. I've stopped being lazy and have been inspired by the amazing progress by my friends Donny, Maggie and Tara I'm back to the 5K treadmill every other day. I'm warming up for 10 minutes and then alternating between running and walking. This week is 6 minutes of running broken by 2 minutes of fast walking. My goal is 10 minutes broken by 2 minutes.

I have been reading a well written blog called Trying for a Tri that has fantastic exercise and diet tips. I made the shake above with some Whey Powder that I picked up at the bulk barn. I find that I eat relatively healthy however I don't think that I get enough protein. Let's see if it will help. Off to work, see you soon!

Daylight Savings

2009-03-08T14:45:00.003-04:00

Ahhh, Daylight Savings started today; this always cheers me up! It means that spring is just around the corner and for someone like me who permanently works the afternoon shift it's the possibility of a glimmer of light on the usual dark drive home.

I met up with a group of girlfriends the other weekend for some dinner and drinks. I made the burp cloths above for one of them who was due the next week. This is her third child with a total of 5 when you include her step-children AND a full time job. Bless her little soul, she constantly has energy. Man, I have a dog and a husband and I'm pooped most of the time...I need some of her mo-jo!

I have finished quilting and attached the binding to the front of my "Fly Away Home" quilt. All that's left is to hand-sew the binding to the back, wash, add a hanging sleeve and I'll be done. The backing fabric was also used on my Niece's quilt in New Zealand that I sent to her when she was born. Her parents are expecting their second child in just a few months.

As usual my trusty helper was with me all afternoon. Mum and Dad, there's your pile of mail waiting for you when you get back from Florida! Enjoy the extra hour of Sunshine today, I know I will.

Quilt Pox?!

2009-03-01T22:05:00.005-05:00

Saturday was my friend Quilting Newbies birthday. To celebrate we went on a Quilt Shop-hop and some lunch in Uxbridge, Ontario.

This sign was on the back of the bathroom door in one of the stores. I found it both comical and true. Just look at the birthday girl below, surrounded by fabric with that crazy look in her eyes!

Our first stop was to Sew Many Fabrics. The store is nice and bright and had a lot of finished samples displayed showing many different techniques. They had a Long Arm machine on display, I so want one of these. Hmm, where could I find about $5,000.00?

Next stop was Quilters Cupboard. I love, love, love this store. It's very easy to miss since the store is out of a converted house and only has a small sign on the front lawn. Thank goodness for Garmin's, without this I would be perpetually lost and never leave the house.

They have a beautiful selection of fabrics, notions, patterns. Again many samples are located throughout the store and all the ladies are so very helpful.

There is a great flow to the the store ranging from children's, flannel, seasonal, and classic to modern fabric choices.

They offer a 20% discount for your birthday; and according to my bill, it looks like this discount also applies to friends shopping with you!

For lunch we went to frankie's ristorante. I'm always nervous to eat out with Quilting Newbie since she has some serious food allergies. I was trying to find a nice place to eat and frankie's is 100% gluten-free & nut free Mediterranean cuisine. Lunch was FANTASTIC!

Mmmm, I had Eggs Benedict while Newbie had a Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread. The bread was made with rice flour; the texture was so light and fluffy, yummy! The restaurant is very pretty with great service and very fair prices. I will definitely go back.

These were my fabric purchases for the day. I'm stocking up on greys, blacks and greens for my next quilt. I also bought this fabric panel that has New York Beauties for "paper piecing". It was a great weekend finished off with this Chicken Orzo for dinner. No pictures but the Big Man described it as "Blog Worthy"!

No Mum, I'm fine.....

2009-02-26T17:09:00.004-05:00

I never realized how many people I know actually read my little blog.

I called my Mum last night and her first words were "Are you ok? There's nothing new on your blog". Hmm, yes, I'm fine however just in that February funk of boredom.

Let's see, here's 3 random facts about me:

My blood type is RHO negative
I'm an only child
I dread shopping for clothes. I know how can this be?

However, I do love shopping for fabric which I'll be doing with Quilting Newbie on Saturday, cause you know one of us will be getting the 20% birthday discount. Sadly, it won't be me.

Martha Stewart Living February 2009

2009-02-15T19:48:00.007-05:00

Ever have this problem? She's more of a hindrance than help! This weekend I was able to get the back pieced and my quilt sandwiched and basted. Now I just have to decide on how I'm going to top-stitch it.

I like reading The Quilting Bookworm, Sara has a lot of great blogs listed on her sidebar. This is where I found another Sarah at Looking In. To justify her magazine subscription to Martha Stewart Living, she makes the effort to do one thing from each new issue. I thought this was a great idea!

I decided to make Cote de Boeuf With Hash Browns from the February 2009 issue.

My husband bought the beef from Halenda's. I only had one potato so I substituted with a sweet potato.

Everything turned out as well as I expected. However, this was way too rich of a meal for us. We both had a bit of a tummy ache after eating it. Separately, each dish would be great on their own with a nice side salad. If I ever made the Hash Browns again, I don't think I would saute the onions in the bacon drippings; olive or vegetable oil would be lighter tasting.

The steak was great even though as usual, I cooked it too long. The 10 minutes specified would have been perfect.

So that's about it, nothing exciting going on. Just the usual February dul-drums. See you soon!

Super Bowl Sunday!

2009-02-01T11:57:00.007-05:00

Ah, another favourite day has arrived; Super Bowl XLIII Sunday is here! Particularly exciting this year since it's being held in Tampa, which is so close to where my parents winter in Largo, Florida. Should be a blast for all the oldies in the park down there!!

I've been working on my quilt all weekend. I didn't get as far as I wanted to but I do have half of the strips sewn together and might get a few more done after posting this.

As random as I pulled and pieced these, you would think it would be hard to not have matching patterns and colours beside each other. I spent an hour mixing the rows before I found a pleasing pattern.

I really like seeing "stained glass" patchwork photos where you photograph the quilt top held up against a window.

This part is for Quilting Newbie, as per our discussion on Friday, I did mark a test square with both pencil and a Crayola Washable Marker. Result -- pencil was still visible however the Crayola Marker totally washed out.....YEAH!

On a sad note, my good friend Mark from work lost his Mother on Friday after a battle with cancer. I'm going to the wake this afternoon. Above is a recipe she gave me years ago. It's one of those fantastic Grandma, old-school CWL inspired squares. Remember those squares with the fruity marshmallows embedded in a squishy-cookie crumb; this is that recipe.

Finally I will tempt you with the Super Bowl menu for today, Potato Skins, Panko crusted boneless wings, Nachos with cheese dip, Boy Scout Caramel popcorn from my nephew and Beverages!

Gee, I hope I don't see the 7 pounds I lost last month appear back on the scale tomorrow? Have fun and see you soon! GO (insert team name here)!! Whatever, we all know I only like it for the food and booze!

Someone thinks I'm Fabulous

2009-01-23T22:56:00.000-05:00

Yeah, my first bloggy award! My good friend over at Quilting Newbie has awarded me this lovely token of appreciation. Thanks!

With the award, I'm to list my five addictions and let you know of five other blogs that I also think are Fabulous.

ADDICTIONS, hmm kinda a harsh word.....how bout things that make me happy!

