Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Monday, October 30, 2017

Art Journal finishes in October 2017

I have been following a Facebook group called Art Journal Prompts for a while and just started following their 2017 prompts.

#1 is Your Word for 2017


and #2 Texture


As you can see, my plan is to take each prompt literally.  I used paint and then a coating of crackle and lots of fine glitter.  Fun and simple.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Union Burger

My grandmother and I were out doing some serious shopping when we realized it was way past lunch time.  We decided to try I talked her into trying Union Burger.  I'd heard mixed reviews but, like usual, wanted to find out what they were like for myself.





Nanna said she really enjoyed her lunch but could only eat half.  She wrapped up the rest to take home for later.

I did enjoy my lunch as well.  The 1/4 pound combo is $4.99.  The burger is okay, the fries are pretty good, the decor is rather eclectic and the staff is excellent.  I don't know that I would go again to eat there because, although the music was good, it was way TOO loud.

They also need to go after the contractor that put in their windows.  There was a puddle of water under each window.  That's just wrong.

So next time I need a snack I may just pop back in to Union Burger.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

#*+@+#%^!! Roundabouts!!!

Despite the title of this blog, I actually love roundabouts.  They make sense to me.  They are safer than intersections.  Traffic flows smoother.

And that is why I don't understand the number of people I hear complaining about them.

I'm going to assume that "those" people just haven't taken a moment to figure them out.  Not that they actually require a lot of figuring out since there are lots of arrows and signs to assist you around.

And yet we watched someone absolutely crawl around the new roundabout at the bottom of Talbot Hill this morning like they were driving on eggshells.  Apparently my passenger watched someone drive around the roundabout in the wrong direction the other day.  Here's what is actually cool about that . . . no one ended up in an accident because they could actually see what was going on because it is a roundabout.


The City of St. Thomas has lots of resources on their web page to help you make sense of roundabouts . . . although the map they speak of is apparently missing (maybe it is something about my computer???).  Check it out http://stthomas.ca/roundabouts.


Monday, October 23, 2017

Homemade Turkey Soup

Prep  30 MIN
Total  2 HR 55 MIN

Servings10



Ingredients

Carcass from cooked 10- to 12-lb turkey
3 quarts (12 cups) water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning or dried sage leaves
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
3 medium carrots, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
3 cups cut-up cooked turkey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Break up turkey carcass to fit 6-quart Dutch oven. Add water, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and bay leaf. Heat to boiling over high heat; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 1 hour 30 minutes.

Skim off any residue that rises to the surface. Remove bones, meat and bay leaf from broth; cool. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and cut into bite-size pieces; set aside. Discard bones and bay leaf.

Skim fat from broth; discard. Add turkey meat cut from bones to broth; stir in barley. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in carrots, onion, celery and 3 cups cooked turkey. Simmer uncovered 20 to 25 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables and barley are tender. Stir in parsley.

Delicious!

Sunday, October 22, 2017

2017 Craft Space Organization Challenge Take 2 ~ Challenge #10

So how did you make out with Challenge #9?

I didn't realize how far I was behind in organizing sketches and technique ideas.  I'm all caught up now!


Are you ready for Challenge #10 ~ The Final Challenge?


THE FINAL CHALLENGE!!!

Many of us have fallen victim to the lure of scrapbook swaps among local and online groups. All the hours, material, creativity, and postage costs make these items difficult to purge. But let's face it . . . not everything is YOUR style, you are NEVER going to use some of it. It's time to make S.P.A.C.E.

SORT: Keep only what you love.  If the colour or style does not make you smile, it must go.  Keep only what is significant to you - don't keep the soccer page swap items if your kids are into hockey and dance.  Sort into: KEEP, TRASH, SELL, DONATE

PURGE: Pack up the DONATE pile and give it to a beginner scrapbooker who might appreciate these items.  Throw out the TRASH pile.  Bag up and assign a price and your initials to the SELL items and put them directly into the garage sale box.

ASSIGN: sort your KEEP items into categories, theme, holiday, colour, whatever makes sense to you.  

CONTAINERIZE: Store your keepers in page protectors by theme in binders, or get them into giant ziplocs to create page kits for your next cropping session.


EQUALIZE: next time a swap arrives in the mail, take a few minutes to toss or give away what you know you'll never use, create a page kit for your next cropping session, or put in a page protector in your swap binder for storage.

At one point in my scrapbooking life I participated in a ridiculous number of swaps.  Not any more . . . So I can say that Challenge #10, for me, is done.  

I'm off now to get some serious crafting done . . . 

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Sweet Potato-Pecan Casserole

Sweet Potato-Pecan Casserole


Total:
1 hr 15 min
Cook:
1 hr 15 min
Yield:
8 servings
Level:
Easy


Ingredients

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mist an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot with a large steamer basket in place. Put the sweet potatoes in the basket, cover and steam until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and let cool slightly. Add the honey, egg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the nutmeg, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt; whip with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared baking dish.
Mix the brown sugar, pecans and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl; sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake until hot and beginning to brown around the edges, 40 to 45 minutes.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/sweet-potato-pecan-casserole-recipe-1973555

Mustard-Parmesan Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Total:
1 hr 15 min 
Active: 10 min

Yield:
4 servings 

Ingredients

2 large heads cauliflower
1 clove garlic, halved
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Position an oven rack in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, then trim the stem flush with the bottom of the head so the cauliflower sits flat on the prepared baking sheet. Rub the outside of each head with the cut garlic.

