In My World

Sweet and creamy, this low carb peanut butter mousse will help you keep those girl scout cookie cravings at bay! Prep Time 5 minutes Total Time 5 minutes Servings 4 servings Calories 301 kcal Ingredients ½ cup heavy whipping cream (more if needed to thin the mixture) 4 oz cream cheese (softened) 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (no sugar added) 1/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener ½ tsp vanilla extract Instructions In a medium bowl, whip the 1/2 cup of cream until it holds stiff peaks. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sweetener and vanilla. If your peanut butter is unsalted, add a pinch of salt as well. Beat until smooth. If your mixture is overly thick, add about 2 tbsp heavy cream to lighten it and beat until combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream until no streaks remain. Spoon or pipe into little dessert glasses. Drizzle with a little low carb chocolate sauce, if desired. Recipe Notes Nutrition In...

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 . . . Books and Magazines 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 that just sit on your shelves 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 tha...

I was Pinteresting this morning and found this adorable tutorial.  I am adding this to my to do list.  I will let you know how it goes. Ever since I made this Diy Instagram Mini Album I've been thinking about more ways of using and storing my printed photos. I thought about making another pocket notebook like this one but I wasn't quite sure and after a quick google for 'envelope albums' I found a couple of great tutorials for making accordion folding albums using envelopes. You can find them here and here . The thing I love about this accordion mini album is that no matter how much you fill/stuff your envelopes with photos this album will keep expanding. No more overstuffed albums. So, let's get started. SUPPLIES: Envelopes, Scrapbook paper, I used the Close Knit range from Crate Paper. Card stock or chipboard, Double sided sticky tape, Ribbon, Glue, Scissors. 1. Decide on how many envelopes/pages you want. 2. Open up your envelopes and lay them flat. Using ei...

I have loved Maggie Smith since I first saw her in  The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) .  She is one of my favourite actors of all time.  In  Keeping Mum (2005) , Dame Smith has the opportunity to play a fabulously quirky character, the new housekeeper.  You may find it hard to believe that she is a cheerful serial killer, but she plays the part perfectly.  You will find yourself cheering for her by the end, I promise. Rowan Atkinson plays an adorable but absentminded vicar in a village called Little Wallop.  One of the many things he has forgotten is to pay attention to his wife, played by Kristin Scott Thomas, so his wife decides to have a fling with her golf pro, played by Patrick Swayze.  Swayze is hysterically funny as he plays his part in the broadest possible way.  You actually feel that if you touch him you'll find his skin is slimy.  The daughter is a nymphomaniac with really poor choices in boyfriends and their son is a...

I LOVE Oscar which stars Sylvester Stallone as gangster Snaps Provolone who promises his dying father (played by the amazing Kirk Douglas) that he will go straight.  Troubles ensue when Snaps tries to keep his promise.  You will laugh your way through this impeccable farce and you will love the romantic ending where you finally get to meet the title character. Just say these words around me or my boys and you will always get a laugh . . . Sorry for the bad video image but it was the only one I could find. I am very sad that Oscar was not an award-of-some-type winner.  It was nominated in three categories at the Razzies but didn't even win there.  Oscar will always be a winner In My World.

2 tbsp olive oil 3 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned, cut into lengths 2 medium red onions, sliced 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp dried rosemary 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper Heat the oil in a large pot.  Saute all of the vegetables for 4-5 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients and saute for 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately. From The $10 Gourmet by Ken Kostick

How does it feel to know we are nearly done.  Your crafting space should be looking a lot better by now.  I bet you aren't opening 15 different containers while trying to find one item. Challenge #8       It is time to organize our "paper cosmetics": paints, inks, embossing powders, mists, and other products that add a little something special to our pages.  If you do mixed media art I bet your stock of paper cosmetics is pretty substantial.  Let's get started . . . SORT:  first go through each of these items and make sure your colours haven't expired.  Are ink pads still juicy?  Are lids still intact? Do paints still mix together when shaken? Are your chalks still intact enough to use?  Sort all of your paper cosmetics into TOSS, KEEP, SELL, DONATE PURGE:  Throw out the toss items.  Bag up and assign a price and your initials to the SELL pile, and put them immediately in your garage sale box.  Arrange for p...

Ingredients: 3 tbsp/45 mL olive oil 3 cups/750 mL diced onion (2 medium/large onions) 7 to 8 oz/198 to 227 g canned green chilies 32 fl oz (4 cups)/950 mL chicken broth made with Watkins Chicken Soup and Gravy Base 4 cups/950 mL shredded cooked chicken 2  15-oz/425 g cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed Juice from 1 lime 1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Organic Ground Black Pepper 1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Organic Chili Powder 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Organic Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Organic Crushed Red Pepper 1 tbsp/15 mL Ground Cumin 1 tsp/5 mL Oregano Leaves 1 tsp/5 mL salt, or to taste Optional Garnishes - fresh cilantro leaves, tortilla strips, chips, diced avocado, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream. Directions: To a large stockpot or Dutch-oven, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm. Add the onion, green chilies, and sauté for about 7 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir occasionally. Add the chicken broth made with Watkins C...

by   Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN Q. Do dry herbs and spices have the same nutritional benefits as their fresh counterparts or are they only good for flavor? A. It depends on which herbs and spices (and which nutritional benefits) you’re talking about! Cinnamon, for example, is only consumed in its dried form but powdered cinnamon has been shown to help modulate the rise in blood sugar after meals. Ginger can be used either as a fresh root or as a dried powder but either way, has anti-inflammatory benefits.  Same with garlic and onions. Dried spices like cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper all have high ORAC scores, which indicate antioxidant potential.  A teaspoon of these spices is comparable to a serving of blueberries or strawberries. Clearly, there is still plenty of nutritional benefit to be had from dried spices. The Difference Between Fresh and Dried Herbs When it comes to green herbs, some nutrients–and some flavor compounds–will inevitably be lost...