Magazines, OMGosh I love them! Gossip, crafting, quilting, cooking, anything Martha-ish
My Dog, aka my child, I love her smelly popcorn feet and stupidness
Fabric, nothing like a good fondle to make a girl happy!
Coffee and Wine, mmmhhhuuuummmmm!
Blogs, for the entertainment, friends and inspirational ideas

I have some blogs listed on the sidebar that I read everyday, but I would also like to point out the following blogs that I also enjoy reading and I think are all Fabulous!

Assorted Notions because I love the clothes she sews and her hair is fantastic
Erica B.'s - D.I.Y. Style! because of her amazing garment sewing skills
The Pioneer Woman because she cooks like a fiend and shows pictures of cowboys butts!
use real butter because Jen is an amazing woman who's winning the battle of breast cancer
David Lebovitz because he lives in Paris and is a fantastic cook and photographer

On a frustrating note, I was almost at work today and noticed that my car was smoking/steaming? I pulled in to the parking garage to find out it was leaking fluid all over. After a panic call to the husband on what to do; I went upstairs to get an emergency day off from work (thank goodness were allowed 3 "emergency" days a year).

I took my car to Precision Tune Auto Care in Brooklin. These guys are fantastic.....I brought my car over unplanned at 11:30 this morning and it was all fixed by 6:00 that same night. Turns out I needed a new water pump and some belts replaced. Great pricing as well, $200.00 less than what they quoted to me earlier in the afternoon.

Broken TV = Basement Renovation!

2009-01-18T20:07:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday morning I was on the treadmill; we've been having problems with our TV snapping, clicking and flicking in and out. I thought I'd turn off and on the TV to fix the snapping.....snapping turned to zapping and that was the end of my Sony 46er!

Funny enough our friends exact same TV crapped out last week with a $500.00 service call to fix it. The Big Man and I decided to say farewell to our Sony and purchased a brand new 50 inch flat screen plasma on Friday. The new TV is being delivered on Monday so on the spur of the moment we decided to re-paint our basement (we affectionately are now calling it the bottom-room)!

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

While I was busy painting, the Big Man was occupied with something else........all I can say is better him than me! See all that snow and not even a weather warning on the Weather Network. What the heck are they thinking over there?

We purchased a new light fixture that has directional halogen bulbs. This photo is a bit dark but shows how nice and cozy the new bottom-room will be to snuggle up and watch TV in.

Just like the kitchen, we used the Sico Cashmere paint from Rona in the colours Surreal Blue for the lighter colour and Charcoal Slate for the darker.

THIS IS FOR J.T. ESQ....COME AND GET IT BIG BOY!!

Elvis the Pelvis....??

2009-01-12T01:00:00.005-05:00

It has been a disgustingly long time since I have provided a 32point5 status update. Since it's Monday and a week into the "New Year" no time like the present.

First off I want to explain a medical issue that I have been dealing with for about a year now. Last year around December, they got us new chairs at work. They are supposed to be great ergonomic chairs, but I found they were so hard. For lack of a more polite word, my butt started to really hurt.

Ischium = Letter F

I went to my family doctor and told her how much my butt was hurting. Basically she just gave me a prescription for an anti-inflammatory and told me to ice and rest the area. I was also going to my Chiropractor, some times up to three times a week. After months with no improvement, he suggested I go back to my family doctor and ask to have x-rays done. By this time, the pain had crept from my butt into my groin/hip with ever increasing pain.

If I unexpectedly knock my left leg, the pain is so fierce that I will gasp outloud! I can no longer sit comfortably anywhere which is hard to do when I drive 2 hours a day to work and have a desk job. I can move my left leg over to the right, and forwards and backwards with no pain but not outward to the left.

The x-rays have revealed that I have bone spurs on my left Ischium, letter F on the diagram above. I'm not sure how they formed but basically the muscles and what-not that surround the bone are tight and pull on the bone making it grow the spurs. It's the spurs that are creating the pain and limiting my hip extension and movement.

I have to give a huge amount of love out to my husband. I feel bad for all the money that I have spent on doctors and "remedies". Not once has he lost his patience with me; and trust me I've been a Super-Bitch at times!

There is no "cure" however the number one recommendation is weight loss to take the pressure off the joints. So hence, the 32point5 plan is not only to make me hawt, but to help relieve the pain in my butt.

I have been using a free daily food journal over at My Calorie Counter. As you add a food, it stays in your lists, so it's really easy and fast to journal your daily food consumption and physical activity. There are really interesting charts and graphs once you have enough information stored for comparison. For my height, weight and physical activity levels, I need to consume about 1460 calories a day to lose 20 pounds by the beginning of May.

Below is an example from Thursday, see how nicely it shows the comparison of my intake against the RDA-recommended daily allowance. I have noticed that I eat too much protein and consume too much sodium. Go a head, try it out and let me know how well you do.

Thanks for the support to everyone who has had to listen to my constant moaning for the last year. Giant hugs and kisses!

Hey There....

2009-01-08T21:08:00.002-05:00

Hey, how's things going so far this year? I've been sticking to my New Years resolutions. I only missed washing my face once but I had had my shower late in the day and I didn't have any make-up on so I figured that was ok.

I thought I would follow up on some left over stuff from December. The cookie exchange at work was a great success. Everything turned out yummy and we all had a lot of fun. I ended up making shortbread, some plain and others with Skorr Toffee bits, and Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies from Martha Stewart that are a dream to make and never fail me!

For my birthday, my husband gave me this radio. It is small, but has HUGE sound and a little credit card size remote so I don't have to get up to change the station or volume. I love it!

My "Flying Geese" quilt is moving along. I have all 348 of the blocks sewn. I used about seven charm packs resulting in two blocks of each fabric pattern. I separated them in half and tossed them in the dryer (on the air/fluff setting) to mix them up randomly. I have two full rows sewn; it's taking about 45 minutes to sew and iron each row.

The final photo is for my Dad who enjoys chatting about the weather. My parents spend the winter in Florida so I just wanted them to see the lovely weather their missing out on! I guess it is all a matter of situation....staying at home, I love it. Having to drive 60 KM to work in it, not so much.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T08:52:00.004-05:00

Well for the first time in a few years I DON'T feel like the person below!

My New Year was spent at home with my dog beside me and my husband sleeping upstairs in order to get up for work at 3 AM.

Resolution wise I have only two and they should be fairly easy to keep.

1) Get back to weighing myself every morning. I got lazy in December and had to cringe at the number I saw on the scale today.....so back to the hard core 32point5 plan.

2) Wash my face every night before bed. I know ewww, but I confess I really don't show my face the luxury it deserves. No more cheap cleansers, moisturizers and make-up.

Happy 2009 and I hope the year is filled with love, happiness and health for all of you.

Tissue Holders

2008-12-18T09:32:00.004-05:00

My department at work is all girls. I wanted to give each of them a little gift for "The Holidays".

I made "Tissue Holders" from the tutorial found at Whip Up. I made a total of 15 and it took me about 4 hours from beginning to end. Best part is I had all the supplies in my stash!

I think they turned out super-cute and I hope the girls will like them. They are the perfect size to pop in you purse or keep in you desk drawer.

