?

Look what I purchased over the weekend.

4  baby plants,  frosty tipped fern, goldfish plant,   variegated ivy and  baby tears....   
Check back tomorrow  to see what I do with them.Any guesses?

LRW # 65 Lace

Little Red Wagon's challenge this week -use lace.

Happened to have some lace  that my Mom gave me..  covered some red  card stock added   some  bits and here is my Valentine  card.

Reflowering

My Christmas Cactus that flowered in November must be  very happy .

It is flowering again.  It hasn't as many blossoms on it as November...

Still it is nice when all is white outside to have  bright pink flowers.

Frigid Sunday..... Baking and Soup.

We are experiencing  frigid Arctic weather.... Daytime temperatures on Sunday  -20C. It was a bright day with blue sky and sunshine  but oh my so cold......This morning checked and it is -27..

  One would think we wouldn't be getting snow but a fine snow  fell about 2 inches which   meant  more shovelling. So after that chilly   job was finished decided   what was needed .
Comfort food!
Out comes the  crockpot......
 First up,  a simple boneless  beef  short rib soup with caramelized onions,  peas and potatoes ,  touch of garlic....
This makes enough for  4
1 1/2 lb. short ribs  dredged in flour ,salt and pepper  browned til golden in saute pan  with 1 TBSP. oil.
Remove, put in crock pot  , Caramelize   3 cups of onions thinly cut   takes about 20 minutes add to beef.   
Cover beef and onion with beef stock (I used Campbells 900ml. beef  broth)  1 bay leaf , 1/2 cup celery leaves, 1  elephant garlic cut in thin slices,salt and pepper to taste.  Start on high until  bubbling then turn down to low for  4 hours. At the  4 hour mark add  3 large  potatoes   cut in smallish cubes ,  add frozen peas about  1 cup   about 2 hours before you want to eat this soup..
Option  one could add some barley   about 1/2 cup..just did not have in cupboard and wasn't going back outside again.

To go with  this  hearty soup a  cheddar spring onion  biscuit .
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, cold, cut into chunks
1 heaping cup grated old  cheddar cheese
1 spring onion cut in  small pieces
 2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated.

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and dry mustard. Whisk together to combine thoroughly. Add chunks of  cold butter,cut butter into flour until it is coarse.
Add , 1 cup grated cheddar cheese stir to coat cheese with flour then  add  milk. Stir together til binds together in a  ball..

Turn ball out on lightly floured surface, knead  2 or 3 times then pat into a square.
Score into squares. No waste this way and a softer   biscuit.

Bake for 17 -22minutes. About  5 minutes before the biscuits are done top with remaining cheddar.

The pantry has bits and pieces of leftovers from Christmas baking,so threw together  a kitchen sink muffin  based on  honey bran muffin filled with   leftover macadamia nuts, fresh cranberries and dried cherries....
1 cup all purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup  bran
1 egg
½ cup honey or molasses
1/4 cup cooking oil
½ cup milk
1/2 cup nuts(used macadamia)
1/2 cup dried fruit( combo of frozen cranberries and dried cherries)

Combine dry ingredients,  in a medium mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat together remaining ingredients. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients; pour liquid mixture into well, blending to just moisten.Add  nuts and fruit.

 Spoon into greased muffin cups, filling two-thirds full. Wanted jumbo muffins so filled 3\4  full.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit  for 15-20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Nice and warm  fresh  from oven  with a touch of butter. .
So good.

 As if this wasn't enough  while rooting around in the pantry there was   half a box of rice krispies  and    3\4 bag of  mini marshmallows what else could I do  except  rice krispie squares.....

By the way more snow is forecast for later today....
Only 6 to 8 more weeks of winter.  Groan........I know I am whining.

LRW # 64 One Layer

Little Red Wagon's challenge this week is use only one layer.
I thought what an easy challenge.No Problem.
 Well it is tougher than I thought.

Finally came up with this  very simple card. Used  the Cuttlebug dot folder, scalloped the one edge, stamps used for flower and words  were Of the Earth and Silhouette Sentiments, scored the one edge then added a bow. Really like the idea of one layer especially   when mailing... will have to work on this idea....

Black Forest Cupcakes

In an effort to fill up my teenage grandsons hollow legs,  decided to make cupcakes......They both love  black forest cake.  Shades of    the lemon top hat cupcakes I fondly remember from my childhood , decided to make a black forest  version. Yes I did cheat  ,  a cake mix and cherry pie filling. Busy playing chauffeur .
After the cupcakes baked I then sliced  a wedge out and filled with the  cherry mixture.

 Put  wedges back on top and then dusted with   icing sugar  .

