CranberryBlossom

Bird Pictures and a Kitty

2012-02-16T19:47:00.001-05:00

Remember these 2 pictures I printed from online from GraphicsFairy and then I painted these thrifted wood frames to match?

Well I finally found a spot to put them tonight. Well I finally CHANGED my mind and decided not to put them in my bedroom.

Now they go quite nicely with a picture I have over my sofa..

Abby watched me on the sofa while I hammered and rearranged and took pictures...with her....

and a few more...

and more...good night!

Have a great weekend.... Judi xoxo

Valentine's Special Day Cookies

2012-02-13T21:18:00.000-05:00

Geoff, Madeline and I celebrated Valentine's Day early last week. I set the table with a red tablecloth and pretty white lace over it. We ate from white dishes and red handled cutlery...a plate of Valentine cookies sat in the middle of the table with pretty Valentine serviettes...and *sigh*..I forgot to take pictures.

But I can share the Valentine Sugar cookies I baked the night before and iced and sprinkled.

I filled up a heart shaped tin with Valentine cookies for each of them and folded red tissue on top.

They gave me a heart filled with pink and red Smarties and Jolly Rancher candies...yum.

Here is Geoff and Madeline....

Madeline and I....she's posing with a cookie...

They brought Bosscoe with them and he was such a good boy. He's already 8.5 months old.

He was loving the attention....

Then on Sunday I used a different recipe for more Valentine's Cookies and Royal Icing.

wrapped up some of them in a cello bag with white satin ribbon for my colleagues at work....

and the rest in different cello bags to be sold for a fundraiser at work....

all on the special day of

Have a beautiful day.... Judi xoxo

Handmade Paper Bead Necklace

2012-02-09T21:11:00.000-05:00

Last week one night while watching TV I made my first paper beads. I used a colourful Toys"R"Us flyer for the paper. There is definitely a technique to making these beads and I plan to perfect them next time. They were fun to make. I used clear nailpolish to laquer them up once they were dried. The pictures don't show them very well....

Then I wired the paper beads, turquoise and swarovski bead with silver plate wire.

and them a new necklace...

was born...

I was quite pleased with this first attempt with the paper beads. I particularly liked the paper because it had so many different colours including turquoise and will complement many uses.

Fun. Have you made paper beads? Judi xoxo

Boys for Brekky....New Recipe...

2012-02-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

Did you have a nice weekend and was your weather nice too?

I can't believe our weather. Truly. The temperature always seems to be in the 30Fs (2C) and going up into the 40s on good days. It should be more like -13F at least sometimes. We have really had no snow this winter and therefore no snowstorms to worry about. Well it can’t be all good but….its really great though! I had to change my header from snow on evergreens to a pretty pink flower.

Our Sunday morning started off so nicely. My eldest son Geoff and my little Madeline, my youngest son Richard and Robin were over for brekky. With work schedules we don't really get the opportunity to do this.

Marc and I made a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausage and potatoes and a nice big fruit salad. We also made an overnight French toast casserole . The picture above is not mine but came from where the Recipe came from. Just click and see. I think I can do that. We also made a butter, brown sugar and pecan praline and sprinkled that on the top.

We baked our 4 hour rise bread on Saturday and it toasted up so nicely. I have to post on that bread particular bread next. If you love bread and baking bread, especially no-knead bread but don’t have the 12-18 hour to let it rise then this THIS is definitely the one for you.

It was wonderful start to a Sunday. I have no pictures just sharing in words. Have you made a French Toast Casserole? There are many recipes out there.

I hope your weekend was good. Is your weather unusually different this year as well? Judi xoxo

Cupcake Teapot and Another Lamp...and Just Like Me...

2012-02-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

I was excited when I came across a sweet cupcake teapot set before Christmas!

Which on the weekend I made it into a cupcake teapot lamp!

I set it out to take a picture though it potentially has one of two homes to go to....

and see what is standing to the left of it...all in her winter warms, red hair and black and white puppy in arm?

a little one that my friend gave to me for Christmas. She was made by a friend of hers and an acquaintance of mine as well who lives by the cottage. This is the second one she's given me. She says they remind her of me....I guess with the red hair. The lady who makes them is very talented for sure.

....tonight I've been making paper beads...fun....

Hope you have had a great week...and tomorrow is Ground Hog Day! I think spring is around the corner..

Judi xoxo

1 Penny Deals at Amazon

2012-01-29T12:55:00.002-05:00

Do you order things online? Do you bid on the auctions? On Amazon? I have purchased books on Amazon and enjoy browsing at all the great priced items. I have bought Geoff gift certficates as gifts that he uses for buying books.

This summer Georgia our neighbour at the cottage showed me the Cath Kidston book called SEW she purchased for 1 penny on Amazon! I had never heard of anything like that. You know that a Cath Kidston book would be a delightful book.

The fabrics are such eye candy....

A sweet little apron for a little one that is perfect for helping mommy baking....

totes again in tempting fabrics....

I purchased a copy for myelf but it wasn't available for only 1 penny this time.

Mine was under $8.00 which was really good too...

My sister-in-law and hubby love scallops. When we visited them the last time she prepared a wonderful scallop and pasta meal for us out of this book.

SO guess what? I WAS able to purchase it for 1 penny at Amazon. I was SO excited!

I can't wait to try this one....mmmmm...

yummy eh?...

Dear Marc bought me a new tart pan last weekend when we were googling at one our favourite stores together...a kitchen wares store. I want to make this one soon....hmmmmm....

A delicious looking dish....

Have you had the opportunity to purchase a wonderful book for 1 penny? It makes me think that...if they were willing to sell one for 1 penny, why not just include another great one...for another penny!

Have a wonderful day... Judi xoxo

Smiles and Sadness

2012-01-27T07:00:00.003-05:00

Every man dies - Not every man really lives.

-William Ross Wallace-

I was saddened last night to hear that a friend had taken his life yesterday. How easy it is to miss what turmoil or anxiety or sadness or...could be in the lives of people we know and...we didn't even know. Friends he was with the night before never suspected anything was wrong.

It makes me sad to think that perhaps if he had shared his true feelings then perhaps he wouldn’t have approached that moment.

Something to think about even in just passing a smile to someone you pass along your way. I know I’ve had my own spirits lifted in that way the occasional time when I’ve felt down and have been lost in my own thoughts. Just that gesture of a pleasant awareness and I know I passed it on. It helped to redirect my thoughts Not that a smile would have been enough to stop this friend from this tragic way but one never knows what even a little smile can provide.

My thoughts are with this friend’s family and his friends.

I wish for all my dear blogging friends a happy day... Judi xoxo

Our care should not be to have lived long as to have lived enough.

-Seneca

From Sparks to Brownies...

2012-01-24T19:45:00.001-05:00

Last week Geoff invited me to attend as Madeline took the oath in the swearing in from Sparks to Brownies. She was excited and while we ate dinner at my place first she said she knew her oath. I knew she would because she takes these things seriously (just like her dad) and she would be prepared.

She was so happy as we waited to go into the gym to begin the ceremony....

She had happy hugs for her daddy...

and hugs for Grammy... I was so proud of her...

She had her back to us for the oath but there she is in the orange...

She was glowing with her Certificate and the badges she had earned and received that night...

Then the Brownies sat in a large circle enjoying refreshments...yummy.

One more happy picture with her daddy.

This was another special moment with Madeline... Love them both to bits.

They told us at the ceremony that this week the Brownies would visit a Retirement home. The other night I asked her if this was the week she was going to the retirement home and she said "is that the place where the older people live?". Yes, thats where she was going. We talked about how special it would be for the older people there to have the Brownies visit with them. She smiled and said "oh yes". Love that little one...

Hope you've had a great day... Judi xoxo

Quick Taco Shells and Homemade Taco Seasoning...

2012-01-22T20:36:00.002-05:00

Saturday night was casual tacos night. Simple and yummy but we still managed to do our own "thing".

First we made our own taco seasoning because we had all the ingredients fresh and on hand. Its very good and we made enough to keep on hand for the next time or two.

Then we made taco shells from corn tortillas. We simply put foil on a cookie sheet and staggered the tortillas flat on the sheet. We set them into a preheated 375F oven for approx. 10 minutes. They become a little crispy and puff up in spots like they were going to "blow" up. They were a nice change from the store bought kind.

Out of the oven we simply folded them and they held that shape nicely until they cooled.

Then we were ready to load them up. Sour cream came next...

Abby was the first one at the table while we were setting up. Silly kitty. Great casual meal....

and yummy....

Do you make your own tacos? Judi xoxo

Seafood in Garlic, Wine and Butter Sauce

2012-01-20T02:00:00.007-05:00

Over Christmas we had dinner in at a seafood restaurant in New York state. I decided on a dish called Seafood in Garlic, Wine and Butter Sauce. It was served over linguine and was delicious.

Last weekend we found a Recipe online simliar to what I had eaten To the recipe we added both bay and large scallops and at the end we tossed in some large cooked shrimp and 1/2 a can of baby clams and all the juice. If you don't want to use white wine you can use extra vegetable broth or add in more clam juice. The dinner at the restaurant also served mussels in the sauce that we'll add in next time.

