Monday, March 30, 2020

Book Review ~ Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne ~ b


I am so glad I finally read Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne portrays Hester as a woman who is strong, faithful and true. When a moment of indiscretion is made public by the birth of her daughter, Pearl, she is sentenced, first to the pillory and then, to wear the letter A on her chest. Even in her shame and sorrow she remains remains strong and penitent. While she could have just sewn on a little A on her dress, she chose to embroider an extravagant A which she wore every day even after it was no longer required by the law.

I found myself really believing the characters even when I felt some of them were less than likable. I though Hester's long-lost husband was an evil person who played with the minds and emotions of Hester and the minister. I thought the minister was weak and shameful. He could have saved Hester but insteadd he let her live in shame and sorrow for many years, never admitting his part.

It is nice to read a classic novel where the woman is the strong character. Good for you, Hester!!

I wasn't sure what the last words of the novel meant so I looked it up online: The last words of the novel—ON A FIELD, SABLE, THE LETTER A GULES—describe a coat of arms on a shield. The sable field is a black background; gules means red. Thus on this shield, the coat of arms is a red letter (letter gules) appearing against a black background (sable field).

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Using Quotes in your Art Journal

Quotes are a great way to express what you’re feeling, but without the work of coming up with just the right words. In fact, pages made to showcase a favourite quote are the ones I like doing best.

Let me share a few examples:






Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Grilled Chicken with Caraway and Black Peppercorns


4 chicken thighs, bone-in, with skin 
1/2 tsp peppercorns, coarsely ground
1/2 tsp caraway seeds, coarsely ground
1 tbsp gingerroot, finely chopped
1-1/2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp paprika
1-1/2 tbsp canola oil
salt to taste
1/2 lime, quartered

The chicken must be marinated at least 6 hours before cooking.  The chicken may be cooked, using either an outdoor grill or by broiling in the oven.  (We used the grill)

Score the chicken pieces deeply using a knife to allow the marinade to penetrate, then arrange the pieces in a shallow bowl.

Grind the peppercorns and caraway seeds using a mortar and pestle or using a pepper mill or place the spices in a plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin.  Finely chop the ginger and garlic, then add them to the mixture.  Add the sugar, paprika and oil, then grind into a paste.

Spread the mixture over the chicken pieces, making sure to coat them well.  Cover the bowl with a plate and let the marinate in the refrigerator at least 6 hours or overnight.

Cook the chicken on a medium grill for about 20 minutes, basting with the marinade and turning the pieces once.  Alternatively, put the chicken on the rack of a broiler pan, then roast it in the oven under a preheated broiler 7-10 cm from the heat.

Season with a little salt and serve with lime wedges.

Makes 2 servings.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Six Words

Six Words!

Describe your life or current situation in exactly six words.


Image result for Covid


This shit is getting too real!

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Meatballs and Sauce

Remember the good ol' days when ground meat was cheap??

From the "Ground Beef Mini-Session" from Frozen Assets Lite and Easy by Deborah Taylor-Hough: 

Image result for meatballs and sauce

Meatballs and Sauce
Serves 6

1 cup dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup skim milk
2 pounds extra lean ground beef
1-1/2 cup grated zucchini
3/4 cup apple juice (or white wine)
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp oregano
32-0z. canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup water.

Mix bread crumbs and milk. Let stand 5 minutes. Add beef, zucchini, 2 tbsp apple juice, cheese, tomato paste and 1 tsp oregano. Mix well. Form into 36 equal meatballs. Spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray; heat. Add meatballs, cook over medium-high heat, turning as needed, until browned on all sides (about 10 minutes). Remove meatballs from skillet; set aside. In same skillet, cook remaining apple juice over medium-high heat, scraping brown bits from bottom of skillet. Add tomatoes, remaining oregano and water. Reduce heat to low; add meatballs. Simmer, covered, 30-40 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.

Per serving: 270.8 calories; 11.5 g fat; 15.8 g protein; 26.8 g carbohydrates; 40 mg cholesterol

Delicious!!!!

Monday, March 16, 2020

Woman's Work: Is there life after birth? by Sylvia Mulholland ~ b

Image result for Sylvia Mulholland's Woman's Work

An excellent read and I think Eva Tihanyi so I'll leave her to it . . . 

Sylvia Mulholland's Woman's Work will likely strike a chord with any woman who has juggled family, career, and home ownership and wondered in the process whether a course in time management might be not only helpful but essential. Mulholland, a Toronto lawyer and frequent contributor on women's topics to The Globe & Mail's Facts & Arguments page, knows of what she speaks. The novel is in many respects unapologetically autobiographical. Claire, the novel's protagonist, is a lawyer too. Her husband, like Mulholland's, is a plastic surgeon who used to play semi-pro hockey in Sweden. Fortunately, in this particular novel, the personal experience is put to good use.