Quilting Newbie, one of these is yours......let me know your colour preference.

Who's the Birthday Girl??

2008-12-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

1. happy birthday cake, 2. Annoying little things, aren't they?, 3. Make A Wish, 4. I like the way my age looks

Well yes, I really am this old today.

However, my birthday gift from my husband always makes it worth getting older. Each year he gets me a bottle of wine that costs the same as my age. MMM....can't wait till I'm like 80!

Pieces of Whimsy Tree Skirt

2008-12-07T21:01:00.010-05:00

Phew, what a busy weekend it's been. I put up our tree and rearranged the living room furniture. Our friends birthday party on Saturday was so much fun and it was great to see many of our friends. This evening I went over to Quilting Newbies house for some yummy snacks and a good giggle.

Not to brag or anything, but my tree is absolutely huge! My husband picked it up for us from White Rose on boxing day before they went out of business. Of course we did not put it up until the following year and were shocked at how big it is. See at the bottom, you can barely see the tree skirt I made for it.

Which brings me to this, I won an E-bay bid a few years ago on a group of quilting magazines. This magazine is from 2002 and I think I made this quilt about 3 summers ago. The pattern was called "Pieces of Whimsy Tree Skirt".

Honestly, this is my most favourite quilting project I have made so far. It challenged my skills with the curved borders; I almost gave up a few times. I'm so glad I held out and completed it.

I love the colours, and as we all know I'm a sucker for any kind of fabric with "sparkles". The back is white damask fabric with a snowflake pattern. I stitched in the ditch for the top section and stippled the bottom rows.

It really is such a shame that the ginormous tree dwarfs my tree skirt!! Sorry for the grainy pictures, my camera does not really like the night, cause I'm sure it's not the photographer!

View from desk #22122C

2008-12-06T00:37:00.006-05:00

Hey There! Just wanted to drop by and let you know that I'm still around.

The holiday season is upon us and things are getting so busy. This is the lovely view from my desk at work. We decided to use a silver and blue theme this year, last year it was snowflakes.

I've spent tonight making Chocolate Crunch Cookies (recipe here) as a birthday gift for a friend of ours who's party were going to on Saturday which I know will be lot's of fun.

I let the dog out early the other morning, it had lightly snowed during the night and everything was lightly dusted with fluffy snow. It was so peaceful and quiet; I just had to take a picture.

See you soon...!!!

Pin Cushions

2008-11-26T18:00:00.004-05:00

I found the tutorial for these Pin Cushions at whip up quite a while ago. I had the fabric circles cut out and sitting in a zippy bag on top of my microwave forever. I freely admit to having the worst habit of starting something, getting it all organized and ready and then just stopping.

I'm trying to make a concentrated effort in stopping this annoying habit. This week I have cleaned out the front hall coat closet that my husband has been begging me to do for weeks and finished these pin cushions. At least now I have a few cute little hostess gifts at the ready!

In the back ground is the December 2008 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine published by Better Homes and Gardens. I've started working on the quilt in the back ground. I have about 150 of the 348 flying geese blocks completed so far.

Mum and Dad hope you enjoy your Florida Thanksgiving tomorrow! XOXO

Cinnamon Sandwich Cookies

2008-11-23T15:21:00.009-05:00

My Sunday meme "This is..." that I've been participating in has been discontinued by it's creator. So today I thought I would share some pictures of a cookie I made last weekend.

They are called "Cinnamon Sandwich Cookies". I found the recipe in my December 2008 Canadian Living Magazine. Sorry, I couldn't find a link to the recipe.

I'm glad that I made them if only for the practice of rolling and cutting of the dough. I'm in a cookie exchange at work this year and have been trying to think of a few nice cookies to make.

I had thought of including this one. They are truly lovely in appearance and taste, but after two days in the tin they were a bit "soft" and not crisp any more; probably from the jam. Not a recipe I will be keeping in my collection of favourites.

HOWEVER, from the same magazine I made "Basque-Style Chicken" which was fan-freaking-tastic. Recipe linked here.

It's Beaujolais Nouveau Day

2008-11-20T21:22:00.003-05:00

Each year, on the third Thursday in November, it's "Beaujolais Nouveau" Day. In France, and around the world, it is the official release date of the years new wines produced from the hand picked Gamay grapes grown in the Beaujolais region of France.

Beaujolais Day, next to Christmas and perhaps my birthday are my favourite days of the year. I was at the LCBO 10 minutes after opening today. The ladies were well impressed that I was the first purchaser for the day; I purchase a case every year.

The wine is very light and should be drunk within the year. Most critics will rip it apart and fluff it off as a marketing scheme. Personally, I think you should just enjoy it for what it is....a reason to celebrate a fun little bit of history with the friends you like! Run out NOW and get some because it will be all gone by the weekend, bottles are in limited release.

PS: make sure Brie and Crackers are involved!

PPS: Here's a picture from this morning.....Grrrr apparently it's here!!!

This is...my favourite thing from nature.

2008-11-16T12:33:00.006-05:00

Hmm, this is a tough one; how can you possibly narrow down the one best thing that you love from nature. I would have to say the best thing is WATER.

WATER is what gives everything on our planet life; without it we would not survive.

I try not to be too wasteful with my water consumption and always respect it by not littering. The smallest amount of litter will eventually find it's way to a water source through storm drains. Ever notice the junk you see on a walk down by the beach or lakefront. I know I've seen enough plastic tampon applicators and balloons on ribbon; they came from somewhere??

Without WATER I would not be able to enjoy the lovely flowers and herbs from my garden.

My oddest water story happened when I was filling my water bottle up from the sink at work. Some girl looked at me with deep concern and asked me if I thought it was actually safe to drink the tap water. Huh? I would hope so being that I live in Canada, however there was the Walkerton incident; but I refuse to live my life in fear of tap water.

I'm sure the spit-bunnies from everyones bottle tops touching the spout on the water cooler at work is more disgusting than the tap water I'm drinking.

This weeks theme is was provided by Beth at cloth and fodder.

This is...my favorite quote

2008-11-09T11:28:00.010-05:00

Always a Coconut!

Whenever something goes wrong, or not according to plan, for the Big Man and I we always look at each other and say in unison "Always a Coconut".

I have no idea how we ever started saying this but it has lightened up many a stressful situation....for example, sitting in an airport in Miami for 12 hours trying to get on standby flights every two hours, no luck...hence an "Always a Coconut" situation.

This weeks theme was provided by Ashely at strawberry kisses.

Kitchen Renovation

2008-11-04T07:15:00.010-05:00

Last week the Big Man and I were on vacation. For us, vacations are either spent on floating boats of endless food OR completing large home renovation projects. This time we decided to tackle our kitchen.

I fell in love with this picture I found in a Martha Stewart Living magazine-May 2008 issue. I had intended to use the inspiration for our bedroom makeover but decided to use it for the kitchen instead.

On the Saturday, we started by taking off all of the cabinet doors; sanding and prepping them for painting out on the back deck to keep the dust down in the house.

This is the mess we were left with. I have complained before that my cabinets are all in the wrong place, inaccessible and frustrating. If anyone has any organizational tips I'd love to hear them.