We served it over linguine as well and it was very quick, easy and tasted soooo good. We have a new NoKnead bread recipe too that I'll share another time that we made for this dinner.

If you like seafood......give this a try! Judi xoxo

The Argyle Twins

2012-01-18T12:24:00.001-05:00

Marc's daughter Janet gave us both argyle sweaters for Christmas. We got a chance to wear them the first time over the holidays...together and at the same time. I suggested we wear them when we went to visit my sister-in-law and her hubby.

He was such a good sport and we didn't think about it any further until we got there, removed our coats and were welcomed with smiles and "you guys look so cute". It took a minute for us to clue in and we all laughed actually.

They took our picture and called us the Argyle twins.

Do you and your hubby/partner ever dress alike? Judi xoxo

Pretty Pinks in Mid Winter

2012-01-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

This Christmas I didn't have much time to bake. Soooooo last week while blogging I came across some decadent cookies and I can't recall where they were. Its never too late to bake cookies...even if they are called Cranberry Noels. Valentine's IS coming and why couldn't they be called Cranberry Amour. Maybe I could have used heart cookie cutters.

I kept them in my pretty thrifted enamel container on a paper doily. I do adore my enamel containers.
The recipe is Martha Stewart's Cranberry Noels. Its an easy to make cookie filled with cranberries and pecans with that nice buttery flavor and is so yummy especially with coffee.

This weekend was cold at 0F but we still didn't get any snow and that continues to be so seasonally unusual. The last of my pretty amarillus bloomed. The day I blogged that I hadn't had one for a long time my son Richard came over with one for me. They are so beautiful.

I wanted something pretty for my handmade votives and tealights and over Christmas I thrifted for this brand new Partylite wall sconce. It was just what I wished for and only $5.00.

Its glows so nicely beside the picture Geoff painted for me when he was just a young teenager.

Pretty pinks in mid winter make me think of the oncoming spring.
Its been a lovely time....enjoy.... Judi xoxo

Tic...Toc...Another Drawer Clock...

2012-01-11T18:39:00.001-05:00

I've gone dry. I don't know what to write about. Its the new year and I look to a few pictures I've taken and don't know what to say. As a matter of fact I have a lot of projects waiting in cue for when I get really inspired. At work I think of projects I'll work on when I get home but at home its not happening. Its probably because work has been very busy this month.

But I did think you might be interested in the latest drawer clock I made for Janet and Ryan for Christmas. Their last name is Williams and I added 4 "W"s representing them and each of their 2 little guys.

Janet likes quotes on family and I was happy to find this one. The clocks are made from drawers that I like to spray paint with a sand/stone textured paint. I use ModgePodge also and they are fun to make . Each one I make gives me new ideas for when I might make the next one.

The first 2 I made were for my sons for their birthdays in April and May. If you follow my blog you may remember. Tic Toc.... and I have some more drawers on cue too....waiting to be transformed into clocks.

Hope you have had an inspired day... Judi xoxo

Remembering Christmas of....Just About Yesterday....

2012-01-06T17:40:00.000-05:00

I can't believe its over. Christmas and the holidays have passed again until the end of the year. As nice as it all was I sure am happy to be thinking about other things. Like? How about the weather? I can't believe that we have no snow and only had a little bit that fell on Christmas eve morning and Christmas day. Just enough to make it seem more "real". It was brrrr last weekend but today its 5C = 40F.

But still I want to share what Madeline and I made just days before Christmas. We went to the Bulk Barn and bought goodies to decorate pretzels with, coating them with chocolate and gumdrops, and Smarties and licorice.

She was quite serious about doing a good job....

and look how good they turned out.

There were lots of them. I was the one responsible for keeping them and bringing them

to my mom's for her to pass out for everyone. It was fun making them together and they were delicious.

Here is a picture of my 2 guys and their ladies on Christmas eve..

Madeline had a beautiful dress on. She looks so grown up for her 7 years sitting with her dad.

My mom was looking a bit tired by the end of the evening here. She had put together a delicious dinner and set the table so beautifully.. Pretty amazing because she is 82 years old.

and Marc and I..

and Bossco but he is like Abby would look away every time I snapped a picture.

I hope you had a beautiful Christmas.

I'm curious about your weather? Is it unusually cold, warm, snowy, rainy....or perfect?

Judi xoxo

Happy Birthday....To Me..

2012-01-03T02:00:00.007-05:00

Happy Birthday to Me....

Its only the 3rd day of 2012 and I've been celebrating my birthday already. I'm not sure how old I was in this picture but I was just a little one. My mother told me that I was so scared when I was having my picture taken here. I didn't know what they were going to do, thus there is no smile.

We celebrated my birthday at my mom's on New Year's Day and my eldest son Geoff and family will come over tomorrow for birthday dinner.

There. I'm done. I don't have to worry about waiting for my birthday anymore this year and getting...older. I'm done for the year already! Have a great day....waiting for your birthday.... When IS your birthday? ....Judi xoxo

Happy New Year....

2012-01-02T07:01:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year....Happy New Year...

All the best of good health and much happiness to you all in 2012...

Judi xoxo

Merry Christmas.....

2011-12-25T00:31:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas to my Friends and my dear Blogging Friends...

We've had a lovely Christmas last night with family at my mom's.

After a delicious dinner we exchanged Santa gifts. It was a fun evening.

Today we drive across to visit with Marc's family for Christmas Day.

I wish for you all a beautiful and happy day....safe driving if you are travelling. Judi xoxo

The Flower That Keeps on Giving for Every Occasion...

2011-12-22T02:00:00.005-05:00

For our Canadian Thanksgiving in October my youngest son Richard gave me this sweet plant. There were 3 different versions of the plant each with different coloured flowers but I don't know what it is called.

It continued to look pretty and for Hallowe'en it sat in a Pumpkin pot. I just can't find that picture.

Now its sitting pretty for Christmas. I have the whole pot sitting in a different pot with a Christmas ring around it.

The flowers had given up after Hallowe'en and I plucked them off. But because the leaves are pretty being a thicker, waxier type I kept it even without the flowers.

and now its flowering...I was so excited to see the buds all over and now the blooms are starting.

I don't know what the plant is though.....hmmmmm..

Even Frosty the Snowman is smiling as it looks over the pretty plant.

This flower is adapting to each special occasion.

But I still don't know what it's called? Do you know? Hope you can help.. Judi xoxo

Update: Thank you for letting me know it is truly a Kalanchoe plant. It sounds like a keeper for sure but is poisonous to cats. Fortunately Abby is not a plant kitty.... Thank you my blogging friends.

Just Until Christmas....and then Its Gone!....

2011-12-19T02:00:00.004-05:00

I love ice cream..mmmmhmmmm.....

Every Christmas we enjoy Candy Cane Ice Cream. mmmmmmm.... President's Choice here in Canada has a delicious one with slivers of crunchy, dark chocolate...with crunches of candy cane. Oh my even Abby my furbaby kitty really loves that one, you see next to yogurt....she loves ice cream.

Marc and I ate a bowl of it with a couple of Dutch gingerbread cookies. I think this year I'm going to stock up with a couple of cartons because after Christmas.....its gone!

Do you buy candy cane ice cream? I'd share.... Judi xoxo

Teapots I Can't Resist Repurposing...

2011-12-16T02:00:00.000-05:00

You may know I can't resist the teapot sets....

but...for repurposing them....

This week I finished up a Teapot Lamp for a lady who will give it for Christmas to her friend who loves teapots.

Here she sits on my counter...next to Percy the Pig...

Here again are some of the pieces I've made over the last few years from teapot sets...

that turned into my Garden Teapot Birdfeeders....

The lamp wasn't the first one I've made and this one is my favourite that I

sold on Etsy a couple of years ago....

....I just can't resist...*s*...

Have a wonderful day.... Judi xoxo

Simple Christmas Beauty

2011-12-15T19:06:00.000-05:00

Whenever I go anyplace I keep my eyes open for crafting ideas. So last week when I had a little walk during lunchtime from work it was not unusual for me to fill my coat pockets with fallen cones. They were cold and closed and at work I put them in a basket for a couple of days until I brought them home.

They were dry and still closed when I put them into a clear, glass vase. I intermixed them with vintage Christmas balls and a string of clear lights.

It has only been a few days and the cones have opened up. They were actually pushing some of the Christmas balls out of the vase. They didn't feel they needed to share their beauty with the balls I guess.

My camera didn't capture their true beauty as they appear when I dim the lights and admire them in the evenings real time. Simple...but so pretty. Have you filled your pockets during a walk?

Enjoy your simple Christmas too.... Judi xoxo

Christmas is Approaching...Its Ahead of My Schedule

2011-12-14T02:00:00.004-05:00

I had been busy making products for my Christmas sales lately..

The soy candles

the glycerin soaps in a variety of colour and scents..

that I packaged and tied with ribbon...ready for give'n (I had to say that...)

soothing scented bath bombs...

I made up a number of gift baskets/boxes and here are 2 of them before the cello and ribbon...

