Journal Prompt ~ 30 Sep 2021 ~ Personal Growth

 How have you grown this year?

101 Interesting Facts About Canada ~ The Oldest Brewery in North America

Not only is Molson the oldest brewery in Canada, it’s also the oldest Brewery in North America. Founded in 1786, it’s still one of Canada’s most popular beers.

From https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/12-of-the-oldest-breweries-in-the-world/

Founded in Montreal in 1786, the Molson Brewery is the oldest brewery in North America and continues to produce beer on the site of the original brewery.

On May 2, 1782, at the age of 18, John Molson left England for Canada, landing in Montreal on June 26. Shortly after his arrival, he began working at the Thomas Loyd brewery. He went on to purchase it in an auction in 1784. Not long after his arrival in Montreal in 1782, Molson sensed the market potential for beer in the then British colony. Prices for wine, rum and port were rising and an influx of English and Irish immigrants were particularly partial to beer. When he came of legal age, Molson used the money inherited from his parents to acquire a small brewery housed in a wooden building on the shores of the St Lawrence, just outside the fortifications of the burgeoning City of Montreal.

In 1785, he temporarily closed his business to cross the Atlantic in search of the modern equipment and ingredients. Upon his return, he offered the seeds free of charge to neighbouring Montreal farmers, who agreed to grow them to satisfy the brewery's need for malt. Molson delivered his first brew, an ale in 1786, only six weeks after taking the helm. Priced at five cents a bottle, his brew sold well.

Molson took advantage of the many business opportunities of the time. He quickly diversified his investments, opened a lumber yard and began issuing loans to local Montreal merchants. In 1816, the family enterprise began to take shape when founder John Molson entered into an association with his three sons, John, Jr., Thomas and William.

Although brewing proved to be Molson's most sustainable field of endeavour, other activities were added down through the company's lengthy history. Molson was the first company to own and operate a fleet of steamboats, which were used to transport people and goods between Quebec and Ontario. John Molson and his sons also founded the Molson Bank, which later merged with the Bank of Montreal.

In 1816, John Molson formed a partnership with his three sons – John, Thomas and William. It was Thomas who would eventually follow in his father's footsteps by continuing the Molson brewing tradition and upholding the high standards of quality. In 1903, inspired by the popularity of imported beers, Thomas’ grandson Herbert Molson and brew master John Hyde created Molson Export, an authentic ale brewed in the classic style, developed by John Molson.

The Molson family were pioneers in steamships, hospitality, assisted with the Montreal General Hospital, patrons of McGill University and the arts, and until 1925, involved in banking through Molson Bank which merged with the Bank of Montreal.

Molson Brewery considerably expanded the breadth of its corporate activities throughout the 20th century. In 1945, the family decided to transform the company into a public, limited liability enterprise. It then became possible to acquire an ownership in the company without being a member of the Molson family. This made it possible for the company to expand into lager and inaugurate a new brewery in Toronto (near the Canadian National Exhibition) in 1955. The Crown and Anchor brand of beer dates from this time. Two years later in 1957, the family (not the firm) acquired the Montreal Forum and the Montreal Canadiens. The company continued to develop and, in 1958, acquired six breweries, which included five establishments in Western Canada, giving Molson a nationwide presence. In 1989, the company consolidated market share in Quebec through a merger with Carling O'Keefe (acquiring Carling's Toronto brewery in Etobicoke). As a result, Molson became the largest brewery in Canada and the fifth largest in the world.

In 2005, Molson merged with US-based Coors to form Molson Coors Brewing Company. This was followed in 2007 by the opening of a new brewery in Moncton, New Brunswick. Sixth generation family member Eric Molson retired in 2009; however, his sons Andrew and Geoff Molson continue to be active in company affairs as members of the corporate Board of Directors.

On October 11, 2016, SABMiller in the U.S. sold its interests (from the joint venture formed in the United States and Puerto Rico) in MillerCoors to Molson Coors, who had been its partner in the joint venture, for around US$12 billion. Molson Coors gained full ownership of the Miller brand portfolio outside of the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and retained the rights to all of the brands that were in the MillerCoors portfolio for the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

In 2018, the company brewed and marketed a number of the most popular brands of beer in Canada. Domestic labels include Molson Canadian, Molson M, Molson Export, Molson Dry, Molson Exel De-Alcoholized beer, Old Style Pilsner, Rickard's, Creemore Springs and Granville Island Brewing. Through partnerships with other major brewers, Molson Coors Canada also offers beer brands, including Coors Light, Miller Genuine Draft, Heineken, Foster's Lager and Tiger. Molson employs 3,000 people in Canada and operates five breweries in locations across the country (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Moncton and St. John's), as well as the Creemore micro-brewery in Ontario and Granville Island Brewing in British Columbia.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molson_Brewery

A Taste of Canada ~ Pouding Chomeur

From Wikipedia:

Pouding chômeur (The poor man’s pudding) is a dessert that was created by female factory workers during the early years of the Great Depression in Quebec, Canada.