I have to say the one thing that made this whole project tolerable is the fact that we have an air compressor and various air tools. There is no way I would even contemplate brushing and rolling on melamine paint to 22 cabinet doors.

I sprayed one coat to the back of the doors and two coats to the front. Melamine paint is very smelly and is basically liquid plastic. In the last two pictures above, you can see how heavy the air was with paint mist. The respirator I have on is of very good quality and blocks particles and vapours.

I hand painted the trim on the cabinet facing.

We allowed the doors to dry for about 24 hours between coats. It took about two and a half hours to spray each coat. We worked in an assembly line fashion. My husband would bring out some unpainted doors to spray and then I would pass them up to him from the garage where he would then take them down to the basement to dry.

The temperature outside was comfortable for the first two coats of paint but on the Tuesday when we were spraying the final coat on the front of the doors is was really chilly. I think it was probably too cold to be painting outside; they spray gun kept jamming and the paint kept thickening up. In the end it turned out great but this was the only moment that I honestly almost started crying out of frustration.

2 years ago we went to Australia and New Zealand to visit my husbands family. At his cousins house they had this soap called Solvol in the bathroom. Every time I garden or do home renovations I break out the Solvol. It has little bits of scratchy stuff embedded in it that helps to scrape the gunk off your hands, plus it smells really nice and doesn't make your skin dry out. Crazy as it is, this is the best souvenir I brought home and it always brings back fond memories of that trip.

After taking Wednesday off to enjoy some vineyards at Niagara on the Lake we started on the wall paint. The Big Man is an excellent trim taper and paint cutter inner (two tasks that I hate) and I am an excellent roller. Together we're a great painting team!

This is after the first coat was done. I have to give a smoochy thank you to our friends Mr. Mister. They have a decorating business and use nothing but Sico Cashmere Paint. OMG this stuff is fantastic! It is more expensive than your average brand of paint but so worth the extra $20.00 a can. It has no smell, covers fully with two coats, does not "spit"when rolling, cleans up very easily, and dries to a perfect finish with no visible roller lines. I highly recommend this paint!

We used the air tools once again to add trim to the top and bottom of all the cabinet facings.

Almost there........

At the bottom of the cabinets we use added trim as well.

We added new door pulls.....hmmm, I just noticed that little blob of paint under the ledge. Thankfully you can't see it from up above and generally people don't lay on my kitchen floor so I should be OK!

We decided to add wall board to the side of all the exposed cabinet edges. This stuff is very inexpensive and is made of what looks like recycled cardboard and wood fibres. Once painted it looks like real wood and really added that something special!

See how great that looks!!

I also have to give a big Thank You to RONA located in South Whitby. At no extra charge they cut all of the bead board to our exact measurements. I had also gone back for an extra small can of paint to finish off the cabinets on the Monday night. I'd already purchased a small tin earlier in the day and brought it back with me so they could match the paint colour code on the label.

I couldn't find another small can on the shelf and asked for some help. The service girl checked their records which indicated that they had more in stock but she couldn't find it either. She asked if I had my bill, then she took back my already purchased small tin and replaced it with the large can at no extra charge!

The picture above shows the wall board and trim added to the sides and tops of the cabinets around the sink. I still have my crappy curtains but I'm hoping to replace them with California Shutters some time soon.

Since we spend a great deal of time in kitchen, we swapped out our TV from the bedroom because it is much bigger. Basically I just fall asleep listening to the news in bed so it seemed such a waste not to enjoy the big screen in the kitchen especially since we have an HD satellite box and HD cables.

I plan on painting my buffet hutch, kitchen table and chairs all a dark chocolate brown in the spring in order to complete the look. Our total cost for everything was $408.00 along with a ton of hard work. We are both so very happy with the end result.

It might not have been a cruise but the week was filled with good food, wine, cheesy horror movies and great dancing tunes. Thanks Big Man I couldn't have done it with out you!! XOXO

This is...a favourite recipe I'd like to share

2008-11-02T00:05:00.000-04:00

Well the kitchen renovation is DONE! I'm working on the post and should have it up by Tuesday. Until then, here is my weekly "This is..." entry asked by Angela at Three Buttons.

I'm not suggesting this is my favourite recipe, but it's the recipe requested by the Big Man this afternoon.

The recipe is here: E.D. Smith Pumpkin Pie

The Pie Crust recipe is from Smitten Kitchen and can be found here. I have used it before for my very first pie ever.

Making the pumpkin pie custard filling.

And just another picture because it looks so pretty!

My favourite recipe would be "Pork Chops in Mushroom Soup" with mashed potatoes on the side. The recipe is pretty much Pork Butt Chops with a tin of Campbell's mushroom soup dumped on top and baked in the oven. Easy eh?

Now, if you paid really close attention to the pictures above you might be able to spot some of the kitchen changes!

This is...something I'm surprised I like

2008-10-26T18:40:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure how I started eating these sandwiches; but I love a toasted Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwich.

Picture from: Roadfood.com

Every now and then the Big Man and I go out with a friend of ours for "Breakkie". I almost squeal with delight when a restaurant has the little packets of peanut butter; not all do. OMG I can not describe to you how much I love this concoction of greasy, salty, peanutty goodness.

I know your thinking EWWWW, but try it, I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised...let me know! Quilting Newbie you may want to pass on this one....ha ha!

This weeks question was asked by Victoria at "Earl and Cookie".

Brown Sugar Buttons

2008-10-24T21:20:00.002-04:00

Well, I feel bad that I haven't posted since Sunday. It has been a super busy week for me. I went to the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival on Sunday and worked on a Bunny Rabbit Halloween costume for the daughter of one of the Girls at Work.

The Big Man and I are on Holidays this coming week. I wish I could be packing for a cruise somewhere but alas hard work is planned. We are doing a severe kitchen makeover which should take us all week.

BROWN SUGAR BUTTONS

I thought I'd leave you with a quick and EASY cookie recipe I found in my Canadian Living magazine. Sometimes they include little cooking pamphlets; this one was by "Simply Homemade".

Recipe here: Brown Sugar Buttons

My only suggestion is to bake them for about 12-13 minutes. I've already made the recipe twice and will keep it in my collection of favourites.

Don't forget to follow Lauren from The Blonde Excuse and her fellow "What Now Wanderers" on their exciting journey.

This is...my favourite film

2008-10-19T08:00:00.009-04:00

This weeks question has been asked by Hollie at Hokey. My absolute hands down favourite film is "Sixteen Candles".

I remember my Mum and our next door neighbour Abbey took me to the Pickering Town Centre Cinema to see it when I was about 12 years old. I'm sure the rating must have been at least an AA14+ show but I non-stop begged, and begged and begged for her to take me.

I clearly remember the shocked gasp of air that left my mother the minute Molly Ringwald stood on the stairs and exclaimed "I can't believe it. They fucking forgot my birthday"! HA, HA CLASSIC!

It all went downhill from there for my poor catholic hearted Mum; between Jake's girlfriends boobs in the shower, to Long Duc Dong, hard Chapstic on Sam's leg and the birth control pill breath mints. I'm sure she must have felt it was one of the worst parenting decisions she ever made!

