Food....never far from my thoughts!

A beautiful day....a great morning walk with my dog and coffee on the deck in the partial sunshine.....doesn't get much better than that.....until a sister showed up to share coffee with me.

I worked on my rag runner until I ran out of strips.....time to tie some more together. It's hard to believe how many strips go into it.




No appointments today.
What to do....what to do?????

I'm sick of sorting and cleaning! I've done enough of that for now.

I finally decided to make some raisin bread....Bill loves it.....and I think I might be a fan!!!!




The dough mixed together very easily and the kneading was fun. I have to get a table that's lower....my counter is too high for me to knead properly. I can't put all my weight behind it...just think how much better it might be if I could!

Waiting for the rising and baking is the hardest part.




Well, maybe not......waiting for it to cool enough to eat a big slice was even harder. And it was delicious. I'll certainly make it again.

Going to get a new passport tomorrow and do some shopping! I'm sure it'll be a great time.

Hope you have a good one too.

Weekend Away

Wow! It's been a few days since I posted.

A weekend away with friends and family...we see some of them only once a year!

A horseshoe tournament.

I play horseshoes once a year....at the tournament.

I did pretty good! Others did better!!! (Some of them at least!)

It's a chance to catch up with people we never see...it's fun watching the kids grow from year to year.


Off to my yearly physical exam....new Dr.....very nice.
I was very happy to hear that my skin "flaws" are nothing to worry about....can you imagine me with flaws?????
Now.....the round of appointments!!!!
Oh well....better safe than sorry.


I made an eye examination appointment for tomorrow .....and while I was there picked out some new frames. The gal asked,"Why do you think you'll need new glasses?" I said, "'Cause I'm watching tv through my reading glasses!"

The great-great-nephew's sweater is finished.....now for a toque to wear with it.

I'll be knotting rags this afternoon so I can finish my rag table runners. It's a perfect day for doing it.

Life is great.......enjoy yours!

You Never Know....

Up bright and early....took Scarlett for a good long walk and had lots of energy to start off the day...........SO......



I decided I'd bake some sticky cinnamon buns!!!
Here they are, all ready to bake.





Here they are....out of the oven and ready to eat.....don't they look yummy?

They are delicious and very sticky....especially in your mouth....but, Bill took six or so in his lunch and is looking forward to having them for dessert.

I'll certainly make them again...so easy and so good.





Now that we're down to one car, it seems necessary to shop whenever the car's available. Bill was out all morning, so when he returned around 10:30, it was time to hit the road.
I visited our local Mission store....it's always full of surprises....today was no different.
I purchased a really cute plastic trike type of toy for our kids to enjoy. Ryder will be able to ride it right now, the girls will be able to push it along with their feet.....and the price????? $3.00!!!!!

During my search I also discovered this:
A Punch Embroidery kit. It had never been opened and the original price was still on it....$29.95.....I got it for $3.00!!!! I have read about punch embroidery but didn't have a punch or any of the materials necessary to use it.....It's kind of fun....will take some practice before I get the "real" hang of it. It seems pretty quick...Norma, this may be IT!!!!!!!


I like to embroider and cross stitch, but this is quite different and you don't need to know any stitches....just how to use the punch.

Lord, will the crafts never end!!!



This is the underside of the work...the right side has tiny loops showing....pretty neat!

I also found an interesting book about a near-death experience....thought I'd enjoy that and a book about heart health written by Dr. Dean Ornish.....should be both informative and helpful.

By the way, I actually had a reason for shopping. When I went to have my teeth cleaned yesterday, the hygienist gave me some new type of GUM soft picks. They take the place of floss and since I hate flossing, I think they are awesome. I'm supposed to stimulate my gums a lot and I actually don't mind using these....SO...I had to go purchase some at Shoppers today. Try them, you'll like them!!!!

Life is good! Hope you're enjoying yours!

Spring rolls

Today started out rather worrisome for me....I had an appointment with the hygienist at the periodentist's!!! It's a very DEEP cleaning to try to impede the gum disease that's taking over!!! Barb is very friendly and thorough....seems I need to get an appliance to wear at night because I'm grinding my teeth badly! That'll happen in October when we get home from Nova Scotia.
I stopped by Norma's and had a coffee with her.....can't be in Oshawa without stopping!
Then I went shopping at the $store.....bought many unnecessary items.



I was hungry for spring rolls, so decided I'd get off my duff and make some. They're so easy and I can have them for dinner.