Today, it is casually served as a regional dessert, perhaps being a bit more popular during the saison des sucres, when maple sap is collected and processed and is usually part of the offerings during a meal at a sugar shack, but it is not specifically a maple dessert.

The pouding chômeur is a basic cake batter onto which a hot syrup or caramel is poured before baking. The cake then rises through the liquid which settles at the bottom of the pan, mixing with the batter and creating a distinct layer at the bottom of the dish. The syrup or caramel can be made from brown sugar, white sugar, maple syrup or a combination of these.

During the worst of the Depression, stale bread was used in lieu of cake batter.




Traditional Pouding Chômeur


PREPARATION 20 MIN
COOKING 35 MIN
SERVINGS 8

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (150 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ cup (105 g) sugar
1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
¼ cup (60 ml) milk
½ tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
2 cups (420 g) brown sugar
1 cup (250 ml) water
½ cup (125 ml) 15% cooking cream
PREPARATION

With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter an 8-inch (20 cm) square glass baking dish, 2 inches (5 cm) high.

In a bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.

In another bowl, cream the sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add the egg, milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, mixing just to combine.

In the baking dish, whisk together the brown sugar, water and cream. Using a spoon, gently scoop the batter on top of the brown sugar mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Journal Prompt ~ 29 Sep 2021 ~ Weekend

 What are your plans for this weekend?

Journal Prompt 28 Sep 2021 ~ Expertise

If you could be an expert on any topic in the world, what would you choose and how would you use your expertise?

 

The Woman in the Wing by Jean Sheldon

Read this book!

Why?  Can't you just trust me?  I promise you this is an excellent read.  The Woman in the Wing is the story of Charlotte Mercer who is in training to become a WASP during WWII.  Charlotte's training is interrupted for refusing the advances of a lecherous army major.  Charlotte is recruited to work for the FBI who are trying to find the German spy ring responsible for damages at a nearby defense plant.

Do you need me to tell you more?  Haven't I made you curious to find out what will happen next?  This mystery is so well written that every time I think I had figured out who the spies are it turns out that I am wrong.

More?  Although I am not an expert on women in the armed forces during WWII, the story seems to be well researched and believable.

The only thing left to tell you is WHO did it . . . and I won't.

Read this book!  It is well-written, fast paced and full of mystery and excitement.

Close To My Heart ~ Papercrafting Treats for Halloween!

Papercrafting Treats for Halloween!

Happy first day of fall! Between the changing leaves, crisp evenings, and all the other great things about fall, one of our favorite things about this wonderful season is the Halloween celebrations and the great crafts that come with them!

This year, we’ve got some very special Halloween-themed products in store, starting with the Boo Crew collection! This spook-tacular suite includes an imaginative color scheme, bringing together the classic tones of orange and black, along with bright pink accents to tie it all together.

The Boo Crew collection features a selection of fun patterns in a paper packet, sticker sheet, stamp set, and Thin Cuts. With all kinds of cute and spooky sentiments, icons, and images, these stamps and stickers are the perfect complement to your favorite Halloween memories!

Rounding out this too-cute collection are the Boo Crew coordinating cardstock, made up of 3 sheets of Ballerina, Black, Nectarine, and Wild Berry 12″ x 12″ cardstock sheets, and the Boo Crew Sequins. These little holographic ghost sequins are a treat to include in any craft, and they’re sure to bring a little sparkle to the spooky moments you love most!

For an even sweeter treat, you can get all the Boo Crew products together in the discounted Boo Crew Product Bundle, for 20%-off!

In addition to the Boo Crew collection, we’re also very excited about our new Halloween Besties and Halloween Buddies stamp sets and Thin Cuts dies! Our Besties and Buddies, Zoey, Kelsie, Lucy, Olivia, Ezra, Isaac, Ian, and Joey are back with a hauntingly fun twist to their original Besties and Buddies debut!

These festive Halloween sets are all available now, through our September–October catalog, and make a bewitching addition to our Halloween products for the 2021 spooky season!

To ensure we capture as much of the Halloween spirit we can this year, we’ve also put together a workshop that creates three coordinating 12″ x 12″ two-page scrapbook layouts and six treat containers using the products from the Boo Crew collection.

