Fall is my favourite season.

Yes, I ignore this blog and use it only sporadically for my own whims. So be it.

I had a very busy summer with working full time and squeezing in camping trips and beach days where we could where we could. We also made it to the island for my niece's grad.

I finished my first year of guitar lessons and I have to say I improved quite a bit. I go back next week after a summer of less than disciplined practicing. I am still learning every day though and that is a plus. School is started and I am in regular work for the next couple months. It should slow down around Christmas, but that is fine for me, I like being home in the winter. I will have more time to practice my guitar.

We just had Smokefest again. It was so nice to see some of my family. I had so much fun singing and playing music. There was also a performer this year which was a very nice addition to the party.

Here are a couple of gems:

Don air drying the fish before smoking it.

Jake holding her niece, Willow, 6 weeks.

Jerry and Howie at work.

Ed the performer. Last name has too many letters. An amazing musician.

The weather is rainy and we are headed for one last trip to a cabin on the lake before we settle into work routines. All of our extra activities are starting up again, so I expect to be on the run for a bit. I won't even pretend that blog updates will be regular. Just take what you get.

Catch you on the flip side.

 Bean.

Autumn Abundance

Just got back from Smokefest and we had an excellent time, as always. This was the ninth year it has been going but only the sixth for me. We ate, we sang and we were merry! My Aunt had me make these jelly salads, which is something I have always wanted to try but just never gotten around to. They turned out fantastic and tasted pretty good too. The peaches against the red jelly sure makes a nice contrast. It was such a fantastic feast, as it is each year. With everyone contributing, it makes it fun and festive, too.

My uncle is in charge of the fish and he gets help to get it ready for the smoker and the grill. Somehow his fish is the most tender, melt in your mouth salmon I have ever had. There is nothing to compare to it. This year, I brought cherries and peaches, which were late this season and they were at the peak of deliciousness. I put some in a fruit salad and some in the jelly salads.

The rest we just ate.  

 

I also made a batch of peanut butter squares, which were gobbled up. I changed the recipe a bit, as follows: Most of 1 small jar Skippy crunchy peanut butter (2 cups) 1 bag mini marshmallows, 1 cup rice crispy cereal, melt together and pour in the bottom of a 9x13 pan lined with parchment. Melt a half a big chocolate bar from Walmart (about 8 oz) and spread over your peanut butter layer. Put in freezer until firm. Take out the whole block and cut into squares. OMG. So good, and no bake!

I could write a book about Smokefest, and someday, I probably will.

 For now though, the constant battle for organization. My closets are winning and taking over the house. I canned a bunch of apples and made apple butter. I got a baker's dozen jam jars worth. Not bad for free apples! How do you like them apples? (Sorry, I had to.)

I also have become a Watkins associate # 397322! I am the Watkins man! (woman!) I have a separate blog for that so don't worry, I won't turn this into a Watkins home party, though knowing me, my projects tend to overlap, so you may hear a thing or two about it now and then.

School is back in and I'm running like a chicken with my head cut off. It's good to update the blog though. I'll talk to you soon.

Thanksgiving Mish Mash

In the spirit of holiday laziness, this post will be dedicated to links I like, things I want to try, a recipe I want to share and a photo of my WIP night table. Seriously, why would they paint this green?

First up, this bag made from cargo pants. How cool is that? and I know I have a pair in the closet just waiting to be cut up and made into a neat-o bag. I just love it when people take the time to post tutorials so I can steal their ideas and then blog about them. O.K., moving along to this delicious pumpkin dessert that I had at work with our fantastic Thanksgiving lunch on Fr

iday. It was so good that I got a photocopy of the recipe and made it for my own feast. It is like pumpkin pie but you use a cake mix and sprinkle it on top of your filling and serve chilled with whipped cream. I think it originated from a Company's Coming book, but I can't be sure. I liked this better than pumpkin pie because it seems lighter without the pastry, more like a mousse. I'm sure the caloric value is similar but this makes a 9 by 13 pan so it's loads more servings!! Hooray!! Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Dessert

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 28 oz can pumpkin

1 tsp EACH cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger,

salt

3 cups milk

1 cake mix yellow or white two layer size

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/3 cup walnuts

whipped or ice cream

Beat eggs, Mix in next 7 ingredients in the order given. Pour into 9x13 inch pan, (or two 8 inch,take one to a friend)

Put cake mix in a bowl, cut in butter until crumbly. Mix in nuts. Sprinkle over top of filling. Bake 350 for 1and 1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve hot with ice cream or chilled with whipped cream.