I chopped green onion, carrots and avocado and cooked up a bunch of brown rice vermicelli. I also defrosted a bunch of shrimp.






After whipping up my favourite orange-sesame dipping sauce I was all set for dinner....now I just need to get hungry.




I didn't sleep much last night and am lacking energy big time!!!! I've had a very lazy day and hope I get a lot more accomplished tomorrow.

I really want to get the rag runner on my big loom tomorrow.....I've been joining strips of rags for several days now.

I hope you're enjoying life......you should be!

Baking Day

Bill stated quite emphatically the other day that I hadn't baked cookies for ages!!! Believe me, the heat hasn't helped.

I decided it was a bit cooler today, so I asked him what kind he wanted.....peanut butter. I got out my OLD Red Roses recipe book and proceeded with the making and the baking.....they turned out just fine, although not the puffiest peanut butter cookies I've seen.

He'll be happy when he walks in tonight after work and sees a good snack....hopefully he'll leave a few for lunches this week. (He's been known to eat the whole lot in one sitting!)




I've been itching to make some more bread. I purchased some fresh flour etc and picked a batter style bread. I found it in an old Company's Coming Bread Book.

I've never made a batter style....it's so easy. This particular bread is Oatmeal Bread and it turned out very delicious. I had it for dinner tonight with a couple of poached eggs and spinach.







It has a good crumb and it makes two loaves. I popped one in the freezer and we'll eat the other one in the next couple of days. It has a slight molasses flavour.....kind of like malt but not as dense.


I think I'll work my way through this book....it's so hard to decide what to make. The next one to try is Whole Wheat Batter Bread.



I'm still knitting the little blue sweater....one more sleeve to go and then the collar....hope to finish it this week.

Blessings

Ryder, Mackenzie and Finn! What precious little souls they are.




Today we had my daughter and her daughter Mackenzie, visit along with my son and his wife and their two kids
R yder and Finn.

We thought it was going to rain, but just as they arrived the sun shone and it got hot, hot, hot!!!




Grampy had the pool ready and it didn't take long before they were all in it.




It's amazing how they've grown! Ryder is almost exactly one year older than his cousin Mackenzie and she is 6 months older than Finn. They played well together and enjoyed their visit.





Dinner went well and I am truly grateful for my wonderful kids and their kids!!! I just can't imagine life without them.




No weaving, no sewing, no knitting today....just prepared dinner and enjoyed the kids.






Who could ask for anything more?

The Fun Continues!

Yesterday I decided I'd try to make my own yogurt! My son has been making some and so I figured if he could, I could......NOT!!!!
I scalded the milk and kept it at the right temperature for 20 minutes, stirring constantly....

Then I put it in a cooler bag with 2 hot beanie bags and set it in the sun for 6 hours.......it didn't sour. I think the temp was too hot....DISAPPOINTED!
This morning I tried again.....this time I thought I'd keep it warm in my
crock pot. I even stuck a thermometer in there....kept it between 90* and 110* for 6 hours......
RUNNY!!!!! I was so disappointed.

Guess I'll have to break down and ask my son't advice!!!!





Gardening has been a bit of a challenge this year because of the heat. If you don't get out there pretty early in the morning, before the sun tries to burn you alive, forget it!

I was rewarded yesterday for any work I've done this year when I saw my perennial hibiscus blooming.....five great big gorgeous blooms!!! I just love them. I have two other plants in bud, but nothing flowering yet.


I decided I'd better get some things ready for our trip to Nova Scotia in September. We've been there many times, so the scenery isn't exactly captivating....the smell of the pulp mills in NB aren't either!


So far I have my 4" weaving loom and different colours of wool yarn to make some squares.

Today I purchased enough of this pretty wool to make a really cute cardigan for a special little someone who lives not far away....for Christmas. It is the perfect colour for her.

I will also take wool for a pair of socks and my spindle. It's a long drive and I like to keep busy. We plan on camping for a couple of nights each way as part of our vacation, so I'll need lots of stuff to keep me occupied.....I can only read for so long.
I'm hoping for a day trip to Chetticamp in Cape Breton....it's only a two or three hour drive from where we'll stay in Cole Harbour. It's known for it's wool rug hooking shop and fine instructors.....hmmm....guess I'd better pack in a hook or two as well.

Another hot one! I was up bright and early; took Scarlett for her morning walk and got at it! I really didn't want to make pickled beans today, but the beans were calling. I have to buy more lids....had just enough for today's job. Hope my family enjoys them....I've already warned my husband to leave them at home....not to share with co-workers.