Lavender scented heart sachets...

I am happy to have sold so many items....and from what is left I can choose special presents for family and close friends for Christmas. Its handy to have something pretty and homemade available throughout the year when something special comes up.

Now its been time to start decorating

which will have to continue tomorrow.... I have been collecting the Avon pewter yearly decorations since 1997 and found a sweet little tree this year from Family Dollar to display them. I have yet to come across the rest of them but wanted to show you the one for 2011 I just got. I think they will look so pretty on it.

Christmas is approaching rather quickly...and I had better get moving... *s*...

Hope you are well ahead of schedule.... Judi xoxo

Seasonal Snowfalls...

2011-12-11T18:49:00.002-05:00

Our fall has been wonderful. The temperatures have been above zero most times and even this week its going up to 40F - 5C. Very unseasonal but most of us love this. It shortens winter which sometimes is just too darn long.

However, out of the blue when I woke up on Tuesday there was heavy fluffy snow everywhere. It was packing type snow and would have made a great snowman. It was too dark when I left for work to take a picture.

But the next day I brought my camera to work with me. It was very unusual that the snow lay heavily on the trees because it wasn't really cold and all the roads were dry.

It was beautiful.

so pretty up close. Like I had forgotten its beauty even after plowing through so many winters....

forgotten winter as we bathed in the summer's sun that always changes too quickly...to fall

and now to almost winter....

and then the rebirth with spring....but we'll endure winter first and enjoy it best we can....

We're very fortunate to have 4 distinct seasons....Hope you enjoy your seasons too... Judi xoxo

Holly.. Berries...Friendships...

2011-12-05T18:35:00.005-05:00

This weekend was my last trip to Rockledge Cottage in N.Y. for the season…reason? Freezin’. *g*. But it wasn’t freezing and nor was there snow. It has been such a good fall…may it last throughout the winter!!

Marc and I went to our friends’ annual Christmas Party. It was wonderful to see almost 70 people together for a lovely evening. Everyone brought in something delicious to pass and the eggnog was homemade and yum. Their traditional 12’ tall fresh tree was decked between the diningroom and kitchen in all its beauty.

This tree was named “Amanda”. Each year their tree is given a name you know….

We walked over to our neighbour’s cottage next door to say our seasonal goodbye. On our concrete steps was a lovely treasure from them. Georgia had cut sprigs of holly with its lovely red berries from their garden and tied them together with beautiful ribbon. Just beautiful in Georgia’s delicate and whimsical style when one least expects it. I have it hanging from a mirror.

I gave Georgia one of my handmade soaps. We promised to keep in touch by email and share our crafty ideas, recipes and just hellos.

I hope you have special neighbours also…. Judi xoxo

Cool Adult Bibs

2011-12-02T02:00:00.003-05:00

A couple of times a year one of the ladies at work orders adult size bibs from me. They are for a young adult who has the need to use them. He likes bright colours and this time I really liked the flannel type fabric I found.

Here are all 5 of them all sewn and already delivered to him. Apparently he thought they were cool.

and here they all are. The 5th one was bright red.

This was a nice project with colourful fabrics making it even more fun....

Hope you have a very fun day... Judi xoxo

Romantic Amour Cushion

2011-11-29T02:00:00.004-05:00

We had a lovely Thanksgiving evening with our friends here in Canada in Oakville, ON.

They enjoy hosting this special time each year with us.

We always have a little Christmas gift exchange and for Kirsti especially I sewed a love "Amour" cushion for their bed. The digital came from graphiquesepia on Etsy.

I am loving the digitals on graphiquesephia and have many more ideas for more projects. I used the Citrasolv method to transfer the picture on to a 100% cotton fabric, did some sewing

and tied up the ends with satin ribbon and sewed on a little whimsical red heart.

Here it is on my bed just for a photo...

Taking these pictures reminded me of the sausage pillowcase method of making pillowcases. I need to make a note to myself that when I have some "more" spare time....I would love another pair...

I enjoyed making and giving this cushion to a special friend. Thank you Kirsti and Peter!

Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.... Judi xoxo

New Apple Gizmo....

2011-11-26T09:03:00.001-05:00

The cottage is right at the apple orchard and stands of colourful, juicy apples perfect for pies and apple sauce and apple crisp and mmmmm just eating. There is a lot of cooking with apples at the Rockledge Cottage in the fall.

So look what Marc got!! You put on the apple like so....

turn the handle and you watch...

until it gets to the end...

and see how you get these apple rings. Neat eh? AND see that core just sitting there?

nice uniform sizes perfect for pies for sure or stewing up apple sauce...

Do you have one of these? If you are an apple cooker kind of person you NEED one. It makes life so much easier and you get to enjoy your cooked goodness sooner thats for sure. We just peeled up a couple apples to eat just so we play with apple peeler. It peels, cores and slices. Yum!

Have a great day!! Judi xoxo

A Quote for Thanksgiving...

2011-11-24T02:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American Family and Friends....

Wishing you a special time to reflect on all we have to be thankful for. Perhaps you'll spend time with your family and/or friends or perhaps with someone close.

We will have our Thanksgiving celebration here in Canada with close friends who make the day a very special one.

I'm sharing a quote I admire...

"As we pause to thank Him for the blessings of the past year, we must not forget to thank Him for the lessons we have learned through our difficult times. We are not to be thankful for just the pleasant, easy things, but ALL things." [Millie Stamm]

Whatever you will be doing enjoy, be thankful....and count your blessings... Judi xoxo

Positive Thrift Thinking....

2011-11-21T04:00:00.002-05:00

I'm amazed at the results of positive thinking....sometimes. For instance I was in Home Outfitters just this week searching for something. I have admired the colourful colanders I've seen on the Food Channel for some time. I admired the ones in Home Outfitters and then I thought hmmmmmm let me march over to my thrifting shop..well I didn't march I had to drive. And I did. There it was in all its pretty shinyness....

and greeness...like new and just for me. It was only $4.04 (I don't know why they have odd prices) I grabbed!

I quickly washed up some nice red tomatoes and let them "colander" in my new possession...

I was SO excited with my new find.

Do you have that happen to you? This was not the only time lately. I'll share again next time.

Have a wonderful day. ... Judi xoxo

Repurposed Crystal Cake Server

2011-11-19T08:47:00.001-05:00

I love the beautiful cake plates I've been seeing in blogland made by so many lovely ladies. I've wanted to make my own for so long too. I finally did!

I found some pretty candleholders a couple of years ago at a sale...

and a some crystal plates with pretty patterns...

I used my good glue which works well because I couldn't find the 6000 one that I've seen used while blogging...and glued the 2 together...

and Voila!..

a new cake plate pretty enough for a pink porcelain rose...

and for my next occasion cake or today yummy buttertarts. It was too pretty to cover even with paper doilies and certainly pretty enough to sit close to my sewing machine. I have projects on the go!!

Have you made one for yourself? Have a lovely day... Judi xoxo

Ponderossa Pinecone Crystal Garage Sale Finds...

2011-11-14T21:43:00.004-05:00

PI didn't show you what I found when I went garage saleing this summer by the cottage! Georgia next door told me she saw some teapots I might be interested in. So of course I had to go see...

and here is the one I came home with. Isn't that a fine rooster?

And this heavy glass pine cone patterned juice pitcher. Perfect for the cottage....

Its really a large size and sits so fancy filled with lots of ice and water when we're entertaining.

I love salt and pepper shakes and I was thrilled to get these for a couple of dollars. The lids are silver.

Isn't this a lovely 2 piece? It has this round dent for the little bowl to sit on.

Great for dip with chips, sauce for anything that you would put on the plate....we've served shrimps around with spicy hot seafood sauce in the bowl. Nice....

I love this set. I JUST googled it and found out its called Tiara Pinecone Crystal and it was made between 1981-1998.

I also picked up these nice glass bottles that we use for olive oil. We like to infuse olive oil with chili pepper flakes and herbs. They look attractive in these bottles.

and a great piece I keep bread in on the counter.

I can't remember now how much I paid for all of these goodies but I remember I went out with $20.00 and was happy I didn't even spend it all! I LOVE a good garage sale. With fall here we'll be done for the year now. Have a great day .. Judi xoxo

Semi-Homemade...Called Pumpkin Love...

2011-11-12T02:00:00.001-05:00

It was one of THOSE days today...you know...THOSE days. Hard to win for losing...*grinning*...
So it was a perfect excuse to bake something I saw while blogging over at SimplyDesigning.

It was one of THOSE days continued when I came home with a can of only 19 oz of pumpkin pie filling and I needed 30 oz.

AND can you imagine the store didn't have a box of yellow cake mix???! I couldn't.

So I bought butter pecan instead. It sounded like it would go quite nicely with pumpkin and spices. I am apparently good at improvising and even weighed out 1/2 package of cake mix.

I ended up with an 8"x8" pan of yum instead of the called for 9"x13". But it worked!

It came out of the oven looking so fine....

I could hardly wait until it cooled off to try it with a dallop of whipped cream...let me tell you...it was soooo good. It has a wonderful spice flavour and light. Ashley's pictures are better than mine.