Don't worry Mum it was the BEST decision you ever made! I freaking love this movie and know every single line by heart. I still have a secret girl crush on Molly Ringwald. Thankfully even she got a a little pudgy with age!!

Final Round Robin Border

2008-10-16T20:25:00.003-04:00

I met up with the girls on Thanksgiving Monday to trade off on our final Round Robin swap.

The border I added starts from the solid green out to the blue and red checkerboard. Ugh, this looks pretty simple however it took me the better part of Saturday afternoon and ALL of Sunday to complete this in time. I swear I am the worst procrastinator in the world.

I enjoyed participating in this Round Robin. It was fun picking out the fabric choices, but I found it really hard to design my own border patterns. I'm more of a follow a pattern kind of girl. If I was going to consider participating in something like this again, I would prefer to do a block of the month challenge where you just basically follow a pre determined pattern.

I'm not sure who's quilt this is but if it was mine I would name it "Hollie Hobby" because of the colour choices and pattern layout.

Check out what Jocelyn at "Rock Star Diary" just made. I absolutely love stained glass and her craft-work is just beautiful. I think that quilting and stained glass have a lot in common; it's like a puzzel of glass compared to a puzzel of fabric.

Do you think Kraft peanut butter would be interested in hiring my Girl for quality checking? I really think she needs a job....all this sitting around and napping all day can't be good for her!

2008-10-13T00:18:00.003-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!

1. Happy Thanksgiving, 2. Charlie Brown and Ball, 3. Opinionated Turkey, 4. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 06, Turkey - MDPNY20061125, 5. 22 November 2007, 6. Gobble Gobble - Happy Turkey day!, 7. WOODY & helpers......, 8. "gobble, gobble" -- Happy Thanksgiving, Canada! (20070930-145408-PJG), 9. let the pilgrims and indians live together in peace and harmony

I hope all my fellow Canadians have a very Happy Thanksgiving! I have been very busy this weekend finishing off my last Round Robin Quilt Border. I'm also working on some Baby Burp Cloths for one of my husbands co-worker AND a Bunny Rabbit costume for Halloween for one of the girls at work.

Please don't forget that Tuesday is Election Day in Canada! Get out there and......VOTE!

Weekend She-nanegans!

2008-10-07T22:17:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday my friend Marilyn invited the "Girls" over for dinner and drinks. We all brought a little something. I decided to bring "Macho Nacho Dip".

I caught a show on Food Network Canada called "Eat, Shrink and be Merry" the other morning while doing the treadmill. The premise of the show is they find a dish that is typically not good for you and give it a healthy make over. This episode centred around the famous Layered Nacho Dip that always seems to make an appearance at parties.

It took a bit of time to make because there are 5 steps to the dish but hoo-boy was it worth it. YUMMY, and nutritionally good for you as an added bonus. Take the time to check out the recipe above; very interesting how they manipulate the ingredients to make it better for you.

Dinner consisted of Lasagna, BBQ Chicken Breasts, Asian Noodle Salad, Veggies and Dip, with Fruit dips and Squares for dessert. It all went down with with a few of the below........

...which eventually led to girls who looked this silly by two in the morning.

OMG...what the hell is going on with my chin?

My cousin Chris from New Brunswick confirmed indeed that Aunt Rita still makes the Red Pepper Relish. This is her new batch from last week....I love Aunt Rita, she's over 90 and look at the spread she lays out!

The Exciting News

2008-10-06T06:54:00.002-04:00

So after 3 weekends of back and forth it's a signed deal. I'm so excited to share that my parents have bought a Condo in the same town as us.

About nine years ago my parents moved to a town about an hour away. That might not seem far, but when you have your own responsibilities to take care of, I don't get to see them as often as I would like. If you factor in that they also go to their place in Florida from October to April, on average I only see my parents about 5-8 times a year.

It's going to be great to have them so close to home. I'm already envisioning home cooked dinners, shopping trips, movies, arts and craft days. The best part of all is DOG-SITTER! My girl is getting older so it will be really handy to have someone to let her out on the days when the Big Man and I are both working afternoons.

Their condo is being built by Kaitlin Group in their community called "Mainstreet Brooklin". Their unit is called "The Brentwood I" and is located on the 3rd floor in the Dynasty Building. If everything goes according to plan, they should be moving in September 2010.

Congratulations Mum and Dad and welcome to the neighbourhood!

Red Pepper Relish

2008-10-03T19:20:00.005-04:00

Come see what these lovely beauties became!

My Mum gave (cough, OK I might have stole it when I left home) a fantastic old cookbook called "The Canadian Catholic Ladies Treasured Family Recipes". Inside is a recipe for Pepper Relish that my Mum has amened the ingredients and renamed "Aunt Rita's Red Pepper". Now if you know my mother, she NEVER follows a recipe, she's always gotta tweak it!

Here's our friendly group of ingredients. My friend Quilting Newbie came over last Sunday to supervise, gab and join me for dinner.

Vegetables all nicely washed, pre-cut and ready to go through the food processor.

Onions and Peppers fresh out of the processor. Stinky!

Onions and Peppers after their "presoak" in boiling water and squeezed dry.

All the ingredients gently boiling away. MMM-HMM, how can the smell of home made relish be so good? I think it must be something that comes with age and appreciation. When I was a kid my Mum would make "chili-sauce". Ugh, back then I used to whine and complain that it stunk! (Sorry Mum!! PS if you feel like making some, I'm more than willing to help this time)

Look at that! A thing of beauty!

This Red Pepper Relish is great with cheese and crackers and we really love it beside roasted meats. It's great added to ground meat for burgers and cocktail meatballs. From beginning to end I would say took about 2 hours and was really fun to make.

Aunt Rita's Red Pepper Relish

8 large red peppers

5 medium onions

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 Tbs. salt

1 tsp. celery seed

Wash and prepare onions and peppers to run through food processor with coarse grating blade. Place chopped peppers and onions in pot and cover with boiling water from kettle and let sit for 5 minutes; then drain very well.

Place drained onions, peppers and remaining ingredients in pot. Bring to a gentle boil for 15 minutes. Pack in hot sterilized jars. Makes 3 pints.

This is...show off time!

2008-09-28T18:58:00.010-04:00

This weeks theme was provided by Katie at May The Cloth Be With You. She asked us to "show off" something that you are proud of.

I was dumbstruck by this question all week. I know that I'm a great person and have many talents; however when it comes to tooting my own horn, I'm not really my best cheering section. The following answer actually came from my Big Man -- he's my best cheering section ever!

I am most proud of having walked 60 KM on September 8-9, 2007 in the Toronto weekend to end breast cancer.

ME AND MARILYN - IN THE RED TRIANGLE

OMG this is the hardest thing I have ever trained for. It practically took over my life for nine months. Every day I would walk 5-8 KM on my own; then on the weekends Marilyn who was my partner in this adventure, together we would walk 20 KM on Saturday AND Sunday!

Marilyn and I had great support from all our family, friends and co-workers. There were poker tournaments, bake sales, raffles and puppy dog eyes. Together we raised over $4,500.00 for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.

I'm off to watch the new season of The Amazing Race, I love this show! Oh, I know that many of you are still wondering about the big news -- to update, things are still going back and forth between the Lawyers, any guesses yet?