Mmmmmmmm. Alrighty. On to my next tip and that is this website, Tipnut. Wow, what a powerhouse resource site. Why had I never seen this before? I love sites like this. Basically it does all the searching for you and then gathers all the good stuff into one place, kind of like I am doing with this post, but on a much grander scale.

Finally, here is what I want for my kitchen. This is a dream, mind you, since a reno does not seem to be in my immediate future, however, when it is time I would like these colours and ideas, please. Thank you for your time and attention. We now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

More Fall Food

I have been making food for friends and family lately. I don't always cook so when it turns out well, I like to give myself a pat on the back. I do this self congratulatory back patting by taking food photos, and posting them here to make you both hungry and envious. There must be some evolutionary reason

that people like to brag

about their food. I know that for many years my two uncles would phone each other long distance every week, just to boast about what they had eaten for dinner. They probably still do this.

Well, I don't have a brother, so here is what I have been eating:

First up, a turkey dinner made weeks before Thanksgiving simply because it was on sale and we like poultry. Then, last night, I had a little get together and made up some party trays. I snapped a couple photos of my handiwork before we dug in. last week, I baked up two loaves using the butternut squash from our turkey feast because, as it turns out, no one in this family really cares for sweet vegetables, unless it is in bread form. I haven't done any other baking and I think I will hold off, if only for health reasons.

I also made Knorr Spinich Dip for the first time and it was quite good, though next time I think I will use fresh

spinich, as opposed to the frozen kind, and let it sit in the fridge for a longer time. I wasn't quite industrious enough to make my own bread bowls, but I can see that being a fun indoor, it's-a- blizzard-out-there kind of activity. In my case, Superstore did the baking for me.

Tonight, I think I'll let my hubby do the cooking.

Fall Food

I'm so happy to be able to turn on my oven again. Recently I made a delightful chicken noodle soup from a grocery store deli chicken carcass, chili and today I am roasting a turkey. Of course it helps to have people to feed in the house. I am looking forward to doing some baking with the fruits I have been stockpiling. I also plan to make turkey soup and a million other turkey things as well. My girl friday, (you remember her) told me she made a cheddar and jalepeno bread using the recipe I gave her for white bread. I will definitely have to try that. It sounds heavenly. Next week I am having a little get together, we'll see what I come up with for that. I'm thinking of a hot dip of some sort, mmm. Cheesy goodness.

Here's what I hope to bake this week for the freezer:

Pumpkin Ginger Bread

Fruit Crisp

Blueberry Muffins

Banana Bread

Neiman Marcus Cookies.

Chili-done

Turkey Stock-done

Finished!

Just thought you might like to see my finished cowl, which is a lot shorter than the inspiration piece. I like this length though, no fuss, no muss, no dripping in my coffee cup. It looks pretty cute, though right now, we are in the midst of a heatwave, so I didn't keep it on for long. I'm really liking loom knitting and I highly recommend it if you enjoy instant gratification, like I do. I got my loom set at Walmart and Googled (when did this become a verb, exactly?) some basic instructions and patterns. This isn't even a pattern, I just used the largest ring
and knit away until I thought, "Meh, this is good." And it is!

So, go, get loom! Knit!

Full Moon, Baby.

I am one of those wavy gravies who believe in the powers of the changing moon cycles. I'm not always exactly sure how or why the moon seems to affect me, I just feel that it does. For instance, yesterday I felt very drained and exhausted and today I feel refreshed and energetic. I did some projects and house cleaning that I have not felt motivated to do, nor felt I had the time to do, for weeks. I feel optimistic and positive about my goals and intentions. I am also slightly more driven and demanding today.