I'll be up and out very early in the morning to drive to the cottage on Lake Ontario, NY side. Marc is going to be so happy to see what I've brought...besides myself. :o)

I think this will be shared again at Thanksgiving this year our way.

Have a wonderful weekend .....Judi xoxo

Cool Weather Brings New Projects....

2011-11-10T02:00:00.002-05:00

Do you have the same crafting enthusiasm in the summer? Not me. Mine leaves. Gone. All the extra time I have with vacation and the longer days but I'm just not in the mood.

Then at the end of summer back it comes and I just long to have more time. Go figure. Well I'm making Christmas products for my business and I'm working on presents too.

I finally started working on this sweet fleece. I cut

and pinned....

then measured and cut strips and tied knots...

and it became a cozy throw for snuggling. The other side is a plain lighter colour...

Aren't the puppies sweet?

Adorable close up...

A snuggly Christmas present but I can't tell for who right now...

I have also spray painted 3 more drawers..I'm getting ready to make more clocks...

See here completed drawer for Geoff or this one for Richard if you missed the original spring posts...

Sweet Abby gave back the yarn she was holding for me...

and I crocheted a flapper style hat..

here it sits over my phone...

but I am going to run a ribbon through it and add a felt flower.

When I'm all done I'll show it to you. Hopefully it'll keep me warm once the cooooold weather comes. It'll look nice with my new coat though I'm not much of a hat person.

Funny how the fall brings on the cool weather and projects are on the heat again....

Do you have new fall projects on the go?

Hope you have a great day... Judi xoxo

Delicious Harvard Beets Recipe

2011-11-06T19:16:00.002-05:00

Do you love beets like we do? We really do...

Do you know that beets have magnesium and can prevent osteoporosis, help lower cholesterol, have inflammatory properties, are rich in Vitamin B, have folate and other good properties?

Our good friend Molly shared her delicious recipe and we made some at the cottage yesterday....and I made some today back home. Very easy and very good.

Update*** I wanted to point out as a Nancy did when she made them I should have written either double the cans of beets or reduce the recipe by 1/2.****

Recipe for Molly's Harvard Beets

1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 beet juice (saved from can of beets)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1tbsp butter

1 can of sliced beets

Drain the beets reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Put the juice into a small saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients except the beets at this point.

Heat to soft boil stirring until the cornstarch has thickened. It won't be really thick but you'll now.... Remove from heat and add sliced beets. Best when cooled to room temperature or served cold.

Now I have to say that the next time I make them I will either use 2 cans of beets or cut the rest of the recipe in half. I found there was so much sauce that left I couldn't use. I think we'll take some over to share with our friends at Thanksgiving. You might give them a try.... Judi xoxo

Canadian Butter Tarts with Walnuts and Raisins...

2011-11-03T18:12:00.002-04:00

Recently on a cool fall evening I tried a new soup recipe (in clear mug) and enjoyed it with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Yum.

AND I made butter tarts. Butter tarts are considered one of Canada's quintessential desserts. I like to make an easy crust using butter. The Pate Brizee butter crust recipe is from Joy of Baking but because I like the filling to be slightly runny I use a Canadian Living recipe (follow below) which has corn syrup in it. Joy of Baking is a great site. I process it in a food processor so its VERY easy.

then into the fridge to cool for about an hour

meanwhile you make the filling which includes eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter and vanilla.. The filling is from Canadian Living magazine and I have been making it for years....(but use the crust recipe above)

I like walnuts and raisins in mine which I put in before spooning in the filling...You can make them plain or with just raisins. The choice is yours....

and goes into the oven like this with the filling....

and comes out like this 20-25 minutes later when the filling has settled and the crust is lightly brown...

There are 2 distinct butter tart lovers. Those who like a regular butter tart filling and those who like a more RUNNY butter tart. I am of the latter...with corn syrup and cooked just until lightly browned. If you haven't given them a try...you should!..and if you do let me know how you like them. Yum....Judi xoxo

Days of Fall and Inspirations

2011-11-01T21:55:00.003-04:00

In the days of Fall...the mornings are dark and crispy but the sunny days are beautiful even though the trees are not as full of vibrant colour

as the leaves drop to the ground and cover the remaining colour of summer....

The apple trees in the orchards are heavy with fruit and have been ready for picking...

At the cottage the fireplace is cozy and we see the birds on the lake are unsettled....

I find myself inspired by new comfort foods and recipes....

and by new projects I'd forgotten about in the heat of summer....

It was hard to say goodbye to summer around here where summer always is too short....but its fun to look forward to the new.... I'll share with you more on this later on... Judi xoxo

Red Brick Dresser Unveiled....

2011-10-30T18:27:00.002-04:00

A couple of years ago while thrifting I picked up this dresser. I've had it all over the house including here in my bedroom. It has a missing drawer but I've had a thin sheet of wood on it and it has been fine...obvious but fine.

Most recently its been in my livingroom but it wasn't looking right. I had such a problem with its colour sitting right beside my red brick leather chair. I LOVE the colour of my red brick chair so when I visited and saw how Julie had painted a dresser with Behr's Red Brick S-H-170 that was my next challenge.

My dresser barenekked in her tired colour....

and after 2 coats of her new flowing red brickness.....

She sits so pretty in the same shade as my favourite red brick chair....

Here is another pic with Abby on the sofa. I feel much more comfortable with the flow of colour in my livingroom. After painting the wood sheet inserted in the missing drawer it now looks like it was meant to be that way. Visit Julie at Julie-Inspiredbyyou and see where my inspiration came from. I have yet to decide whether I'll add the Espresso Bean glaze to finish it off as she did. I love it...and I may do it. Judi xoxo

Quilted Rose Placemats for Mom

2011-10-27T17:00:00.002-04:00

I sewed 4 quilted placemats for my mother for Christmas last year. She wanted 2 more and finally last weekend I made them. Fortunately I had enough of the rose panel that has 4 different roses but had to coordinate a different shade of pink and green fabric with them.

I measured and cut....

and did some sewing and quilting....

The first 4 had a different rose on each one and quilted were like this one...

but I'm sure she will like these 2 coordinating placemats I'll give her on Monday. Now she can set up a pretty table for her friends and serve up something special. In the picture they look like a square but they are rectangular in real life..

Now...what will I make with the rose panels I still have left? I'll have to think on that.

Have a rosey day... Judi xoxo

Homemade Buns and Pioneer Woman's Marlboro Man Sandwich

2011-10-14T02:00:00.032-04:00

I finally have the "knack" for baking bread that needs kneading AND I am over the not liking the kneading bit. I rarely made bread if it wasn't in the bread machine but since this summer I've been fascinated by this.

Last week I found a recipe from King Arthur Bread flour that had GREAT reviews. This is a great site.
My review would be included in the good reviews because it was easy to make and turned out great. I added a couple of dashes of Onion Salt, Garlic Powder and just a few caraway seeds to the dough...those are not little bugs on them.*s*..

Before putting them into the oven I brushed then with an egg white, sprinkled over some coarse salt and just a very few caraway seeds. I shaped 3 of them into oval buns and the rest were little buns.

Nothing to it and ohhhh so yummy...I fixed the Marlboro Man sandwich with cubesteak just like the PioneerWoman and Marc and I loved it on these buns.

Judi xoxo

Thrifted and Repainted Frames for the Birds.....

2011-10-11T03:31:00.006-04:00

This summer while thrifting I picked up 2 unpainted frames from the thrift shop.

I painted them white after I brought them home. This weekend I went through pics I had from GraphicsFairy and my scrapbooking paper.

After cutting and pasting I came up with these 2 framed pictures.

For one of the pictures I used some of my scrapbooking paper to place around it.

There are some inspirational sayings on the paper. But I needed to pull the 2 pictures closer so I added some of the scrapbooking paper to the outter edges of the birds in the 2nd frame as well.

Now they looked like this....

But....I didn't like the frames so white. In real life the background of the birds and nest are not white but more creamy beige and the frame was just too stark white.

So I pulled out my folk art paints and repainted the frames with black, brown and green. I kept the birds in the frame so I could get a feel and match up some of the green in it.

I like them better now and in a couple of days I'll give them a nonglossy varnish and I'm sure I'll like them even more.

I was happy with my new pictures. I'm not quite sure where I will put them........Judi xoxo

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving....

2011-10-09T11:27:00.002-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian family and friends.

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday already at our place with the family. It was the day we could all be together. Marc and I were busy roasting the turkey and making all the fixings. Mom baked an apple pie and I made pumpkin pie for dessert. Dinner was delicious and it was so good for us to be together again. Unfortunately with so much going on we did not take one single picture so I have none to share. That was rather unusual because usually someone is taking pictures....but we have the memories to share at least.

We have so much to be thankful for and should never forget our good fortunes.

Blessings.... Judi xoxo

Chicken & Broccolli Casserole Challenge

2011-10-04T18:32:00.005-04:00

On Tuesdays our local grocery store has "mammoth" roasted chicken done on the rotisserie on special for $6.99. They are really delicious and become a quick meal. I felt challenged into thinking what could I make with it this week.