The plot is rather simple. Claire is thirty-nine and married to Ben, who is seven years younger. After giving birth to her son Harry, she returns to work but not without trepidation. Ben has insisted on hiring as a live-in nanny Brita, with whose family he became acquainted during his stay in Sweden. She is a stereotypical Swedish beauty if there ever was one, and Claire's insecurity increases with each passing week. She hasn't been able to lose all her pre-maternity weight, she is chronically tired, falling behind at the office, worrying about a troublesome client, indulging her shopaholic tendencies, and becoming alarmingly forgetful. In the meantime, Ben and Brita are getting along far too well for Claire's comfort.

Mulholland's narrative voice is clear, confident, and at times laugh-aloud funny. The one notable weakness is in the plot itself, specifically, the resolution of the Ben and Brita relationship at the end. Fortunately, Claire herself is amusing enough to make the book a satisfying literary entertainment. 

-- Eva Tihanyi(Books in Canada)

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Movie Review: The Night Before the Night Before Christmas


I love Christmas movies. I watch quite a few every December.  But because it is Christmas I didn't have time to review many of them.

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas is a great Hallmark movie.  Just the right amount of silly drama and goodwill to all men . . . and women and kids and elves and Santa Claus'.

Santa Claus leaves the North Pole one day early and crash lands in the Fox family's back yard.  An important piece of equipment is broken on his sleigh and his bag of toys is missing, but Santa doesn't care because he's too busy trying to remember who he is.  Santa is taken in by the Fox family but only the young son believes he really is Santa.  Of course, by the end of the movie the whole family has learned that family is more important than anything else and they are able to help Santa regain his memory, find his bag of toys, repair his sleigh and send him off just in time to start delivering Christmas presents on Christmas Eve.

This movie, released in 2010, was filmed in Toronto.  The son, Toby Fox, played by Gage Munroe, was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 2011 for his work on this movie.


Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Spinach Couscous Salad

I love this recipe:


Image result for spinach couscous salad

1 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. couscous
1/2 c. Italian salad dressing
2 c. shredded fresh spinach
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 of 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts
Spinach leaves

In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to boiling; stir in couscous. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; add salad dressing. Cover and chill for 2 to 4 hours or until completely chilled.

Before serving, toss couscous mixture with shredded spinach, tomatoes and water chestnuts. Serve on spinach leaves. Makes 8 servings.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1843,155162-246194,00.html

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Ladies Night Journal Prompt ~ In the Theatre

What characters would you most like to play if you were in theatre?


Image result for carol channing



Could I be a favourite Broadway actor?  Because I would definitely pick Carol Channing, particularly as Dolly in Hello Dolly, every time.  

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Scrapbooking Trends for 2020

I found this interesting article online and decided to share it with you.  I am already starting to notice some of the trends they are talking about.  You will have to use Google translate to read the article.



Following a calendar – coming back to celebrating important events

The world gains momentum and it doesn’t want to stop. We are in a hurry every day, we don’t want to spoil any minute because there is so much to do! Luckily the society is more and more aware of the gist of rest, interpersonal relations and celebrating the important moments. Scrapbooking trends for 2020 are clearly showing the increase of interest to handmade keepsakes connected to a certain celebration. The society will branch off from sending drive-by wishes in phone messages or emails. Face to face meetings, personalized keepsakes and sentimental gifts will become the most important. This year, people who go into scrapbooking will not complain about the lack of clients on birthday cards and projects connected with Grandma’s Day, Mother’s Day or Christmas. The interest in handmade albums ( both those big ones with lots of photos and mini ones which can be carried in a handbag ) will also be bigger.


To read more . . . 

Sketch Challenge 7 Mar 2020 ~ 6 photos 2 page layout







Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Image result for pasta fagioli

1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey breast
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, halved and sliced
2 large stalks celery with leaves, thinly sliced
2 cans (1 pound each) unsalted tomatoes, crushed
 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tap crushed fresh garlic
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 cups beef broth
1 can (1 pound) navy or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
6 ounces elbow macaroni or ziti pasta

Place the ground meat in a 4-quart pot and brown over medium heat, stirring constantly to crumble, until the meat is no longer pink.  Drain off any excess fat.

Add the onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, seasonings and beef broth to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the beans and pasta to the pot, cover and simmer for 7 to 9 minutes or just until the pasta is al dente.  Be careful not to overcook as the pasta will continue to soften as long as it remains in the hot soup.

Makes 12 servings

from Secrets of Fat-Free Cooking by Sandra Woodruff

2020 Craft Room Organization Challenge #10 ~ Swaps

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 still working on that challenge.



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 . . . 

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Movie Review: Ugly Truth (2009)

Image result for the ugly truth

This movie stars two people I really enjoy watching -- Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler.  Simply put, they are very funny together.  This movie has absolutely no redeeming values and yet I smiled and chuckled all the way through it.  If you are looking for something simple and funny and romantic -- the perfect chick flick --  this is the movie for you.  

My biggest giggle of the movie was the kid with the controller.  That's all I'm going to say . .