I finished the rag rug this afternoon. I washed and dried it, so it's ready to go. I love the colours in it.....I'm partial to them! Hope Tanya & Terry like it.



I've designed a runner that should look very similar for my buffet in the kitchen....I like the rustic look.

Guess I'll be watching "So You Think You Can Dance" tonight....it's the final night of competition...I've enjoyed it, but I think the judges are getting too technical and "out there" with their comments.

Hot! Hot! Hot! The humidity is awful....I took Scarlett for a walk this morning at 6:30 and thought we'd be soaked before we arrived home...very overcast and damp! BUT we lucked out. Now the sun is shining and it's like a sauna.

I really should be making dill beans today too, but not sure about the heat.....think they'll wait until tomorrow. I'd much rather be downstairs weaving on my rug today.....much cooler in the lower area!




I put some Thai sticky rice in a bowl of water last night to soak overnight....that's the best way for me to make it....then I steamed it for half an hour this morning....delish!!! I made my California rolls for lunch and I find you can freeze them and thaw out whenever the mood for them hits!



My sisters like these too! They make a nice lunch and easy to serve with wasabi and soy sauce.

I'm glad I've learned how to make them....off the internet....where else????

Tomorrow I'll make some Thai rice rolls....delicious too and also very easy to make.







Yesterday I decided to get serious about the hand loom....so I went on the internet and studied the original loom carefully.....I needed a lot more brads within the same spacing. That took me a while to figure out and even longer to drill the holes and pound them in!!!!! I didn't think nails could be placed that closely.

The resulting square is much denser and takes a lot longer to make! I'm trying different weights of wool to see which I like best. So far I think a sport weight is about right.

Today is my son's 5th wedding anniversary....hardly seems possible. We are going over to babysit Finn while they go out for dinner. We love to see her...she's a little imp and goes to bed by 6:30, so we won't get sick of her!!!! Her little brother, Ryder, is vacationing at his other Gramma's.

That's it for today. Hope all is well in your world!

Sunday Sunday!

As you know I've been busy making 4" squares of wool of various colours. I think they're okay, but I want a loom with pegs closer....SO.....DH got right on it this morning.
A trip to Home Depot and the new loom is setting up as I write.

It took me ages to draw the dots to drill. The original weave-it was grouped in 3's and it makes it a lot easier to warp!!!

It took me at least an hour making dots to get it right!!!!!!! Tomorrow I'll drill the holes and maybe get the brads put in.

I'm still not sure what I'll make with all the squares....probably a bag for the first project. I'll have so many bags, I'll have to give some away!....don't worry sisters, I won't give you any!





It rained off and on today, so it was a good day for weaving. I got started on my rag rug and it's coming along nicely. I like the colours and hope the couple I'm giving it to, like it too. I'll never know, so they can do what they like with it...(oh no!!)
I'm going to have to cut and tie a lot more rags for it....very time consuming....they don't look all that intricate. I think most people would think they'd be pretty quick to make....well, actually they are once the prep is all done.


I'm still reading Harvest by Belva Plain....very good. I've read all her books long ago and I'm still enjoying them. You can't beat the price....all 50 cents at our local Mission store.

Scarlett has had a lazy day too. She seemed to hurt her leg a bit this morning and has been laying around most of the day....we went for an afternoon walk and she seemed okay. I hate it when she hurts.....a bit of a baby, I know. That's what happens to empty nesters!!!!! (fooled you, you thought I'd say old people).

Looking forward to another week with no appointments....it doesn't get much better than this!

Friday Fun

At last....the temperature has cooled a bit and the humidity is gone!!! I got up bright and early this morning; took Scarlett for her morning walk, (I was almost chilly) and got right into making dill pickles.

I used to make a couple of dozen every year when I grew my own cucumbers, but when I have to buy them, just a few will do. They look yummy already!










I'm so happy to have finished the little loom I had DH working on....drilled the holes this morning, and started pounding. This is my first warp and it wasn't the best, but I think it looks pretty darn good.....it'll look a lot better once it's been fulled.






The second one took less time and the third one went even faster.....fun and very addictive. Not sure what I'll make first with them, but for now I'm just enjoying using it.

I also have a 2" loom ready for pegs to be pounded in and then I'll be ready to try it out!

These will make great time killers traveling to NS in September....been there quite a few times and there are a lot of trees between here and there!!!!