I found a recipe for Chicken Broccolli Casserole on a can of reduced fat Campbell's Cream of Brocolli Soup. Recipes on cans and packages are so tempting to me to try.

Following the recipe I combined the soup and 1/3 cup milk in a small bowl and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I cut into cubes 2 cups of the chicken and combined that in a 1 quart casserole dish with 3 cups of cooked, hot broccolli cut into smaller flowerettes. I spread the soup mixture over and sprinkled on a 1/2 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese and some bread crumbs. Then drizzled 3 tablespoons of melted margarine over the top and into a 425F oven for 25 minutes to heat it up.

It came out of the oven like this. Easy and very appealing with a cheesy crunchy top.

I served it up with egg noodles with a little margarine melted on it and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
This recipe is definately staying in my box of recipes for another quick and delicious chicken meal.

Yum!.... Judi xoxo

Vintage Pillowsham Apron - Ready for Giving

2011-10-02T20:52:00.002-04:00

I love vintage pillowcases and pillow shams. I make pillowcase dresses for Madeline and they are so cute.

Today we celebrated my mother's 82nd birthday. As part of the present we gave her I made a vintage pillow sham apron. She had seen one I'd made for a girlfriend of mine and said she would love one too.

This is the sham it started out as...

A bit of cutting....

Sewing and ironing....

and Voila a pretty little apron.

These particular colours and types of flowers are so like my mother. I know she'll like it.
This is a picture of us celebrating Mother's Day in the spring...

Happy Birthday Mom. Love you..... Judi xoxo

My Past 2-1/2 Weeks....Picket and Time...

2011-09-20T21:23:00.001-04:00

Today I was one of 8000 support staff from 24 Ontario colleges that went back to work after a 2-1/2 week strike. Yikes! It has been 32 years since the College support staff have been in this situation. I've been employed there for 27 years. We were so happy to have a settlement and be back to work. Everyone on the picket line worked so well together and that was a good experience.

I had to put in 20 hours/week on the picket line which left me with extra hours for making...Jalapeno Pepper Jelly...Confetti Zucchini relish...and painting my mosaic table....

Then I separated the pulp from the skins of grapes...discarded the seeds and...

baked a grape pie....

I am still in the process of making lavender scented sachets (not yet completed)..

I spent more time at the cottage and we made pizza on the new Weber grill...it was so delicious....

We attended a lovely wedding in Stratford (2 hours from home) ....this might have been a nice picture of Marc and I if the camera hadn't been so shaky..(or the photographer)

saw a wonderful white cabinet in a store in Stratford but with the glare its not very clear...it was made from doors of all sizes with vintage glass knobs.....can you make something of it?

While it was good to have fun productive things to do with the extra time off...it feels so much better to have a settled feeling... Work is good....Judi xoxo

Jalapeno Jelly Recipe

2011-09-14T03:00:00.002-04:00

We enjoy appetizers whether sampling at gatherings with friends or trying something new to share with our friends. Its one of the things Marc and I seem to be known for. We love cooking together.

Well this week I was at home on my own and decided I would make Jalapeno Jelly. Whether the jelly is green or red it looks so pretty over a bar of cream cheese to be scooped up onto a cracker. Yum!

The recipe I used is recipe here.

It called for both green peppers and jalapeno peppers...

into the food processor seeds and all...

It is cooked with vinegar and other ingredients...

Poured into hot, sterilized jars...then you wait and wait until they are all cooled and thicked and voila! Done!

It was so easy I wonder why I'd never tried before because it has a great heat and is very delish!!

Have a great day.... Judi xoxo

Painted Thrift Table from This to....This...

2011-09-11T21:03:00.003-04:00

Today I finally finished the look of a table I had started last year. I had found the table thrifting and it looked like this.....

Then I did broken china mosaic work on it but this is the only picture I could find with the mosaic work with the table still brown. Quite drab I think.

Now that I've painted it white it looks like this...finally. I think its so much prettier now.

I recently also came across a white wicker plant stand. It was free and in perfect shape. I've untangled my philadendren plant from the basket it was in before so it looks like its having a "bad hair day" It'll look pretty once it sorts itself out.

I like the look of the 2 light pieces in my diningroom.

Don't you love it when a project finally is finished? I sure do.... Judi xoxo

Confetti Zuchini Relish

2011-09-06T02:00:00.000-04:00

Whenever I eat a hot dog or a hamburger I add mustard, relish, ketchup, onion, pickle and tomato! Then it is so perfect for me.

And I adore different types of pickles and relishes. One such relish I made again recently is a Confetti Zucchini Relish. It is easy, doesn't take a lot ingredients so its not expensive AND its ready to enjoy the next day. The recipe is below.

I chopped up the onions and zucchini

added the required amount of salt, stirred it well and covered it up until the next day. The salt draws out a lot of moisture from the zucchini so you have really rinse it the next day. Then I proceeded with the recipe cooking it with the remaining ingredients. **I added hot pepper flakes to each jar.**

Finally into the clean, hot jars and processed for 10 minutes. The recipe made 8 jars.

If you are like me and love your relish you need to give this recipe a try. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Have a great rest of the evening.... Judi xoxo

Redesigned Chandalier for Madeline

2011-08-31T21:28:00.003-04:00

This summer I started working on a chandalier for Madeline's room. While thrifting I found a black iron 5-arm chandalier that I spray painted white. I purchased 5 little shades online and covered them with pink dotted fabric. I made some fimo clay butterflies and flowers and a caterpillar and then... decided I didn't like it all that much after all. It lay unfinished for a few weeks.

and then I found a pretty butterfly teapot set while thrifting and started drilling...

It fit perfectly in the centre of the chandalier.

I tore off the fabric from the shades and glued on a new more plain but pretty pink shade fabric and glued on a pretty little flower on each.

Now it is what I was hoping for.

Its hard to get the whole impact of its prettiness unless it is held up and I just couldn't hold and snap at the same time.

I may make a Fimo butterfly and hang it from the bottom with pink glass beads.

Madeline was over this evening and thought it was adorable. After Geoff paints her room he'll take it home and hang it up. I can't wait to see it up.

I really am pleased with how this project came together in its makeover....Judi xoxo

Handmade Matryoshka Type Doll and Bag

2011-08-30T02:00:00.015-04:00

While at the cottage on vacation recently I brought materials to work on projects. I made a Matryoshka looking little doll (but not nesting) from felt and embellished with little beads for my granddaughter Madeline.

I wanted something for her to carry it in or hang in her bedroom. I pulled out my felt and started cutting...

sewing and embellishing with beads...

a little bag with lace and pearl trim and shoulder strap....pink and purple her favourite colours...

Then I made a little one that can stand on her own and can be a finger puppet...

here they both are...

On Thursday Geoff and Madeline came to my work and we had a picnic lunch outdoors that I had made.

I gave the bag and dolls to her and she thought they were cute. It was a fun project and fun picnic.

I love this picture.... Judi xoxo

Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet

2011-08-28T16:50:00.002-04:00

First my thoughts and prayers are with all of you who are in the path of Hurricane Irene or the

devestation she is spreading along the way. Be safe......

+++++++

I love apple cakes and I went back to Pioneer Woman for her recipe for Skillet Apple Cake.

Cored and sliced apples cook in butter and sugar while the batter is made. It smelled so good.

The batter is spooned on top of the apples in the skillet and baked in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

The cake came out of the oven like this.

And after 5 minutes was flipped onto a plate.

Note to self...bake cake longer than 25 minutes - go for the definite golden brown.

But we really thought it turned out yummy.... We served it with ice cream.

Thank you Ree for a great recipe.... Judi xoxo

Iced Coffee with Chocolate Sauce...mmmmmmm..

2011-08-24T02:00:00.004-04:00

When I was on vacation last week at the cottage I was definately on vacation mode. The weather was sunny and gorgeous.... On the first day Marc set off to work and I made myself my morning coffee.

As I poured myself my usual 1/2 cup refill I realized the pot was still rather full and so was I. Without thinking I'd made a full pot of coffee and without even thinking that Marc had gone to work and we wouldn't be having coffee together. What a waste I thought until I remembered a recipe I'd see yesterday at Pioneer Woman.

I poured the rest of the coffee into a mason jar and into the fridge. In the afternoon I made myself an iced coffee! Now her recipe starts off differently but because my coffee was already brewed I started with that.

I filled up the glass with ice and poured in some coffee...stirred in some sugar.

Stirred in some cream.....I had to!

had a sip....AND then added some chocolate sauce. I gave it a stir. How exciting! I'm going to be sure to have some again. SOON.

I couldn't find the straws to help drink it but I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely iced coffee. ...

Do you like iced coffee on a hot day? If its too hot your way today you might want to give this a try. I'm going back to Pioneer Woman for another recipe I found. Looks delish!

Judi xoxo

Bossco and Meadow - real pals

2011-08-22T02:00:00.002-04:00

I'm sharing a lazy, hazy, crazy day picture of Geoff's pups and how well they continue to get along. They have had Bossco the doberman pup since July 25th and Meadow the 15 mos old German Short Haired Pointer 4 days before that.

