Vellum

LRW'S  Tammy challenged us  this week to use vellum.
She inspired me to get busy. Found a card on Pinterest that   gave me a direction..
 Thoughts of Easter had me thinking   soft spring colours , maybe because it is a  cold  half sleet  half snow  grey day; I found some soft mauve   card stock  with the vellum dry embossed using a swirl   cuttlebug folder  , stamped  a bloom on vellum with white ink  and cut out   , a double use!.

Added some mauve  brads ,  double white ribbon,  a pearlized button  and  2 tags( not 100% happy with tags, will have to change them )  . Used a swirl stamp to decorate the interior and hide mechanics from front...

 

 

Think I will add one of these  free printable sentiments to the interior.

Found  these on the Internet.

 

  Have my first Easter card done!

Teddy Bear Card

 

Little Red Wagon's challenge this week. Teddies!
This was a fun card. Used  a stamp Rosanne had given me some time ago... chalked the  figures.
SU papers- Bashful Blue , designer paper from long ago, and white. Framed Tulip folder to emboss outer layer.Some pink ribbon and   satin flowers........ added a tag... 

Home Again

The boys

Note the  cell phone  in Brock's hand  , think it is permanently attached LOL.

parents are back from their  2 week trip to Tahiti and Bora Bora.......
Finished up my   time  there with   a  taco supper  using tortilla shells

ready for baking

Brayden loved them   but not the overly crisp edges

 formed into cups , baked in oven,  used  these  for the  taco mixture holder rather than  the   hard taco shells.( the taco shells in the boxes hurt my mouth) These tortillas   were crisp on the edge but soft in bowl  area. A nice blend.
Heard and read about dump cakes  ;
don't know what took me so long but I finally tried one,  using  angel food cake mix and canned crushed pineapple. 

So good !  very nice with a scoop of ice cream. Will be trying  again...... seen a version with canned cherries..

Always seems like   over ripe bananas are everywhere ,   made blueberry banana muffins. Brayden loved them.......

Add caption

Made a no knead  cranberry raisin focaccia.. from the LCBO Food and Drink magazine.. It  looks good! 

Too salty

but  must say the coarse salt was a bit too much for my taste . Plan on making it again and if  it is a success will post the recipe.

Think I am baked out.. Not! Enjoyed  the appreciative   Grandsons.

Footprints in the snow and a warm winter treat

On the weekend  it was a beautiful February  day bright sunshine,  clear blue sky.

 Not too cold.. A great day for a walk....... 

love the shadows

Bunny tracks,

deer tracks,

deer  going down to water pond for a dink

human  tracks.

After my   walk I made a new  recipe Peaches and Cream Bread Pudding from Canadian Living magazine.......

Tender, sweet peaches,used frozen;  a delicious twist to this  comfort dessert. Lightened the dish using peaches , not so heavy.   Served warm with  vanilla bean  ice cream .

Ingredients

• 8 thick  slices day-old bread,cubed
• 3 tbsp butter , softened
• 3 cups thawed frozen sliced peaches
• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup 10% cream ;used extra milk instead of cream
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp icing sugar to sprinkle on top
• 1 tsp. cinnamon 

Preparation

Spread both sides of bread slices with butter; tear into bite-size pieces. Toss with peaches; place in greased 8-inch (2 L) square baking dish.
Whisk together milk, sugar, cream, eggs and vanilla until smooth; pour over bread mixture, gently pressing to soak. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Bake in 350ºF (180ºC) oven until golden, puffed and custard is set, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Dust with icing sugar.Serves 8

I thought the pudding was great , Grandsons not so much.

Oh My Deer!

moist and yummy

On Valentines Day I made  Rocky Road Brownies for my grandsons....

used recipe off the Bakers squares box

.while in the middle of baking


 I glanced out the window and what did I see  6 deer in the wooded ravine

 to the west of the house......... so pretty..... I usually watch for deer at dusk or dawn but this time it was 2:30 in the afternoon..

6 skittish deer

Can you find the 6?  Hard to see the last one......By the way,the boys loved the brownies!

Very slow connection

Hi Fellow Bloggers.........I haven't been ignoring your blogs. At my daughters home in the country  have a very and I do mean very slow connection to the Internet. It has been grindingly  slow  to post.....let alone try to visit your blogs........and leave a comment..... Next week will be back home and will catch up on all of you........
Rosemary

LRW- Love

On this Valentines Day here is a fun card I made to   meet the challenge,

 Little Red Wagon  has set   this week.  Use the word Love  somewhere in the project.
Used Cherry Cobbler  card stock for card, white under some designer paper . Cut into a triptych, added a  sticker  and ribbon.

Shovelling Out at The Shire

Along with a lot of other people   we are digging out from an old fashioned Canadian snow storm.
The storm hit here on Friday.....
Where is here?
I am doing Gramma duty  at daughter Sherry's new  home set in the middle of a 10 acre  forest.
Do my almost grown grandsons need that much care?
More chief cook and bottle washer, I am ; and to make sure no wild parties go on..other than the ones I throw...
Sherry and Rosanne and their hubbies are in Tahiti ; did they  pick the right time to go!
First pictures, show Brayden snow plowing out the drive.. on Friday in the middle of the storm....a good 12 to 14 inches of snow.....