As a health care worker, I have long suspected that the full moon intensifies moods and emotions. Many of my busiest shifts in long term care facilities were on full moon evenings. Ask any nurse or care aid to attest to this phenomenon. It got so that as a casual employee, I would often turn down shifts if I knew they would fall on a full moon, because I knew they would be about five times busier than a regular shift.

I also am feeling a sense of completion today because of the decade anniversary of 9/11 and the returning of the kidnapped boy from Sparwood, B.C, Keinan Hebert. I allowed myself to become emotionally invested in the case, which was a dangerous thing for me to do, knowing that most of these cases do not turn out well for the abducted child. I felt so positive and encouraged by the response of people online and felt that there was a collective power at work to get that child home safely to his parents. Now, I realize that we were all at the mercy of the person who abducted the child, allegedly one Randal Hopley, and his decision to return the boy could only have come from within. Did he hear the pleas of the parents, or the public? Or was it something bigger? All I know is that there are many questions left unanswered and no matter where he hides, at some point, the kidnapper will have to atone for his actions, whether here on earth or somewhere else.

On a lighter note, I pulled out my loom yesterday and I have begun knitting my cowl. I am very pleased with my progress thus far and am enjoying the ease and quick sense of accomplishment it is giving me so far. The weather is unseasonably warm, but I know that could change at any moment, so might as well get a jump on it.

Photo courtesy dreamstudies.org

Projects, hobbies and the like.

I have many ideas for projects and some I even start. I don't always complete them, but I usually start. My latest is stripping the paint off of a wooden bedside table. I got it for free because it was painted Hospital Green (It's remarkable how many free items of furniture are this particular hue.) Well, yesterday was the day and I got most of the paint off. Next is to sand it with the orbital sander, and then varnish. Already, I am happy with my progress. I have begun to take photos but I will reveal them closer to completion. (Since completion isn't my strong point, ahem.)

My next idea is to knit a cowl. I have a great inspiration from somewhere in the blogosphere, it is an amazing herringbone worsted weight merino wool creation. Mine will probably be a multicoloured acrylic, knit on my loom, but whatev. It's a knitted tube. Get over it. Finally, I plan to make more handmade cards. Every time I am in a dollar store or scrapbook aisle, I buy something, so time to get it out and put it all to use. This is the time of year that I tend to enjoy, the harvest, getting back to the home and leisurely pursuits. There has been nothing leisurely about the summer, I can assure you.

Okay, back online.

No ants allowed.

I'm back, by popular demand. Well, that and the fact that I really got no place else to go. I had a crazy summer and it seemed like I didn't have a minute to think, let alone blog. Today was the first day back to school for the boy and for me to upgrade my first aid training. Must be fall or something. I'm thinking that I will have to figure out what I want
to do with myself pretty soon, but for now, I will regale you with the minutiae of my life. My husband worked out of province for the entire summer and during that time, I vacillated between euphoric bouts of freedom loving fun and self imposed misery at missing him and resenting all the burdens I now have placed solely upon my shoulders. We spent two weeks on Vancouver Island, with the second week resulting in torrential downpours leaving me to wonder why I had ever ventured away from the sunny Okanagan in the first place. Also, two weeks with ones' mother is far more than enough, I should think. I also visited my aunt in the Shuswap, my friends in Salmon Arm and my family in Barriere for our annual Smokefest. Once again a wonderful party, each time it grows bigger and bigger. This time I did find it a bit overwhelming trying to fit in seeing my husband and  the rest of the family but as they say, c'est la vie. And even though my Aunty made sure to tell me that I am getting too hefty, it was a hell of a good time.

English Muffin Pizzas

This is a super fun dinner to make with kids. I did some minor prep work and then left dinner to the chef! After these were baked and we had eaten dinner, the left overs went into sandwich bags and were brought for lunch snacks. These little pizzas are not a brand new idea. I have also done pita pizzas, if you recall.