As far as Bossco is concerned its "me and my shadow" as he follows and runs all over after Meadow. Meadow seems to love it even when Bossco starts tugging on her collar and being a real pup.

After a busy running around they snuggle and share naps together.

Ahhhhh its a dog's life..... Judi xoxo

Cardinals into the Cottage on Cushions

2011-08-19T09:20:00.000-04:00

There are so many different birds around the cottage and I am sure at your place too. Their songs are lovely and they are so relaxing to watch. Sometimes they can however wake you up hours before you want to with their chatter. But still.....

These 2 cardinals came from a picture courtesy of thegraphicsfairy and I used the CitraSolve method to transfer it to a piece of heritage cotton.

I used 2 of my favourite green fabrics to sew up a new cushion cover for the cottage.

this is the overlapping back opening...

There was a time only a couple of years ago that I didn't see birds as decor for my home. Now I'm loving them totally. What about you?

My week has gone quickly and I wonder whether Abby is in her favourite position lying on her back waiting for a tummy rub wondering when I'm coming home. Just a couple more days Abby.

Have a wonderful day... Judi xoxo

Watching the Hummers & a Neighbourly Gift...

2011-08-18T12:32:00.001-04:00

I sat on the deck at the cottage yesterday and watched the hummingbirds feeding. I had made a fresh batch of juice for them and they were making such a racket (and they do make a racket) at the feeder. They were sharing and not sharing and I was sure they were going to collide right into me as I sat there.

sometimes they will be so friendly to each other and share....

other times they chase each other in flight all over the yard....

I really do enjoy watching them. There were about 5 of them flying around at that time.
See the plant and container on the deck?

Well Georgia next door bought the large jug at a garage sale. I was so delighted that she would give it to me. I had so many ideas about what to do with it. Its made in Italy and nice and heavy.

I thought it went perfectly with the teapot garden planter I had made from a teapot and cup and saucer. So for now it sits elegantly displayed on the deck.

Have a wonderful day and I hope your weather is as picture perfect as ours and you too can enjoy the outdoors. The temps have been in the upper 70s at the lake with a beautiful breeze.... Judi xoxo

Together in Niagara

2011-08-15T13:01:00.002-04:00

My nephew Eric who just turned 21 came to visit us for the past almost week. We hadn't seen him for 7 years. He lives in British Columbia.

We had a great time reaquanting and we were all together all weekend. On Friday we drove to Niagara Falls. It was his first trip there.

Here we are with the Hershey kiss....thats me, Geoff - eldest son, my mother and Eric.

Canadian pictures - Geoff and Eric

Mom and I....

The gardens were lovely...

Eric posing with the Royal Canada Mounted Police figurine..

Barbeque dinner at moms....mom and Eric....

Richard and Eric...

We shared dinner at my mom's place....Rich - youngest son and Robin were there....

My new grand doggies Meadow and Bossco were there....

This is me with Meadow and Bossco, who were so good.

At my place I made some meringues and everyone made up their own with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate sauce....it was so yummmy!!

Here the 2 cousins Geoff and Rich with their meringue creations....

We had a great time. Come back again soon Eric! I hope you all have a great day too... Judi xoxo

Pickled Green Tomatoes

2011-08-10T02:00:00.017-04:00

Yesterday at the grocery store in the aisle where there is usually a big display of red tomatoes I was surprised to see a big display of green tomatoes. I bought some to make pickled green tomatoes. I put them in the fridge until tonight when I realized I was missing an ingredient and they started to ripen quickly.

The recipe was from one of my Sunset - Canning and Pickling books (recipe below). I made 5 jars of the green tomatoes along with carrots, green peppers, baby carrots, onions, garlic and spices.

The recipe doesn't say how long to wait before trying them. Thats odd. Maybe that means it won't be a long time. I'm anxious to give them a try. I love pickles and pickled veggies. Do you like them?

Here is the recipe if you are interested..... Judi xoxo

PINGPONG - Social Kitty of Rockledge

2011-08-07T20:30:00.003-04:00

I'm back home from the cottage for a week's worth of work. Fortunately I'm off next week so that helps a little bit.

Up the road from the cottage lives a wonderfully pretty cat named "PingPong". I haven't asked how he got that name. He walks Rockledge our cottage road happily hunting and exploring. I hadn't seen him for a while but he started visiting our cottage again last week.

He obviously didn't know that we seem to live on our new deck so he came to the front door...

I love when he meows because his little mouth forms an "O".....

he peeked in....

doesn't he have the sweetest face?

we called him over to the deck and I offered him a bit of sardines on crackers, our appetizers. He thought that was a pretty good treat.

I really wanted to take him home....he's so good and gentle and loves affection.

cute eh?

Well....the next day we were INSIDE this time and he was smart. He came to the deck and climbed onto a deck chair and looked in and meowed with that cute little mouthed "O" again.

then he went to the door at the deck and jumped on a little table....

and looked in the screen door of the deck and meowed again with those cute little "O" lips....

PingPong liked having his picture taken...unlike my Abby who always looks away....

then off he went to find a spot in the yard where he could watch all the goings on. PingPong has such a cute character.

Abby was happy to see me....we were apart for 17 days and we missed each other... :o)

Don't you hate leaving your little furbabies? Judi xoxo

Finnish Meat Patties - Lihapiirakka

2011-08-06T00:05:00.005-04:00

The other day I made Finnish Meat Patties called Lihapiirakka in Finnish. The morning just felt like a baking morning at the cottage... I should make them more often because they are not difficult to make.... I've given you the ingredient list at the bottom in case you might need them.

Starting off with the Dough

Put the flour, the liquid and the yeast into the mixing bowl and stir with large spoon until as mixed as you can. Then put onto a clean counter and knead for about 10 minutes. Add the salt and sugar and knead for another minute or two. Place into a medium size bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double - about an hour.

Filling

Cook the rice until tender. Fry the ground beef in a skillet on high heat, until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Chop the onion very finely and sauté in butter until tender.

Combine the meat, rice, onion and sour cream. I add oregano, chili flakes (to taste), fresh thyme and parsley to the filling. Cut up the fresh herbs before adding. Adjust flavours to taste.

Punch down the dough, knead and let rest 5 - 6 minutes. Divide the dough into 10 pieces and roll them into balls. Dust counter surface with a little flour and one at a time, roll out the balls into flat, round disks.

Take one dough disk, place a small pat of butter on the centre of it and a couple of tablespoons of the filling on top. Lift one round of disk over the other to enclose the filling and pinch to make a closed, oval pasty. Fill the rest of the dough disks.

Place the pasties seam side down on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Cover them with a clean damp towel and allow to rise for 15 - 20 minutes. Brush them with the egg, prick with a fork and bake at 430F for 15 - 20 minutes.

While they bake heat 1 cup of milk in a saucepan with a large glob of butter and allow to melt. Submerge the piping hot pasties one at a time briefly in the hot milk-butter mixture. Use a large spoon or bbq tongs to dip them. Place the pasties in one layer on a large plate and cover with parchment paper and a towel. let them sit for about 1/2 hour to soften.

You can eat them warm alongside a salad and/or soup and it makes a nice lunch or dinner.

They really are very simple to make and very yummy.... I'd love to share with you... Judi xoxo

Ingredients

2-1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup of (1/2 milk and 1/2 water)

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp Rapid Rise Yeast

1 tbsp salt

Filling Ingredients

1 lb chuck meat (80/20)

1/2 onion chopped very fine

1/2 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup sour cream

To Baste

1 cup mik

2 large tablespoons butter

Cottage Garden Tour....

2011-08-03T00:05:00.003-04:00

Vacation Week 3 continues to be lovely....

On Monday Marc had a vacation day and we went with friends to the baseball game in Rochester. It was the Red Sox vs Buffalo Bisons. Well the home team didn't do so well. But we had fun anyway. They gave us all t-shirts as we walked in the gates.

We had friends visit overnight on the weekend from Canada and see the pretty bloom on our patio table?

Let me take you on a tour and you'll see where that pretty came from.....

right from Bob and Georgia's our neighbours' garden....they are such a snow white colour...

Aren't the lilies beautiful?

Everything is so healthy and green and in bloom....Bob spends a lot of time tending to his garden.

Even in this pretty get away sitting nook they have put out special touches.

The flags....

Isn't this a clever flower shelf Bob made?

In front of the cottage has been a constant wave of activity and change....

This is such a beautiful and colourful time of year....hope you have a wonderful one...Judi xoxo

Summer's Fresh Peach Cake

2011-08-01T15:15:00.001-04:00

We look on the Foodnetwork website often for new recipes and thats because we are always checking out the Food Channel. We have our favourite chefs and shows including Diners Drive ins and Dives, Giada, Barefoot Contessa, Bobby Flay and Paula. In Canada I like to watch "French at Home" with Laura Calders. You know you are big when the whole country knows you by your first name.. :o)

Last week I found a delicious fresh peach cake recipe on Barefoot Contessa - Ina Garton's Fresh Peach Cake. It called for using up the last 3 peaches we had which was perfect.