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2008-09-25T18:25:00.002-04:00

As much as I love the summer, I adore fall.

It must be the creative part of my being that loves it so much. To see the beautiful show of colour that nature changes with each day's display is just breathtaking. Plus having to shave my legs less is an added bonus!

1. Autumn Web, 2. fall leaf from Toronto, 3. http://flickr.com/photos/92249513@N00/634471160/, 4. spring or fall?, 5. This Spider Had Her Web Bedazzled, 6. Batman., 7. DODO'S NEW BED, 8. autumn's heart, 9. Autumn's colours !, 10. My Fall guy, 11. Busted!!, 12. All Smiles, 13. Untitled, 14. P1040201, 15. P1040173, 16. 10 minute a day

Click on the #16 10 minute a day picture link....HILARIOUS!

Not sure if everyone knows how to create the above mosaic but the program can be found over at Big Huge Labs. I really enjoy just randomly browsing Flickr and have added the "Photo of the Minute" gadget to my igoogle page. Don't have igoogle set up yet? Well now, you better find some more time to waste in your day (tee hee).

I promise the exciting news is still forthcoming and I should be able to divulge the details by this Saturday. As a hint, I'm waiting for the legal work to finish up.

This is...what I want to be when I grow up.

2008-09-22T08:23:00.007-04:00

Tardy, tardy, tardy....I was supposed to have this posted yesterday but I do have VERY exciting news to tell you about. You'll have to have some patience and wait just a few days before I can divulge all the details. Till then, have fun guessing what's up!

Until then, Bug and Pop asked this Sunday's question which was what do you want to be when you grow up. I'll be the first to admit that I have never really had much ambition career wise. Sadly, I have worked for the same company since 1988.

BUT IF I had ever had the experience of going on a Cruise Vacation prior to completing High School you would have found me on a dock the day after graduation!

My first cruise was for our honeymoon in 2000. We went on a 7 day Caribbean Cruise. These pictures are when the boat was just coming into the Bahamas by the Atlantis Hotel.

Our second cruise was a 7 day to Alaska in May 2004. This was a beautiful cruise, very picturesque. The seas were very rough on this cruise. On this ship, the promenade deck was open at both the front and the back of the boat. My favourite memory is being at the front of the ship one morning. As the boat rose in the waves, it was like you were weightless, as soon as it dropped, it was like your knees were being crushed. It was the best amusement ride EVER! The waves were so rough even the staff was sick!

My most recent cruise was a 12 day Canada-New England out of New York last October. Again, what's not to love about this. It was close to home, the weather was crisp and the fall colours were at their peak. We did tons and tons of walking on this trip. I fell in love with New York and Boston and definitely want to visit these cities again.

I have so much respect for anyone that works on cruise ship. They are worked to the bone, have very long days (and let's face it have to listen to people complaining all the time). But if you look past all this, they have a great community on board. They have social areas designated just for them. They eat the same food as the guests and they get days off to enjoy the sights and see the world along with the passengers.

Hmm, hard work = free food, lodging and pay while seeing all corners of the world....count me in!

Friday Flyer and Fine Wine Night

2008-09-19T21:10:00.007-04:00

I'm cheating a little bit with tonight's entry since yesterday was such a special treat for me. You might not know that I work straight afternoons. Due to some appointments I was able to have dinner with my Big Man! We decided to have Greek take-out and this bottle of Cave Spring 2006 Gamay wine that we had been saving on the "special" side of our wine rack.

Mmm. this wine was delish! It is very light in colour and taste. It gives a nice little buzziness on your tongue. Even though it's a red, I think chilling it very lightly would increase the enjoyment factor. I easily recommend as a perfect selection for "Friday Flyer and Fine Wine Night".

Below is the write up from the LCBO, price point is $13.05 for 750 mL

Tasting Note: Light ruby red colour; lots of fresh red and black cherry aromas with hints of smoked meat and spice on the nose; dry, medium bodied, with round, ripe berry fruit flavour and crisp finish.

Serving Suggestion: Quite versatile; roast turkey and cranberry sauce; grilled salmon steaks; roast pork, pizza; cold meats.

Tomorrow I'm off for another swap of the "Round Robin" quilt exchange. I'm so excited; it will be our last pass/border before we get back our original blocks! Here is a picture of the 3 inch border that I added to this last quilt.

3 INCH BORDER OF ROUND ROBBIN

Week 10 of 32point5 plan

2008-09-15T21:22:00.003-04:00

Sept 13, 2008 after 4 mile jog!

Wow, week ten already!?

I sadly admit that I did not meet my weight loss goal of losing 1 pound per week. But in consolation, I am down 8.6 pounds which is great considering I ate a big chunk of this on the weekend.

Since the last update at week 5, I have walked/jogged another additional 140 KM (aprox 87 miles). I've also started lifting free weights, skipping rope and punching/kicking a hanging weight bag. In measurement I have not lost any more inches so the total still stands 8 inches lost. It's so scary how I can see a fitter body that's just padded with little pats of fat here and there. The texture of my skin and it's appearance has changed, generally I feel a firmness that was not there before.

I'm still super positive about the 32point5 plan and know it will work out the way I want it to. I'm incredibly happy with how well the blog has come along and with the new people I have met through it.

Thanks to everyone for dropping by and providing words of encouragement. I especially want to thank my Big Man for being the best cheerleader ever! 10 more months to go.......

This is...what I do with a spare 10 minutes

2008-09-14T16:06:00.001-04:00

I have no children (Don't be sad, it's by choice. We're far too lazy to have offspring!) so I am more blessed than others with the occasional spare 10 minutes. However when it occurs, this is what I love to do.

Oh how I so love to sit down with a good cup of something--today's beverage is coffee since it might look really bad to the neighbours to be cracking out the red wine at 8 AM--and read some magazines.

These are some of my favourite magazines:

Food and Drink which is a free publication produced by our government liquor store the LCBO.

Canadian Living excellent all around magazine. So much better than Chatelaine who declares you a winner and awards you a great prize that never shows up...crapbags! I'll never forgive you for that nor read your magazine again EVER!

BHG American Patchwork and Quilting, especially the bi-annual "Quilt Sampler". Their web page takes a bit to load, but if you like quilting, worth the 10 second wait.

I also have a book there from the Library. I love the Library as geeky as it seems. Did you know they have Books, Magazines, Newspapers, movie DVD's and music CD's. I figure if I'm paying so much in taxes to maintain a Library I might as well enjoy it. I like that they have an on line catalogue. I can browse from home, make my choices though the internet and then just pop by in the morning before work and they have them all nice and ready for me. How convenient is that!

Hope you can find the time to enjoy 10 minutes for yourself today. This weeks question was asked by Hoppo Bumpo.

Friday Flyer and Fine Wine Night

2008-09-12T22:26:00.002-04:00

Woo, hoo--Friday!! My paper boy has certainly smartened up lately and according to my husband he had a little girly-friend with him last collection day.

As I peruse all my lovely flyers tonight I'll be enjoying a glass of Peller Estates French Cross Malbec-Cabernet. Price point $10.95/1 L.