I have always loved cream soda. In fact when I was pregnant with baby #3 the only craving I had was "white" cream soda and salt and vinegar chips.  Apparently you can only get pink Cream Soda in Canada unless you are lucky enough to live in Quebec or Newfoundland and Labrador these days. How do you feel about cream soda, white or pink? "When it comes to creating playful memories with a burst of flavour, no drink satisfies quite like a Crush. Crush has been a classic beverage loved by every generation since 1916. Crush Cream Soda delivers a sweet, creamy goodness to your taste buds each time."

I served this soup for the first time on Thanksgiving Day.  All that was left in the bottom of the tureen was the tiniest bit of broth.  I'd say it was a hit. Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 40 mins Calories: 303 kcal Ingredients Meatballs: 1 lb ground beef OR ground pork (I used ground chicken) 1/2 cup crushed pork rinds OR almond flour 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp Italian seasoning 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 large egg Soup: 2 tbsp avocado oil (I used olive oil) 1/4 cup chopped onion 4 celery stalks chopped 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 3 cloves garlic minced 1 tsp dried oregano 6 cups chicken broth 2 cups riced cauliflower 2 cups packed spinach leaves Additional salt and pepper Parmesan for sprinkling Instructions Meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together the ground meat, crushed pork rinds, cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the egg and combine well using your hands. Form into 1/2 inch meatballs and place ...

Are you ready for   Challenge #7 ? Embellishments are some of the easiest things to buy. Everything looks so good, and you really believe you NEED everything! But embellishments are also one of the supplies most affected by trends. Careful consideration is really needed here. It's also important to find a system that will help you store all of your embellishments in a way that won't overwhelm you, yet also is visible enough that you don't forget to USE them.   Let's   S.P.A.C.E.   them. SORT : As always, bring all of your embellishments together. Touch every piece that you have and ruthlessly sort through them, deciding what to KEEP, TOSS, SELL, DONATE. PURGE : Immediately throw out the TOSS pile. Bag up and assign a price and your initials to the SELL pile, and put them in the garage sale box. Set up a drop-off or pick-up of the DONATE pile. ASSIGN : Sort through the KEEP pile in a way that makes sense to you. Some ideas for sorting your embellishments: 1) by c...

Are you ready for Challenge #6?   Let's talk about  Ribbons and fibres. There is no "right" way to store your ribbons and fibre.  The most important factor is that the system works for YOU.  First, let's make some  S.P.A.C.E. SORT:  Gather together all of your ribbons and fiber, and sort them into piles: KEEP, TOSS, SELL, DONATE. PURGE : Throw out the TOSS pile.  Immediately make arrangements for pick-up or drop-off of the DONATE pile.  Bag up, and assign a price and your initials to the SELL pile, and immediately put these in your garage sale box. ASSIGN:  Sort your KEEP pile into types/colours of fibre and ribbon.  If your ribbons are in a big wrinkled mess, take time now to give everything a pressing (careful with the heat, some synthetics may melt!). CONTAINERIZE:  Consider the space that you have, and the way that you work. Here are some ideas that work for both ribbons and fibres: 1) on those little cardboard bobbins...

I had a lot of fun watching this video for an interesting art journal page . . .  . . . and then I went ahead and made it my own.

The World's Fastest Indian  is based on a true story about a feisty old man who spends all his time working on his 1920s Indian motorcycle.  His friends and neighbours are inspired to  raise funds so Burt Munro and his Indian can travel to the United States and try to break a speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. When Burt (Anthony Hopkins) arrives in Los Angeles in 1967 he gets help from some very unlikely characters and is able to make his way to Bonneville, Utah.  Hopkins plays the part of Burt with naivete and down-under charm.  The story of his trip is truly enjoyable.   When Burt arrives at Bonneville he learns that he needed to preregister in order to run the salt flats.  Burt is not one to give up and his passion and charm draws supporters to his cause and he is allowed to run unofficially.   The story is amazing.  Anthony Hopkins as Burt Munro is charming.  The movie is long but I just didn't care. ...

These millennials didn’t vote in 2015. But they say this election is different By Sahar Fatima  Staff Reporter Sat., Oct. 5, 2019 Four years ago, the federal election didn’t captivate Sakeena Mahmood much. She tends to lean left, and was sure the wave of excitement around Justin Trudeau would land him the prime minister’s job, with or without her vote. “I was a bit younger too and didn’t understand that every vote actually matters a lot,” the Barrie, Ont., resident, now 26, says. “I never thought that this is going to be something which is going to impact me so much.” But then the Christchurch, New Zealand mosque shooting happened, and Mahmood was shaken. The suspect’s manifesto mentioned French far-right party leader Marine Le Pen and also praised U.S. President Donald Trump as a symbol for white identity. For Mahmood, that hit home the connection between politics and the hateful ideologies that can lead to violence. That realization is part of what’s now motiva...

Saturday, September 28, Dawn and I headed out on a road trip.  We didn't know how long we'd be gone because it was a drizzly, overcast sort of day.  Personally, I am fond of drizzly, overcast days because there are less people around and less line ups and generally a better time for me . . . LOL.  I know that isn't what the venues participating want. We started out at For the Love of Art in London ON and will definitely be coming back (because I have a ticket for an upcoming crop there).  Our friend, Sue Litke had a pop up scrapbooking store set up and we did some shopping (which Hal now knows about) and visiting.  It was really busy. And this is when we headed out to do the Fall Rural Romp.  First thing to note is that neither of us read the brochure closely in advance so we had no idea just how far afield we were going to be going.  I had told Hal we would probably only be gone a couple of hours if the weather got worse . . . but it didn't so we ...