Whisk together the oil, 3 tablespoons mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a small bowl.

Put the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and brush the entire outside and inside with the mustard-oil mixture. Roast the cauliflower until nicely charred and tender (a long skewer inserted in the center of the cauliflower should pass through easily), 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let rest for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the parsley and Parmesan in a small bowl. Brush the outside of the roasted cauliflower heads all over with the remaining 1 tablespoon mustard and generously sprinkle with the Parmesan mixture.

Cut the cauliflower into thick wedges and serve on plates with a sprinkle of salt, lemon wedges and any extra Parmesan mixture.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

I have a daughter-in-law who does not like vegetables.  That same daughter-in-law had 2 servings of this very delicious vegetable dish.

Enjoy!



Total:
30 min Prep:
10 min Cook:
20 min

Yield:
4 servings Level:

Ingredients

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth

Directions

Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until beginning to crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and saute until heated through and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 3 minutes. Serve.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/brussels-sprouts-with-pancetta-recipe-1941791


Monday, October 16, 2017

Lemon-Maple Squash

One of the new recipes I tried for Thanksgiving.  Not bad at all!



Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
From: Food Network Magazine

Total:
1 hr Prep:
15 min Cook:
45 min

Yield:
8 servings Level:

Easy

Ingredients



Directions

Slice 4 pounds butternut or calabaza squash into thick wedges and remove the seeds. Place cut-side up in a baking dish. Combine 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/3 cup water, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper; pour over the squash and dot with 4 tablespoons butter. Bake 20 minutes at 350, then flip the squash and bake until caramelized and tender, 25 more minutes, basting halfway through.


Calories: 161; Total Fat: 6 grams; Saturated Fat: 4 grams; Protein: 2 grams; Total carbohydrates: 29 grams; Sugar: 11 grams; Fiber: 3.5 grams; Cholesterol: 15 milligrams; Sodium: 46 milligrams

Scrapbooking finishes in September 2017

The fan paper piecing is available at http://pamspaperpiecings.blogspot.ca/2016/09/asian-symbol-1.html


Helen challenged us to create a card while we were at Windswept.


Most of the leaves on the page are paper piecings which I distressed.  You can find them at http://pamspaperpiecings.blogspot.ca/2016/09/autumn-in-air.html


I love this adorable little duck paper piecing.  You can buy your own at http://pamspaperpiecings.blogspot.ca/2017/05/duck-with-bow.html

This spooky tree can be seen at http://pamspaperpiecings.blogspot.ca/2017/06/halloween-tree.html

Love the jack o'lantern paper piecings?
http://pamspaperpiecings.blogspot.ca/2017/06/jack-o-lantern-1.html
http://pamspaperpiecings.blogspot.ca/2017/06/jack-o-lantern-2.html
http://pamspaperpiecings.blogspot.ca/2017/06/jack-o-lantern-with-bat.html






You may recognize this layout idea and awesome paper if you are a fan of Close to my Heart.

This layout was made using the papers and embellishments from a recent swap.

Ballet Shoes


Ballet Shoes

3 x 6"

$3.50


May not be exactly as shown.  Each piecing is individually handmade.


Thursday, October 12, 2017

2017 Craft Space Organization Challenge Take 2 ~ Challenge #9

You may recall that Challenge #8 was organizing your paper cosmetics.   I have a rather large collection although I am pretty sure there are lots of you with even more.  But mine ARE organized.







So I am more than ready for Challenge #9 . . . 

Inspiration for scrapbook pages is everywhere.  But what is the best way to organize it so that it's actually USEFUL?

Image result for scrapbooking magazines

First consider cutting up your magazines and idea books, and only saving the ideas that you really plan to use. Magazines and idea books only sit on your shelves, they aren't really useful. It can take hours to go through your books to find the one layout you remember. Having your ideas in a condensed form, arranged in a way that makes sense to you is much more effective.  If you are able to cut up your magazines, here are some ideas for arranging them:
  • theme (holidays, birthday, babies, pets, travel etc)
  • number of photos used in the layout
  • journaling ideas
  • colours
  • quotes
  • techniques

Now that you've decided how to arrange them, where to store them?  A few ideas:
  • a composition book or some other kind of sketchbook: you can sketch in here and adhere page ideas into it It's also portable, so you can take it with you to crops!  
  • an index card box: adhere your ideas to index cards
  • idea file folders. Place your ideas inside file folders and label the index tab.  Store in a portable file box.  Add categories as needed.
·       binder with page protectors: tuck clippings into the page protectors

If you have decided you are NOT cutting up your magazines . . . 
SORT: Make sure that the magazines and books are still relevant to you. If you are holding onto magazines more than a year or two old, REALLY make sure they still interest you. Sort them into piles: KEEP, DONATE, SELL, TOSS

PURGE: Trash the TOSS pile.  Arrange immediate drop-off or pick-up of the DONATE pile. Bag up and assign a price and your initials to the SELL pile.

ASSIGN: sort your magazines/books by title/date of issue, and consider storing your books and magazines down low due to their weight.

CONTAINERIZE: store in boxes or magazine holders.

EQUALIZE: Consider getting varied colours of post-it flags, and setting up categories for ideas. Each time you get a new book or magazine, flag the pages you like according to your system, s
o that you an easily see from the outside of your books which one might have an idea applicable to the project you are working on.

Only one week left of our challenge . . . how's your space looking now?