You might want to give it a try. The recipe calls for sour cream and I adore cakes with sour cream moistness. My pictures unfortuntely are not that great (I must have been anxious to bite into the first piece) But....truly it was yummy.

Do you watch the Foodnetwork and who is your favourite? Have a great day. Judi xoxo

Cottage Projects

2011-07-29T08:56:00.003-04:00

At the cottage the weather has been wonderful except for the look of rain yesterday and actual raindrops this morning.

Everything is still and the leaves on the trees are motionless.

the water barely ripples...

The birds continue to sing and its very relaxing.

This week I've worked on a chandelier for Madeline. I spray painted a black metal chandalier white that I had thrifted, covered 5 little shades with a pink polka dot fabric.

From the Fimo clay I made butterflies and flowers and a striped caterpillar to slip onto the chandelier under the shades.

It doesn't look good in this picture because its hanging cock eyed from a ceiling fan just so you can see it better. I have yet to finish up the shades and see what else I'll add. I'll show it to you once its complete.

I took down the 2 sconces at the cottage that looked like this....

and gave them a bit of a spray and now they look like this... much better...

I am truly in vacation mode. What has your weather been like and what you you been up to this week? Enjoy....Judi xoxo

2 New Grand Doggies

2011-07-28T07:58:00.004-04:00

While I've been at the cottage the family has grown! We now have 2 grand furbabies...

For those who have followed my blog my eldest son Geoff has been waiting for this summer for the birth of a new doberman pup. He had to put little Ronian down after having him only for one month last year because he had a degenerated disease.

Well....unbeknownst to ME they now have TWO new pups! Meadow, who is a 14 month German Short Haired Pointer became their first dog last week Thursday. She seems to have stolen their hearts and is very well behaved and they have sent me little video snippets of her in videos

Here is Meadow.....

On Monday they picked up Bossco.....here he is on his drive home to their place....

cuties....

I think Bossco is quickly going to become a hunting dog as he follows Meadow's lead. Bossco already will retrieve a ball and return it to them on command and I saw that on a video. That is one smart granddoggy. Meadow already knows these commands.

After a busy morning of playing together and chasing birds and squirrels in the big background the 2 buddies are resting. You can tell from this togetherness picture they are great with each other..only have known each other 2 days at this point.

I can't wait to meet them in person when I'm back from vacation. BUT I DO not want to end my vacation. Its been so good.

Hope you have a wonderful day today.... Judi xoxo

Repurposed Teapot and Cup Garden Set

2011-07-22T08:15:00.003-04:00

I have been having fun with teapot sets again. If you have followed my blog you know that I make lamps and birdfeeders out of these little treasures. Now I have put some together for growing little flowers and herbs or just because....

I've put little plants in this one. Cute?

Here are a some other little pretties. I love these little gardens that are quite the conversation piece. They look sweet sitting on a kitchen counter or bathroom, anywhere indoors as well as out.

Each teapot set can hold 3 little plants from those little black plastic containers you buy for planting. But I divided the 4 evenly between the 2 teapot gardens.

I love the look of these little sets and often times I don't want to drill in them...I want to leave them all sitting on my work table to admire sort of like a mother cat and her kitties I think...

I have reopened my Pinkdaisies Etsy shop with some of them...Etsy is on my sidebar also. Next time you make a pot of tea think of what else could be done with that pretty teapot.

Enjoy this lovely day.... Judi xoxo

Summer Picnic Recipes - Picked Onions, Banana Bread and Homemade Lemonade

2011-07-21T00:00:00.002-04:00

My eldest son Geoff burned his foot pretty badly a week ago and he's had to stay off work. He was camping and while preparing breakfast he stepped onto the firepit from the night before. One of those quick things that can help ruin some vacation time.

I was heading over to Geoff's place yesterday because I'm on vacation. First thing in the morning I baked 4 small, delicious Walnut Banana Bread to which I added dried cranberries.

I made Homemade Lemonade by squeezing juice from 4 lemons and adding some simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water that has been heated and stirred and then cooled) and topped with water, lemon slices and some springs of mint. That was ready for our "picnic" as well.

The day before I made a quick and very delicious pickled onions. The recipe follows. On the weekend Marc and I will try the pickled onions on grilled meatloaf sandwiches. I put the pickled onions into a jar and Geoff and I ate it with grilled turkey sausage ring.

If you are like onions and pickles here is the easy peasie yummy recipe:

Pickled Onions

1 small red onion, sliced very thin

1 small regular onion, sliced very thin

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp. celery seed

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Put the onions into a ziploc bag. In a bowl mix all the rest of the ingredients very well. Pour over the onions. Allow them to sit for 3 hours on the counter before using. Store in the fridge when ready.

Here are the goodies ready to be packed to take with me.

On the way I picked up a couple of side salads and we were set. We had a nice visit just the 2 of us. The weather was HOT and the lunch was yummy.

I hope you manage to stay cool and comfortable. Judi xoxo

Cottages for Birds

2011-07-19T20:14:00.001-04:00

Fun in the sun...fun at the cottage...and cottages for birds...

A home here high up on a pole by our shed....

this is the 2nd year this birdhouse was rented...

taking a walk to a neighbour's yard....a cottage nest could be up here....

or hanging as high as the tallest pink flowers grow.....

back in our yard a pretty bird house on an antique shovel, a garden ornament....

until we noticed the sticks in the entrance....was that a bird that flew out??

up close we could see it was stuffed with goodies for nesting....

The Welcome sign is for the wrens that seem to be moving in. I painted this bird house and we just put it out a couple of weeks ago. Luckily it hasn't rained because it isn't varnished yet. Now I don't want to interrupt the family with painting. Welcome.....

Do you have bird houses and nests in your garden? Judi xoxo

A Bit Like Heaven I'm Sure....Vacation at the Cottage.

2011-07-14T18:07:00.002-04:00

Happy Beautiful summer days....

I am excited to be going to be on 3 weeks vacation starting tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Can you see the smile on my face? I know you can... :o)

We are not going away during this time but we'll spend time at the cottage and we'll visit with friends there and have my best friend Kirsti and her hubby spend a night with us also. There may be day trips while I'm at home as well as catching up on those things I crave to do while I'm at work.

Here is the way some of the flowers looked at the cottage last week. We just planted this clematis this year and look at how well its doing in spite of the late summer. We have to get a proper trellis for it. Right now its growing madly around a tomato plant holder. I may just put a trellis behind it as well.

I planted these impatience among the roots of the large maple tree. It is such a big tree....and so it must be old...but Marc isn't old and he and his brother used to jump over this tree when they were small... :o)

The flower box in the shop window is doing nicely. I love the colours we've used this year. The American flag sits proudly on one end and the Canadian at the other...

Marc wired a birdhouse I painted a couple of years ago on to an old shovel I found along the way....

No matter what you do this weekend I hope you have a beautiful one Enjoy.... Judi xoxo

Cottage Deck was Christened...Projects on the Go...

2011-07-10T18:09:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet little ones Madeline who turns 7 today....and to Austin who turned 6 last Sunday, the 3rd.

This weekend at the cottage the deck was just about completed. We have yet to put the..I'm calling it "skirt" at the bottom of the deck to keep the critters out.

The door on the right will be replaced by a sliding door soon. We were delighted with how much brighter the cottage is inside now that we use this door to the deck and keep the inside door open. The slider will make it even more so.

We have to buy a patio set next weekend but we did christian the deck by eating brekky on the smaller table set on it. It was lovely to watch the activities on the water sitting outdoors eating. The weather was perfect. We plan to put a garden around the deck with easy care plants like small shrubs and hostas is the plan right now.

Thank you to Ryan and everyone who helped....including Jack!

Last weekend the guys brought up lovely flat, smooth rocks from the lake. They will be used at 3 of the corners where we are likely to step up and down from it. We'll be putting something in between them to keep them in place and in keeping with the landscaping we do.

I took out my Kryon spray paint and started a couple of projects yesterday.....

I'll show you how I do with them next weekend....

I hope you had wonderful weather and a fun time where you were this weekend. Judi xoxo

"Rocky" Homemade Paniata was a "Hit of Fun"

2011-07-03T20:35:00.001-04:00

This weekend we had family at the cottage for the July 1st and July 4th celebrations. I want to share the paniata I made for the children.

I started making it on Sunday night blowing up a large balloon...

Then I made paper mache with 2 to 1 parts of flour to water, stirred that up and slipped torn pieces of newspaper through the mache and on to the balloon. I made 5 layers adding one good layer each in the morning and after work for the next 3 days. This allows the paper mache to dry up in between layers. I had it sitting on a large metal bowl and periodically I would turn the paniata so that part could dry.

On the last night I cut up little pieces of yellow tissue paper, scrunched it and applied to the birdie with modge podge. It resembled his little feathers. I painted the bottom third with acrylic folk art paints.

This is how I filed in the "featherlike down" with tissue paper.

I made his beak with 2 separate pieces of yellow cardstock, folded and glued in place.

