In My World

I can't believe I forgot to post this page . . . my favourite one for October. The prompt was Music.

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.

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.

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 . . . a...

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...

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 ...

Total: 1 hr 15 min Cook: 1 hr 15 min Yield: 8 servings Level: Easy Ingredients Cooking spray 3 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 1/3 cup honey 1 large egg 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger Kosher salt 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans 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 b...

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 th...

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 mi...

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

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 wa...

Ballet Shoes 3 x 6" $3.50 BUY May not be exactly as shown.  Each piecing is individually handmade.

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? 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 ...