Don't be discouraged by the awful Tetra Pak. Surprisingly I have found some truly tasty wines that are being sold in this new type of packaging. Tetra Pak's are great for taking on the go since no corkscrew is needed and generally they won't break.

It also appears that Tetra Pak's don't seem to be spotted on x-ray like bottles are. This might be especially handy when your smuggling them onto a cruise ship. Don't ask me how I know this and I won't be forced to tell.

This is how Peller Estates described this wine:
Medium bodied with flavours of plum, spice, cherry and blackberry. Hints of chocolate and vanilla touch the palate. Serve with grilled burgers, red sauce pastas, stews, pizza and mild cheeses.

I found this to be a nice light, easy drinking, berry-type wine. I really enjoyed it and think it has the potential to become part of our "house wine" selection.

Baby Shower Gifts

2008-09-10T17:57:00.001-04:00

Last Sunday I went to a girlfriends Baby Shower. Her husband is my Big Man's very best friend since childhood.

Since we all know how much I love to surf blogs, I wanted to make some hand-made gifts from craft tutorials that I have found along the way.

I decided on a Diaper Changing Pad from "sewtakeahike" along with a Diaper & Wipes Wristlet from "Blessed Roots".

WRISTLET

Both were very easy to complete and the tutorial instructions are clear. I think the Wristlet is great however when I make it again, I think I will use Velcro instead of a button closure. When your struggling with a squirmy baby, Velcro can be a life saver for the easy open/close functionality.

DIAPER CHANGE PAD

I also gave her diapers, wipes and a gift card for Shoppers Drug Mart. Not to toot my own horn (toot-toot) but I'm pretty sure they were the hit of the gift opening part of the party!! Not too often do you find hand-made gifts given any more; best compliment of all was "I hate you damn sewers"!

This is...my favorite band of all time.

2008-09-07T11:15:00.005-04:00

"No Sleep Till Brooklyn".....Beastie Boys, nuff said.

OMG where to start, the year was 1986 and I was in grade nine. A band called the "Beastie Boys" came on the scene and totally changed the way we suburban kids listened to music, dressed and acted.

I remember being so in love (if that is possible at age 14/15) with a guy named Paul G. He had the actual vinyl album of "Licensed to Ill". I swear all of us in our group of friends made a "cassette tape" recoding off his album. Ahh, it's been nothing but good times I've been reflecting on since Wednesday when this weeks "This is" was supplied by CurlyPops.

Back in the eighties, there was rampant vandalism of VW's with kids stealing the hood emblems to hang from long chains copying the Beastie Boy style. It's kinda funny now that I live in a town called Brooklin and drive a Volkswagen. Thankfully the Big Man and I still love the Beastie Boys, their discs are always in constant rotation between our cars.

My favorite songs are "Paul Revere", "Sabotage" and "Ringfinger"--huh, what? Just testing, I had to throw in the Nine Inch Nails as well.

Baked Potato Skins

2008-09-04T21:25:00.000-04:00

The Big Man and I NEVER watch NFL football yet come Super Bowl Sunday we always have our own little party with bad-for-you snacks, drinks and the HDTV cranked up loud!

Last year for our party menu we included Potato Skins. OMG they are so freaking good....we just couldn't wait till next February's Super Bowl party, so we caved and made some last weekend. Come along and follow through the process and I can guarantee you'll be wanting some Spud Skins of your own next weekend!

BAKED POTATO SKINS

I found the recipe on All Recipes. Click on the following links for the "Baked Potato Skins Recipe" and instructions on how to make a "Perfect Baked Potato" -- the baked potato recipe alone is kick-butt!

INGREDIENTS

HOLLOWED OUT BAKED POTATOES

SPREADING ON THE OIL

ADDING THE CRISPY BACON

FINALLY THE CHEDDAR CHEESE

Now I do admit that these take a bit of effort. I usually bake the potatoes in the morning so they can cool down; then finish off the rest of the process later in the day. They are so totally worth the effort! So does anyone want to come over to my house to watch the Super Bowl next February 1st?

Labour Day

2008-09-01T14:30:00.000-04:00

Ahhh.....I love statutory holidays! Nothing is ever so bittersweet as the last long "Labour Day" weekend of the summer. Years ago it used to be the excitement of going back to school....now I just think "Crap, another summer gone already"! ?

I had promised a wine review and WOW this one is a WINNER!

SUSANA BALBO SIGNATURE MALBEC 2006 -- $22.95

I'll let you read what the LCBO had to say about it first:

Tasting Note - Rich and polished, with almost gushing raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry fruit that's harnessed by suave toast, spice and licorice notes. Long, well-rounded finish has nice buried acidity. Drink now through 2010. Score - 91. (James Molesworth, www.winespectator.com, Web Only, 2008)

OK, leave right now and get a bottle (or two) of this wine. We have a great guy that works in the Vintages section of our local LCBO. My Big Man really wanted to try a "Malbec" and so he recommended this wine. Ugh, fantastic, the taste, smell, everything! After each sip I swear could hear Susana softly singing my name begging me to take another sip!

Relaxing Afternoon

This wine would be fantastic all on it's own just as a treat while spending some quality relaxo time by yourself. Would be perfect split between friends.....save it for the one's you really like!

This is...my favorite fabric/craft supplies shop

2008-08-31T10:02:00.004-04:00

In response to this weeks question posed by Handmaiden, my absolute favorite fabric/craft supplies shop is Fabricland. Be forewarned before you click on the link to their site; it has a jingle song. I get caught lurking there EVERY time by my Big Man because of that stupid jingle!!

I also enjoy the following stores:

Michaeals is way overpriced but the 40-50% off coupons are great to use on magazines.

Quilters Cupboard is a very cute store and the owners are always very helpful.

Ultimate Sewing Centre I like because every meter of fabric in the store is only $12.00.

I've been a bit slack on the posting. I have been really busy; but also feeling just a smidge under the weather, nothing serious just a little tired at the end of the day. I do have a great wine review for you and an amazing recipe for "Baked Potato Skins" coming up.

Come back soon and I promise to be a better bloggy friend!

This is...

2008-08-27T18:05:00.004-04:00

I joined a meme group today called "This is...". It started over at Three Buttons last January.

Every Wednesday she will ask a member of the group to create a "This is..." statement. Today's was created by Hand Maiden: This is...your favorite fabric/craft supplies shop.

Each participant has until the following Sunday to create a blog post in response to the provided statement. I am super excited about this. It will provide me with a weekly post where you will learn something new and interesting about me; along with the opportunity to view other fantastic blogs! Whee!

Mmmm Saturday

2008-08-23T17:49:00.018-04:00

Today has been a great Saturday!! It started out with brisk 5 KM walk with my Girl. Then it was over to the Ultimate Sewing Centre for their "Huge Tent Sale". Did very well, picked up some lovely fabric, scraps and "mystery bags" for a total of about $40.00.

STASH ENHANCEMENT

My work is a total of 54 KM (33 Miles) from my house; and most of my friends do not live that close to me. A co-worker just recently moved two streets away from me. This afternoon she dropped by for wine (Rosemount Diamond Cab Sauv) and goodies. It was a wonderful afternoon and I think gained another great friend. You don't know how nice it is to have someone close to home, my age who loves to snack, drink and shop!