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Join us for a Facebook Live, on October 12, at 2 p.m., MST, to create all three scrapbook layouts together. Then, join us again on October 13, at 2 p.m., MST, for the second half of our Boo Crew workshop, where we will have Close To My Heart President Monica Wihongi’s daughter, Maya, demonstrating how to create the Boo Crew treat containers!

We hope you have a safe and fun Halloween season, and we can’t wait to see all the incredible things you create with the Boo Crew collection and the Halloween Besties and Buddies!

Journal Prompt 27 Sep 2021 ~ Conversion Bus

I have often dreamed about buying a bus and converting it into a travelling oasis of happiness.

If someone offered you a bus to convert into your own personal hangout space how would you convert it into a perfect space for you.

Canadian Music ~ The Bros. Landreth

The Bros. Landreth are a Canadian alternative country and folk music group. Their debut album Let It Lie won the Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Group at the Juno Awards of 2015.

The group was first formed in 2013 by brothers Joey and David Landreth, the sons of Winnipeg musician Wally Landreth. The brothers share vocal duties, while Joey plays guitar and David plays bass. The initial band lineup also included Alex Campbell on piano and Ryan Voth on drums. The band has also toured with musicians Ariel Posen on second guitar, Cody Iwasiuk, Curtis Nowosad and Michael Carbone on Drums, and Liam Duncan, Darryl "Duke" Havers on Keys.

Let It Lie was released independently in 2013.[5] In 2014, the band signed an American distribution deal with Slate Creek Records, who rereleased the album in the United States and Europe in January 2015.

At the 10th Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2014, the band won the award for New/Emerging Artist of the Year, and Let It Lie was a nominee for Contemporary Album of the Year. The band was nominated for Songwriter Of The Year and Roots Group Recording Of The Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards.

The band have toured both Canada and the United States. They attracted additional media attention when American rock icon John Oates agreed to perform as an opening act for the band at a 2015 tour stop in Nashville.

Journal Prompt 24 Sep 2021 ~ Write a Letter

Write a letter to your future self. 

Journal Prompt 23 Sep 2021 ~ Oprah

Oprah Winfrey has just called you for an interview. What does she ask you about? Write down how your conversation might go.

101 Interesting Facts About Canada ~ Median Age

 

The current population of Canada is 38,188,670 as of Monday, November 8, 2021, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.

Canada 2020 population is estimated at 37,742,154 people at mid year according to UN data.

Canada population is equivalent to 0.48% of the total world population.

Canada ranks number 39 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.

The population density in Canada is 4 per Km2 (11 people per mi2).

The total land area is 9,093,510 Km2 (3,511,022 sq. miles)

81.3 % of the population is urban (30,670,064 people in 2020)

The median age in Canada is 41.1 years.

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/canada-population/

Journal Prompt 22 Sep 2021 ~ Fictional Character

 Which fictional character do you relate to the most? Describe the similarities between them and you.

A Taste of Canada ~ Oka Cheese

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

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Oka is a semi-soft washed rind cheese that was originally manufactured by Trappist monks located in Oka, Quebec, Canada. The cheese is named after the town. It has a distinct flavour and aroma, and is still manufactured in Oka, although now by a commercial company. The recipe was sold in 1981 by Les Pères Trappistes to the Agropur cooperative.

It was also manufactured by Trappist Monks at the Our Lady of the Prairies Monastery, located 8 miles southeast of Holland, Manitoba. A small Manitoba producer learned the process from Brother Albéric, but stopped making unpasteurized Trappist cheese in 2019 because of the cost of provincial regulations.

Brother Alphonse Juin arrived at the Notre-Dame du Lac Monastery in Quebec in 1893 with a recipe for Port-du-Salut cheese. He "tweaked and adjusted" the recipe, and Oka was born. Since that time, Quebec has become a major producer of Canadian Cheese.

Oka cheese has a pungent aroma and soft creamy flavour, sometimes described as nutty and fruity. The cheese, which is made from cow's milk, is covered with a copper-orange, hand-washed rind. Its distinct flavour sets it apart from more common cheeses such as colby and cheddar, and does not go through a cheddaring process.

There are four types of Oka cheese:

Regular is pasteurized cow's milk. It is ripened for four weeks.

Classic is pasteurized and ripened for two months.

Providence is of a much more creamy and soft texture than either 'Classic' or 'Regular'.

Light is similar to 'Regular', but with a lower percentage of fat and always pasteurized.

Journal Prompt 21 Sep 2021 ~ Home or Out?

When you hang out with your friends, do you prefer to stay at home or go out? What are your favourite things to do together?

 

Book Review: Love Each Day by Gail Bernice Holland

What a great read!  Gail Holland has collected some wonderful inspirational stories by asking each person to describe a day they would like to live again.