These are a hit.
Brock and Brayden love them  even adding a bit of  whipped cream on top.
 I am so happy with the way they turned out would make them for a potluck..

Most Depressing Day?

We are doomed  to a depressing day!


 January 17th ,today has been declared the most depressing day of the year by   the "experts" from Cardiff University in Wales..

So how are you doing?   Too snowy and cold ? Too  many grey days?  Cabin Fever? Christmas Visa bill just arrive?
Suggestions on keeping the gloom away?
I say,
stay home (retired),
play hooky from school. the gym  and work(everyday)....  wrap up in a warm blanket ( love my afghan) ,  pull out the hidden chocolate ( is it ever hidden) or whatever is your secret vice(too many to list) ,put on some Caribbean music(Jimmy Buffet my choice) pull out a good mystery  book (James Patterson on bedside table)  or find that jigsaw puzzle you got at Christmas(2 years ago), make your favourite comfort food ( scalloped potatoes ,some pasta  , a big hunk of warm bread  fresh out of the oven slathered with butter or some chocolate cake; all of the  above!  ).
Or be around teenagers  never boring, never dull.
If no   young adults to keep one on toes ..........
Then  start looking forward to June 17.

The professor Cliff Arnall  that came up with this  depressing formula  was paid by Sky Travel  .
Do you see a connection?

By the way June 17th ,
that's the day that Cliff Arnall -- this time, paid by an ice cream company -- has decided is "the happiest day of the year."

Hum wonder if there is any ice cream left?

Snowy Saturday Baking- Ice Cream bread

Another snowy day!

 More shovelling.

What does one do on such a  winter day?
 Bake. 
I had   read on No Reason Needed blog about an Ice Cream Bread .
Sounded so weird but intriguing  , made a note to try it.
Wondered if grandson  Brayden would be interested in  making this ..something fun to do ..He was.

He used  French Vanilla ice cream   2 cups, melted

1  1/2 cups self rising flour ( used 1 1/2 c.  all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp.baking powder and 1/2 tp. salt blended)

Combined well,  poured into greased loaf pan. Baked  at  350 for 45 minutes.

Brayden  loves this bread and now wants to try other flavours... he  commented the taste was like a  tea biscuit but a tinier bit sweeter . This bread surprised me  was  tastier than I expected.  I have seen this  recipe done as scones and think it would be ideal  with some butter and jam.

While Brayden   baked I made a comfort dish,  an old fashioned bread pudding with some raisins ,apples , cinnamon and nutmeg...leftover egg nog and stale bread..... Yum!

Not sure the Grandsons liked it as much as I do, said they did  but...........

January, It's cold and snowy!

Brrr,it is mid winter.
Shovelling every other day.

Weak January sun shining on the back garden ravine  at Sherry's.

 Don't these Adirondack  chairs look   forlorn, yet they hold the promise of warmer days.

Bright red berries on this burning bush add some colour to the white landscape.

The leaves
long gone on the burning bush , now

reveal  a bird nest  crowned with snow nestling in the branches.Smart bird has flown off to warmer climes....even tho there

 is  a  certain beauty and peacefulness to  the winter

 

I    yearn for the day I see  little green sprouts

pushing up out of the ground.

LRW # 63-use an envelope

Just bought a new stamp set called Aviary from SU. Found inspiration on  Splitcoast stampers web site  on using this set. Had fun carrying  on using   Aviary and Vintage vogue stamp set to  dress up not only the envelope but the inside of the card as well.







Inside and envelope ;

Inside  close up;

Thanks Little Red Wagon this was a fun challenge.

Grandma Duty

The blog has been rather quiet  . Been busy  with my teenage grandsons.  Grandma duty.
Parents are enjoying the warmth of Jamaica.
Meanwhile  I am enjoying the white winter wonderland..... View of their  backyard in the daylight

and the night view . Cheery it is.....


So what does Grandma do with teenage grandsons;hockey, hockey, hockey.
 Watch Brock play PS3 and talk on the phone at the same time....

 No, he isn't cold but loves that hat.

Brayden on his computer and facebook doing some homework.......

Making sure they eat breakfast ! From scratch pancakes this morning......yes it is real maple syrup! True Canadian!

It is certainly busy but fun. 

LRW #62 Use a doily.

The challenge this week is using a doily. Have a drawer full of paper doilies.

Found inspiration from   a lovely card at tethered to home which is gorgeous . My version did not work out as nice as I would like.....
Since I wasn't 100%  happy with the first card tried a second celebrating sunshine and the spring to come......

Some days are golden, some are not.... Need to find my mojo..