This one I'm weaving with a pretty hand spun wool I spun a couple of years ago. I only have about 80 grams of it, so wasn't quite sure what to do with it....now I can make lots of squares with it!!!!! (My sisters think I'm crazy!!!!)

Speaking of my sister....it's her birthday next Wed. so we had her birthday lunch today! We had a good chat and lots of laughs.....great food too. After lunch four of us went golfing at a local club and had some more laughs. Here's the birthday gal relaxing with a cold one after the big game! She's wearing a new wrap and a beautiful BIG hibiscus bloom Joan presented her with! All in all I think she had a pretty good day.


This weekend's not a very busy one for us....DH has to work tomorrow and then we plan to attend a local dance.....Sunday he finally gets to stay home and take it easy....nothing planned as yet and he'll probably be happy to keep it that way! I still have to finish warping the rag rug and I have all kinds of small balls of wool to play with on my new looms! Yeah!!!!!

Hot Weather Continues...No AC!!!!!!

Wow! Another hot one!!! I didn't know how long
it might continue, so I thought I'd better make some bean pickles before they got too old. My sister picked them the other day and they were sitting in my fridge waiting for me!!! My husband loves dill beans, so each year I make some. It's amazing how many beans it takes to get 6 quarts. He was happy to see them sitting on the dishwasher when he arrived home from work yesterday.










Today it was very nice at 6:15 when I took Scarlett for a walk....nice temp and very quiet. Came back and decided it was too hot to really do much of anything......THEN....a moment of weakness!!!.......orange-flavoured sticky buns.
I got the recipe from the Company's Coming Bread Book...and they turned out really yummy, especially after I drizzled the icing all over them.






I've been warping my loom for the rag rug off and on today....other things keep interrupting me. I've been wanting to purchase a couple of small "WEAVE-IT" looms from eBay but they are very expensive...SO...I decided to get DH to make me a couple...a 2" and a 4" one....he's in the process as you can see. Finished pics will follow soon I hope. Who knows what I'll make with them....they'll travel well in the car on our trip to NS in September. I used a pattern on this website www.robertsspark.com....it's a good one.




Scarlett is being really lazy these days too....mostly lying around on the hardwood floor trying to keep cool. I'm looking forward to my sister's birthday lunch tomorrow at an Asian restaurant...love the sushi and good variety of veggie dishes offered. After lunch four of us are going to golf together....lots of laughs to look forward to.
Tonight I'm going over to visit with my darlin' grandkids for a bit until the "real" babysitter arrives! We were over last night for about an hour; we hadn't seen them for over a week....both were very active and definitely showing off for Grammy & Grampy!!!!! What great kids they are.

Too Hot!!!!

I finished the piano runner yesterday! I washed it out by hand and hung it over my line to dry.....it was still damp at 4:00pm because the humidity was so high! I think it looks pretty good considering I made it on my table loom with cheap cotton for warp and weft. It was stuff I had here at home and thought I'd try out the pattern. It's the perfect length too.





I sat outside on our patio yesterday and tried to find some air while I cut rags for a rag rug wedding gift. It took me most of the morning cutting and winding into balls. This morning I started winding the warp and hopefully will get the loom dressed tomorrow. I love using rags 'cause it's such a great way to recycle.

The weather has been very hot and humid and we have no air conditioning. Most times we don't mind....today is an exception. I was going to make pickles (dilled beans) today, but decided it is just too hot, even with fans running.

I made a yummy potato salad for dinner and a very healthy, delicious bean salad too. Of course, DH won't touch the bean salad....it might be good for him!!!! He's having bbq'd sausages with his and I'm having some cold cooked shrimp....not much of an appetite these days....I guess I should feel blessed!!!

My family gathered in Bancroft on Sunday to celebrate our nephew's wedding that took place in LA a couple of months ago. He and his wife live in Vancouver and are home for holidays. It was great to see them and visit with family and renew acquaintances. There was lots of food and drink and the weather was perfect.

I'm missing my grandchildren these days. A couple of them live near by but our schedules aren't always together.....we're down to one car these days and it makes a big difference for me. I used to hop in the car and pop over for 15 or 20 minutes just to say hello. My little Kenzie lives in Toronto, so I don't see her as much as I'd like. She's adorable and full of mischief.

Pickling day tomorrow I hope and by tomorrow afternoon I should have the rag rug well underway....it's cooler in the basement!!!!