Each person is just a regular person.  Some have lived simple lives, others extraordinary lives.  What they share is that they find happiness in their every day.

Don't read this book hoping to learn some quick fix for making your life happier.  But if you really take the time you will realize what each of these stories has in common.  Each story is about a person realizing something important about their own lives.

Read one story a day or the whole book in one evening (like I did).  But definitely read it.

Journal Prompt 20 Sep 2021 ~ On Time?

Are you usually on time, late, or early? What do you think this says about you?

 

Canadian Music ~ Broken Social Scene

Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly in the city of Toronto. These associated acts include Metric, Feist, Stars, Apostle of Hustle, Do Make Say Think, KC Accidental, Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton, Amy Millan, and Jason Collett.

The group's sound combines elements of all of its members' respective musical projects, and is occasionally considered baroque pop. It includes grand orchestrations featuring guitars, horns, woodwinds, and violins, unusual song structures, and an experimental, and sometimes chaotic production style from David Newfeld, who produced the second and third albums.

Stuart Berman's This Book Is Broken (2009) covers the band from its inception to its critical acclaim.[5] In 2010, Bruce McDonald made This Movie Is Broken, a movie about the band's Harbourfront show during the 2009 Toronto strike.

The collective and their respective projects have had a broad influence on alternative music and indie rock during the early 21st century, in 2021 Pitchfork listed the band among the "most important artists" of the last 25 years.

The band was formed in 1999 by core members Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. This duo recorded and released the band's ambient debut album, Feel Good Lost, on Noise Factory Records in 2001, with contributions by Justin Peroff, Charles Spearin, Bill Priddle, Leslie Feist, Jessica Moss and Stars' Evan Cranley.

Drew and Canning's material at the time was almost entirely instrumental, so they brought together musicians from the Toronto indie scene, the album contributors as well as Andrew Whiteman, Jason Collett, and Metric's Emily Haines, to flesh out their live show with lyrics and vocals. Over time, the band came to include contributions from James Shaw, Justin Peroff, John Crossingham, and Stars member Amy Millan.

All of the musicians from the live show joined Drew, Canning, Peroff and Spearin to record the band's second album, You Forgot It in People. The album was produced by David Newfeld and released on Paper Bag Records in October 2002 and won the Alternative Album of the Year Juno Award in 2003. The album also included musical contributions by Priddle, Jessica Moss, Brodie West, Susannah Brady and Ohad Benchetrit, but these were credited as supporting musicians rather than band members. On the supporting tour, the core band consisted of Drew, Canning, Peroff, Whiteman and Jason Collett, along whichever band members were available on each show date.

Close To My Heart ~ Map Your Journey

 Map Your Journey with a Paper Piecing Stamping Technique!

September is a very exciting month for us at Close To My Heart. Not only do we celebrate National Stamping Month, but it’s also the month that we launch our new annual catalog!

In this year’s Core Products Catalog, you will find lots of new and exciting products, among them a new series of stamps called Map Your Journey. With versions for all our current markets (USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan), we thought these stamp sets would be a fun way to share with you yet another stamping technique, in addition to the 10+ techniques we shared last week. (If you missed it, make sure to check that post out: Stamping Techniques to Keep Up Your Crafty Sleeves!)

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Today we will take the imprint of a stamp that has many parts or lines to it, like a map , and create a final image by piecing together a variety of papers, kind of like a mosaic. This technique is fittingly known as paper piecing. The technique is much harder to describe than it is to do, so let us show you and see for yourselves!

The first thing you’ll want to do is figure out what colors or patterns you want incorporated into your final design. In our case, with the map, we thought it would be best, because of all the details that we are not cutting out, to use four solid cardstock colors.

Once you’ve chosen your color and pattern scheme, stamp your image onto all your chosen papers using the same ink color. We used White Daisy, Shortbread, Scarlet, and Papaya cardstock and the Exclusive Inks™ Mocha stamp pad.

This next step is also easy, but maybe a bit more time consuming, depending on the image you are working with. Cut out all the shapes from each of your papers, except one. The one you do not cut into pieces will act as your base later, when you put it all back together.

When you are cutting your shapes, make sure to cut them out exactly the same between papers. For example, our cutout of California should be the same shape and size in each of our cardstock colors. Essentially, we are creating a puzzle and its puzzle pieces. The pieces need to fit together for this technique to work.

The final step is to put those puzzling skills to use and assemble the paper pieced image on your base.

As a tip, we suggest playing around with the placement of your paper pieces, first, before attaching them.

And there you have it! Another stamping technique to add to your repertoire!

How are you spending your National Stamping Month? Let us know in the comments below, and, as always, happy stamping!