The cardstock made round yellow eyes which I drew in with a brown sharpie pen. His little wings were also of cardstock. I poked a hole on either side about 2" from the top for the string to help tie it.

We filled him up with party favour toys and candies scrunching additional tissue papers between layers so the candy wouldn't fall to the bottom only. It makes it fun for gathering goodies later on. I glued tissue paper across the top to close the hole.

Marc named it "Rocky" because the cottage is on Rockledge. Here he sits proudly on the table at the lake.

After we had finished our picnic we hung him up from a rope that was strung over a branch in a tree and held in place by an adult. That way it could be adjusted to the height of the child.

We started from the smallest child....

Here Madeline gives it a try. Although she did give it a hard wack or two it wouldn't break yet.

It took the very last and biggest boy to break through and then there was scurrying by the children as they gathered up the goodies.

Austin decided to try Rocky on for size...

Our weekend celebrations for Canada's July 1st and the July 4th for the States was a lot of fun.
How are you celebrating this weekend? Judi xoxo

Happy Birthday Canada...Happy 4th of July...Happy Family Get Together..and More Birthdays

2011-06-29T21:18:00.002-04:00

Lots of Happy Happy this weekend starting tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Marc's Birthday. Happy Birthday to MY bunny..*hugs* (thats what we call each other). We are both off work tomorrow and I'll get up bright and early and drive to the cottage in NY. Can't wait. I will take him out for dinner....just the 2 of us to our favourite local Village Inn Restaurant.

On Friday is July 1st is Canada'a Birthday! Happy Birthday Canada!

We are having a family reunion weekend at the cottage. My sons and their families will come on Friday along with Marc's Janet and family, and Marc's brothers children (who are big like mine). The "kids" will be pitching tents alongside each other which sound like fun.

Saturday we'll have more family drop in for a bbq so we like everyone else will hope for gooood weather. *crossing my fingers*

Sunday is Austin's 6th birthday and a week Sunday is Madeline's 7th birthday so we are celebrating more Happy Birthdays. Happy Birthday my sweet little ones. I made a pinata! I have been making it most of the week but haven't had a chance to take a pic of it since I finally finished it tonight. I will share it with you next week. I have all kinds of goodies to put in it and I hope it holds up!

Monday is July 4th and that is another Happy Celebration! We'll be sure to have fireworks for the 2 holidays on Saturday night It does sound like a lot to be happy about.

Ryan has been working hard at trying to get our deck finished for the weekend. He hasn't had too much free time to build but has taken some vacation time. I hope he meets his goal even for his sake. He has been trying to do this for Marc. Thank you Ryan.

Have a wonderful weekend to my Canadian and American friends as we celebrate special holidays...*hugs*

Building at the Cottage, Finally....

2011-06-19T20:49:00.007-04:00

We enjoyed wonderful weather at the cottage this weekend. It was not hot or humid but sunny, warm with a refreshing breeze. We left windows open because it was perfect for sleeping and and we love to hear the waves of the lake.

We are excited to be getting a deck, finally. The guys roped it off Saturday and there was much pondering over the best approach. It isn't going to be a high deck so we won't have railings. A deck will make it so nice to sit and watch the sailboats and the water from the outside. Once its built we'll decide where to add benches and flower boxes that will be added when Ryan has some time as the summer moves along.

The door you see will be replaced with a glass sliding door leading to the deck.

Grampa giving a little kiss to grandson Reed. Reed looks so much like Marc and his daughter Janet.

This is a cute picture of Janet and Reed....

The plants are so lush and green and the clematis we planted only a month ago is growing so well....

I did not want to come back home today.

I hope you had a good weekend.... Judi xoxo

Easy Baking Powder Drop Biscuits - Neighbourly Style

2011-06-17T00:05:00.007-04:00

Its Friday! hoot hoot! Friday comes after a special couple of days at work. Convocation. Four convocation ceremonies in 2 days with mixed emotions evident by the tearful hugs the students gave each other, the tearful proud moments by family members and friends, and lots of excitement and relief by the grads themselves...they did it! Now begins a new chapter for them....

Its time to drive off to the cottage again and that reminds me of last weekend I've been waiting to share something from. So.... Marc and I were on our way out and discovered this hanging outside the door...

We opened it up and found a lovely card with pink daisies on it. Unfortunately the picture of the card was so blurry but believe me it was so springy. This surprise was a thank you from our neighbours Bob and Georgia for the little goodies we brought over to them last weekend.

Inside 2 packages were the most delicious, buttery smelling Drop Biscuits.....ohhhh yum. I told Marc we would have to wait until we got back (we were on our way out remember..) and we could sit down and savour them.

In the end I said "Okayyyyyy" and we each had a bite.....mmmmmm...wrapped it back up until we got back.

They were soooooo good. We enjoyed them with some strawberry preserves...mmmmm....and Georgia included the recipe for us. I'm sharing with you...

Easy Baking Powder Drop Biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour

2-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp. white sugar

1/2 cup chilled butter, diced

1-1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 450F.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a kniofe or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add mlk a little at a time, stirring lightly between additions.

Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are golden.

We're making strawberry preserves this weekend. It might be the perfect time to bake some of these delectable biscuits. Try them you won't believe how yum they are.

Thank you Georgia and Bob! We have such fun. Do you have special neighbours also? Judi xoxo

Refashioned Bird Lamp Project

2011-06-15T05:00:00.007-04:00

When I came across this vintage lamp while thrifting I was happy because it was just what I'd been looking for.

I sprayed it with Krylon spray paint in ivory. I got so involved with the project that unfortunately I didn't take any pictures! I have to confess that I copied this idea and the bird images from a project I saw online. But I think its ok to do that if you are making it for yourself and it happens to be just what you want. Right?

I used my folk art acrylic paints to paint on the branches and leaves and carefully cut out the birds from this picture

and used ModPodge to stick them on the branches. I found the lovely birds at graphicsfairy . She has wonderful images she shares so we can make wonderful projects. The lamp project was there also.

The lamp didn't have a shade so I took it apart and attached a harp so I could put on a shade from another lamp of mine. I was so pleased with my new lamp. It fits perfectly on the table with the birdhouse I have painted....

Beside the end table where they sit is the antique child's high chair I found a few years ago at a garage sale. I use it for my plant and can you see the little blue birdhouse in it?

In the bedroom I also have bird pictures and the bird pillow I made recently using Citrosol to transfer the image to the fabric. Abby wandered into the room and made herself at home in the picture....

....after she checked out the new lamp.

I had fun with this project . I'm really loving birds right now and I can see more bird lamps and cushions in the making. I hope you have a fun loving day today too.... Judi xoxo

Baking and Planting at the Cottage...

2011-06-12T19:10:00.005-04:00

We had a busy and very productive weekend at the cottage. We baked a wonderful "No Knead" whole wheat 7 grain bread but I forgot to take pictures. While I put together our roast beef dinner into the oven, Marc baked a beautiful apple pie.

We rolled the leftover dough thin and brushed the pieces with melted butter and sprinkled over mixture of cinnamon and white sugar. After baking them for about 20 minutes they came out a lovely golden colour. We had a little snack dipping them into strawberry preserves. Very yum.

We put up a new hanging plant "Million Bell"...by the front door as we do each spring.

and planted herbs and flowers in the wheelbarrow. I love having plants in it. It is so mobile I can move it in or out of too much sun or rain and it can be wheeled to where we want to see it best. We have really been using fresh herbs this winter so we're excited to grow our own.

I widened the little flower garden by the shed and Marc dug up an old rose bush which we replaced with a pink peony bush. I forgot to take pictures of that AND I made new bird pillows last week for the cottage and forgot to take a picture of them too. I will do that next weekend.

It was to be a wet kind of weekend but it turned out only to look like rain and thunder rumbled but we were able to do some planting...finally. Now you can see how late we are around here (the unseasonal coolness and excessive rains didn't help) and how short our spring/summer growing season is to where so many of you live.

It was a fun weekend...hope yours was fun too... Judi xoxo

Homemade Gifts to Neighbours

2011-06-08T04:00:00.005-04:00

Last weekend Marc baked 2 loaves of our Artisan Bread. He baked them on the Thursday night and finished baking at midnight. Because they are baked in a heavy cast iron pot and there is only one pot it took double time to bake 2 of them. Didn't he do a good job? He baked 2 because one was for special neighbours....

And I have been sewing my transferred image cushions. This is one I sewed especially for our special neighbours...

On Friday night we walked them over to our cottage neighbours Bob and Georgia as a little welcome to spring and cottage gift. I wrote on the back of the cushion.

We enjoyed making these specially for them....and we hope they liked them...
I hope you are enjoying a lovely spring too... Judi xoxo

Enjoy this day....

2011-06-07T06:00:00.002-04:00

Hi there
I just wanted to pop in and say in case anyone wondered where I was I'm alive and doing fine. I have been busy and haven't had my head around sitting down to write. You have been on my mind and I've missed you and I've been able to do some blog reading.... I hope everyone is well and enjoying lovely springtime weather. Its finally spring here...on the most part.
See you soon...keep well.... Judi xoxo