Playing  with the ATV.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny. So  pretty when the sun shines on the snow ..and  from inside a warm home...
Still had to get out and take some  photos........

From inside , some how the

Shovel just waiting for  use.

Bird bath    frozen  , see the optimistic  bird   tracks.....sorry birdies; no water, just lots of snow and ice....

Sherry's long and twisting driveway  of  her new home which her sister started to fondly   call The Shire..the name  has now stuck....  partly because  the house sets on  10 acres of woods and partly  after  Sherwood Forest and for love of all things Hobbit .

Doesn't this   little  house and wood shed look like something out of the hobbit?

looks so pretty when not shovelling

 Some photos of the sun and shadow.......

Coreopsis  seeds

 What did I  do on a snow day?
   Bake!

 Peach pie, raspberry tarts,  bread ( cheated tho used bread machine)  chocolate chip cookies to go with some Valentine treats...have to feed  the "boys".
How are you  coping with the snow?

LRW Challenge Inspiration Photo

Here is my card for this weeks challenge....... white cardstock  topped with  bright blue  , patterend circle paper , some blue ribbon,  a blue pearl , orange butterfly and  a touch more of orange to accent the  saying.


white blue and orange!

  A bright  and cheery  table scape was the inspiration........ Check out the inspiration  here. 

Big Yellow Bowl and Banana Bread

What evokes memories for you?
 Sometimes it is the most simple items that  remind  me of  my  youth........ for  me;  a vintage  big yellow Pyrex bowl.
 These vintage Pyrex bowls are from the 40's ; came in a set of 4 bright cheery colours.  

Vintage 40's set

   Can still see  my Grannie make  pastry dough in the big yellow bowl  in the bright  sunlit turquoise kitchen   at Mom and Dad's  home in Glanworth...My English  Grannie was  a wonderful  baker...One of my first childhood baking attempts is using this bowl to make chocolate chip cookies.Then  once I mastered   cookies I graduated to banana cake.  

All my Mom had left was the  big yellow bowl... and a  loaf pan in soft yellow green.... 

When my sister and I were cleaning out Mom's home now that she needs   a nursing home , this big yellow bowl was  a memory both of  us wanted....   I settled for the loaf pan..... So how did I end up with  my own big yellow bowl?
My daughter Rosanne, who loves  vintage and  antique  shops;  knew  how much I loved that yellow bowl...at Christmas she surprised my with a whole  set....
I have this   cheerful set  sitting proudly on my kitchen counter and it brings a smile to me when ever I look at it.....



Miracle Whip and   frozen bananas  , not  yummy looking!

My first time using this bowl  decided to  make a banana cake  since my freezer had  several  rather mature bananas  needing to be used up....and a  tribute to my  long gone youth.
.... I subscribe to   Kraft emails and by coincidence   it had   a banana bread recipe that intrigued me,it    uses Miracle Whip.
Have heard of and think I have tried  a chocolate cake with MW  but never  banana bread...  had to try it....

Called Take 5  Banana Bread, it has been around for years and had a 5 star rating, lots of good comments.

1 cupMiracle Whip Original Spread

1 cup mashed fully ripe bananas (about 3)

2 cupsflour

3/4 cupsugar

2 tsp.baking soda

Love there are only 5 ingredients.!

HEAT oven to 350°F.

Batter is definitely  lumpy

COMBINE Miracle Whip and bananas in large bowl. Mix flour, sugar and baking soda. Add to Miracle Whip mixture; stir just until moistened. (Batter will be lumpy.) Got to use my retro loaf pan.
POUR into greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. My loaf pan is a bit  bigger.

Smells so  good!

    
BAKE 55 min. to 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted in centre comes clean. Cool in pan 10 min.; remove to wire rack.     

Nice texture

This moist  bread has good flavour  , is not overly sweet and did not need   any icing..
 Calories per slice 150.
Will make this again.

Would love to hear what simple things bring fond memories  back to you.

Downton Abbey Personality Quiz

Downton Abbey is such a popular Tv show I had to take this fun quiz.. turns out  I am : 

Robert, Earl of Grantham

You are Robert, Earl of Grantham. Honest and old-fashioned, you’re primarily motivated by honor and duty.  Some people might call you a stick in the mud, but you can be extremely generous and forgiving toward those you feel have earned your loyalty.

Want to see who you are check out this link.

Would love to know what character you are!

50 years ago today!

On a  cold snowy evening  50 years  ago  Bob and I  were married.

How young we were!

Lots of  ups and downs  but we were blessed with 3  wonderful daughters. Would not change a thing.

This is the lovely  arrangement sent  to us this morning from our daughters and their families ....a miniature grafted  pussy willow , blue  crocus  and pink  kalanchoe  tied with gold organza ribbon...

LRW- Mason Jar

Rosanne's challenge at LRW this week is mason jar. What a hot item mason jars are from  home decor to  packing lunches to  individual  desserts.....

not the best photo

Had this  Raggedy Anne  stamp image for some time. The mason jar filled with  flowers,one of my favourite uses of  these old time jars........ Used Cherry Cobbler  for background  added some hearts as Valentines Day is fast approaching.... embossed image , coloured with  pens ,  some decorator paper , a button and touch of ribbon......