Mmmm, no calories when shared!

Earlier today I was discussing the format of our blogs with my friend "Quilting Newbie". She was upset that my blog had not been updated lately and requested to see a food post. I think I am going to share my recipe for "Sweet Potato Chili"...I know sounds yucky but on the contrary is very yummy!! Recipe at bottom of post......

INGREDIENTS

SWEET POTATOES

CHILI ROUX

ADD TOMATOES & POTATOES

ADD PEPPERS AND BEANS

SWEET POTATO CHILI

Within each season the Longo's grocery store sends out a magazine in the local paper. Basically it showcases thier new products but also has recipes. I only ripped out the page, but is probably from thier fall promotion of 2006.

Sweet Potato Chili

A chunky orange chili is a nice option for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. Serve this warm comfort dish with fresh Longo's bakery biscuits after a cool evening out or after the hockey game (tell me their not trying to market to Canadian's eh?). Make it ahead and reheat for an easy and quick meal.

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup vegetable stock

3 sweet potatoes, cubed

1 can diced tomatoes DO NOT DRAIN (28 oz/796 ml)

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (19 oz/540 ml)

1 green pepper, diced

Salt and Pepper

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon for five minutes or until softened. Sprinkle with flour and cook stirring for one minute. Add stock and stir until smooth.

Add sweet potaotes and tomatoes, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes or untill amlomst tender. Add beans and green pepper and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Makes 4 servings, 5 WW points per serving or about 250 calories, only my caluculations.

Last Weekend

2008-08-19T23:28:00.004-04:00

On Saturday I met up with my friend T and Quilting Newbie. Together we are all part of a Round Robbin Quilting group. To participate, you make you own centre square and then each month your square is passed along to another member in the group to add borders of varying width. This was our 3rd border of 5 inches. I added all the blue coloured fabrics.

ROUND ROBBIN

On Sunday I felt like having a nice Greek dinner so I invited my friends T and J over (you met them previously) along with my girlfriend M and of course my Big Man and dog.

PARTY SNACKS

We started off with some drinks, red pepper hummus, pita, crackers, olives and nuts. For dinner we had homemade BBQ'd Pork Souvlaki, Tzatziki and Greek Style Potatoes.

GREEK STYLE POTATOES

These potatoes are SO GOOD. I found the recipe a few years ago on "All Recipes". I used fresh Thyme and Rosemary snipped from my herb garden. I suggest making enough so you have enough leftovers to fry up in the morning for breakkie!

For desert I wanted something nice, light and easy to prepare. I had bought some Ontario peaches from the Brooklin Farmers Market the day before. I thought they would be nice grilled on the BBQ.

GRILLED PEACHES

I served each bowl with two peach halves and a splash of Icewine. I think they turned out really tasty and were the perfect end to a fun afternoon with friends.

A LITTLE SHOT ON THE SIDE AS WELL

CITRONELLA LAMP

Mosquitoes were out in full force, not sure if these lamps actually work or not but they sure do add a nice ambiance to the night sky. The bug spray was passed around like a fine cologne.

ROSES FROM M.

M gave us lovely flowers and wine; while J and T brought along a fantastic bottle of wine from their collection brought back from their last trip out to British Columbia.

Smooches and Thanks to all of you for a fantastic Sunday Supper.

The Hills

2008-08-18T17:32:00.000-04:00

I was all prepared to sit down tonight and create a lovely entry surrounding my weekend activities.....HOWEVER; I just remembered a new season of The Hills starts tonight!

This is my absolute favourite show of mind numbing non-consequential-crap! Trust me ask my poor husband, he only suffers through it to watch Jessie and Dan on the after show on MTV...check it out.

Sorry friends, looks like you're gonna have to wait till tomorrow!!

Ireland, I miss you

2008-08-13T23:15:00.008-04:00

I don't have any vacation left until the end of October. Since nothing exciting is going on other than the regular day-to-day stuff, I thought I would take a walk down memory lane.

From October 2-16, 2004 I went on a "Fascinating Pilgrimage Tour of Ireland".....in other words a bus trip with a bunch of "churchies". I went along with my Mum (bless her Catholic heart) my Aunt and about 40 other people. I was a bit leery about the "seriousness" of the trip. HA! I was pretty much hammed for 14 days straight!! Thanks Churchies great trip!!

Below is a statue of Daniel O'Connell. It was surrounded by construction while we were there.

This picture was taken on O'Connell Street in Dublin. You can see in the background the Spire of Dublin along with the statue above.

Downtown Dublin is separated in by the River Liffey, with bridges to connect the two sides of the city. Dublin is so cosmopolitan! Everyone is dressed smartly while the food, shopping and scenery is fab.

St. Patrick's Cathedral located in Dublin.

The beautiful Irish countryside. Not sure where this was but basically, this it the view most of the time.

Along with smatterings of old churches and cemeteries everywhere. Ireland has a reputation of poor weather conditions. EVERY day was sunny, crisp and lovely. It only rained on the day we left, we figured Ireland was just so sad to see us leave.

I absolutely loved all of the gravestones each one was so beautiful. The Celtic Cross inspired especially. When I go back I am going to take paper and make rubbings, would be fantastic framed.

On to Blarney Castle in County Cork. This was so much fun. Of course no elevator, so it was all uphill and straight up teeny-tiny steps. I was very proud of my Mum, she did not kiss the stone but made it all the way up to the top.

Below, see that little open part near the top, middle section, that is where the Blarney Stone is.

And here's me coming up from the big smooch! Kind of disgusting if you really think about it....so many people have kissed the Stone of Eloquence (Blarney Stone) that it has been rubbed smooth. It was like kissing cold glass. Folklore states kissing the stone will give you the "gift of gab"; not sure how well it worked on me, usually not chatty till my 3rd drink!

Next stop was the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. Breathtaking. Pay attention to the white shelf of rock in the first picture.

This is the view of that rock shelf from the other side of the cliff. See the crazy people standing near the ledge. Of course I was one of those crazy people. Your not supposed to walk beyond an enclosing fence, everyone did though. Needless to say a few unlucky souls tumble from the cliffs every year as they naturally erode and fall off. It was not until I looked at the pictures later that I noticed how stupid it was.

A nice view of the City of Galway.

A Master at Waterford Crystal.

We visited Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Killarney, Galway, Knock and then back to Dublin.

The whole trip was fantastic, our bus driver was hilarious and made the whole trip with all his witty remarks and information. The food was gourmet quality and every hotel was gorgeous. For my flight, hotel, meals and attraction admissions; I think I paid around $2,000.00. Worth EVERY PENNY! I miss you Ireland, don't worry, I'll be back some day.

Week 5 of 32point5 Plan

2008-08-11T22:13:00.002-04:00

Since it is the beginning of week 5 for the 32point5 plan I though it was about time I threw out some numbers to show that I have made progress:

I have walked 100 km (62 miles--txs SD) in the last 29 days
My last timed walk/jog of 5 km came in at 40:40 down from 47:00
Lost 5.8 pounds in 28 days
Lost 8 inches total from Bust, Waist, Hips, Thighs and Arms (BWHTA)

Meh, OK I guess. Obviously need to try a bit harder for the next big update which will come at the start of week 10.