Texas Red Hots and Mustard Relish Snack

With our weekly trips between Canada and the States in the summer we get the best of both worlds as far as shopping. Because we love to cook and experiment Marc and I wander together in the grocery stores here or in the states looking for something different.

This weekend on the way to the cottage I found this amazing Mustard Relish at Tops Grocery Store. It is sweet with heat.

I keep Zwiegles Red Hots and Whites - fat hot dogs in natural casings stocked in the freezer and Marc does the same at the cottage. Apparently they are only available in Western New York however I wonder why the red ones are called Texas Red Hots?

Tonight I remembered I had to try the new relish and I made myself a "snack". I warmed up a hotdog in a pot with sauerkraut and spread on the mustard relish. Truly delish! I love the heat that comes after the sweetness of the relish.

Do you like sweet heat tastes? Do you have this in your area? Do you use something similar?Hope you've had a sweet day today...with not excessive heat... Judi xoxo

Ontario Earthquake Damage Picture

The following picture shows damage in Ontario from our earthquake this week....

Better to be able to chuckle about it... have a wonderful weekend.. Judi xoxo

Earthquake in Ontario

We felt an earthquake yesterday! We don't feel earthquakes. It was about 1:44 p.m. it was under my feet and I first thought it was fans in the building. But it continued. Looking up my co-workers all had the same expression I must have had. It was an uneasy feeling I'll say. It felt like everything was really moving though nothing fell.

It was a 5.1 earthquake with the brunt of it in Quebec and in Ottawa, Ontario and up north a couple of hours. There was structural building damage in Quebec. It had also spread to New York. I quickly emailed Marc and when I hit SEND I also received one from him from Rochester, NY. Same thing.

Quite the experience we don't want to experience for a long time. The day was followed by large rain and thunderstorms and tornado touchdowns in surrounding areas but fortunately not in mine. Weather can be disturbing because we have no control.....we like to have control....

Hope you have control of this day and its a beau---tiful one! Judi xoxo

25th Anniversary Celebration at Work....

I was one of about 25 people who received a formal invitation to celebrate our 25th Anniversary at the College where I work. It was given by the President and Executive Committee. It was held in a beautiful manor in the city. My eldest son Geoff attended as my guest. Marc could not attend because since he is out of the country Tuesdays are not good. Geoff was a graduate of the college and it was special for him to be there on 2 counts.....

It was really a beautiful affair with lovely appetizers and mingling on the terrace overlooking the beautiful grounds for about 1-1/2 hours. Then we settled inside to our tables for a delicious candlelight dinner.

After dinner the President congratulated and presented each of us with a Seneca Pin with a little diamond chip in it.

It was all done in such a lovely way. Our President and the whole Executive Committee are very down to earth and nice people. They sat amongst us at our tables and it was very enjoyable.

At the end one of us could take the table flower arrangement home. Our table decided I should take them. I felt very special throughout the whole evening...no wonder I've been there so many years.

Did you spend many years at one place of employment also?

I hope it was/is a great experience as well....Judi xoxo

Celtic Antique Copper - Visiting Ireland in CD

An Irish friend of ours lent us a set of 3 CDs on "Visiting Ireland" and we watched the first one on the weekend. I am so "taken" with celtic music with its violin and flute. It really moves me. I loved watching the clogging and seeing the amazing castles and beautiful green countrysides...the blue ocean.

I was inspired on Sunday to use a couple of antique copper celtic knot heart beads I had left from a necklace I'd made. I made these little earrings with the heart beads.



Because I also love birds and trees and was on the antique copper theme I made a necklace using this adorable antique branch and round tree pendant. I think they are adorable and I'm going to make one for myself too, but in the meantime I'm going to share these in my timelessforyou etsy shop.

I'm thinking about a giveaway....hmmmmm...

I hope you have a lovely keeping in step with lovely music kind of day... Judi xoxo

Sprouting Adzuki Beans at the Cottage...Crunch!

Georgia our neighbour at the lake loves to try new things. Among the crafty things she does she writes poetry, stories, water colours, knits, sews etc. We enjoy sharing our thoughts and craft ideas, magazines and recipes.

Last week she showed me the ming beans she was sprouting. Before I left to come home she made up my "homework" which consisted of adzuki beans and one section of a sprouting container she wasn't using. It has ever slightly raised circles in the bottom where little droplets of water from the beans help keep them from drying up.

I soaked the beans in water over night and then put them into the sprouter. For 2 days my homework was to rinse the beans twice a day....and they sprouted.

This is a salad I brought to work with the beans. They taste sort of like crunchy peas. Last weekend she gave me radish beans, mung beans and more adzuki beans. Georgia said the sprouts are delicious in soups too. Yummm!

Have you ever sprouted beans? If you like beans it really is fun and good for you too

.... Judi xoxo

Hanging on Hummingbird - Dismal Day at the Cottage

Saturday was a beautiful day at the cottage. We had friends over for dinner and had such a nice time. But it sure got very windy when it was bedtime....real windy.

It remained that way in the morning. We ate our breakfast looking at this....thats not the sun but rather my flash you see in the horizon and it was very dark and see that wind sock?



The winds during the night and into the morning were huge and the rain fell in sheets.

This poor hummingbird looked so soaked and dismal but he was obviously hungry. He managed to stay on that feeder despite its swaying back and forth. It was so choppy out there...a good day to stay indoors.

Hope your day didn't start out this way... Judi xoxo

Honk If You Love Jesus

Another perspective...something to think about..

Have a good day...NOT texting while driving no matter how much you want to meet him...

Judi xoxo

Baking Finnish Pulla

To take to the cottage last weekend I baked some Pulla. It is a braided coffee "bread" that every Finnish household seems to have as a staple that is served with coffee. It goes with coffee like ketchup on fries. It has slightly ground cardamon seeds in it for flavour and some raisins.

I cheat and use my bread machine these days for the dough. It REALLY rose.

Then I let it rise, divide it into 2 groups of 3 and braid each, rise, bake and thats it.

It can also be twisted or knotted into a danish style shape and baked. Then a little jam is spooned in the little crevises and a loose icing drizzled over....

If I had some left over....I could share.... Judi xoxo