In conclusion, not having to make pizza dough from scratch and using up a bag of English muffins and being the best mom ever, and a kid-friendly, somewhat healthy dinner in less than 20 minutes? Pretty cool.

Happy Halloween

Hey what's shakin'? Me, I'm just rockin' and rollin' and whatnot. Check out our Halloween digs. Mine is a complete DIY, I am a Beauty "Ghoul" Dropout. That's a reference to Grease. I know... I'm hilarious! Originally I was going to be a bubble gum princess, based on the pink wig, which I bought on clearance last year, right after Halloween. I'll score more cool stuff next week for next year. Why pay full price? Rather than a princess, I thought it would be more fun to look dead. Why not?

The turtle costume was a Value Village deal, bought last spring. They raise the prices right before Halloween, didja notice?? It has been used for playtime a few times and is a bit too short in the legs, but a green pair of PJ bottoms, a safety pin and gumboots solved that problem quite nicely. My polka dot dress? I wore it once and didn't care for the matronly drape of it so, I cut it to ribbons. It looks way cooler now! We wore our costumes for two hours and we were the best dressed folks in town. We look like a million bucks, don'tcha think???

Thankful

I am really enjoying all of the fall activity lately. I am involved in my local community theatre's production of Grease and I am so excited about it. Between work, school stuff, karate, rehearsal and general life, the blog has taken a backseat. I am sure many of you can relate.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the opportunities my family has to explore our passions and gifts, for the (small amount 0f) time we get to spend together and for our friends and family who support us and love as just as we are. I am thankful for my beautiful child. He surprises and delights me every day and his quick mind and intelligent wit give me pause and wonder. I am thankful for my wonderful, hard working, passionate husband who is not only heart- stopping-ly handsome, but is so smart it is frightening at times. He accepts me as I am and enjoys my creativity and unconventionality. I am thankful to my extended family. They always believe in me, even when I don't believe in myself. I am also grateful for our happy home, our cars and our jobs. We are a lucky family, indeed. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Poor, Poor Bloggy

I know I am neglecting you. I went and got busy again. I'll be back, someday. Until then, enjoy this.

Secrets revealed.

Remember when I told you about my hoarding ways and stockpiling food for the winter? Well, I don't have anything on my cousin's maternal grandmother, Bernice, whom I have the pleasure of adopting as another grandmother for my family. She is truly incredible. I wish I knew more of her story so that I could properly portray her here. The best that I can do is show you her secret root cellar which is in an undisclosed location on her property. I haven't exactly asked permission to put this information on the Internet, but I did ask for the opportunity to photograph it and that was O.K. So, if you happen to guess where Bernice's root cellar is, don't tell her you got it from me ;)

Are you ready for this? O.K. here it is... Creeeaaak. It kind of reminds one of a dungeon and it is a little spooky to walk inside. It was built by Bernice's late husband, Jack. If you look very closely, you can see my aunt Rosealee in the shadows of the doorway. The bunker, (OK , not really a bunker but close) is actually built into the earth on the side of a hill and reinforced with wood framing on the inside. It is where they store all of their preserves and stockpile their food for winter. They probably have a few years worth in there and some items have been stored there for longer than anyone can remember. Some of the jars looked like a creepy science experiment the last time I was in there, but I think recently there has been some inventory done. I'm sure if you ask Bernice how many jars of jam she has left from last year, or even years past, she will be able to tell you without rising from her comfortable position in her favourite recliner.
Ready for the inside tour?

O.K. That is all I can show you. I have told you too much already. The punishment for revealing a hoarders' secrets is no more preserves and I would hate for that to happen.

Please, don't tell Bernice!

Bountiful Beauty

Having just returned from the loving arms of my family, I have a single day to get ready for school and say a final adieu to the summer for the year. How do I spend my final day? Squeezing in one last relaxing day, drinking coffee and blogging, of course. We had an amazing time, as usual, and ate fantastic food. The theme of the party is the smoked salmon that my uncle prepares for the year and that is the reason we have entitled our celebration "Smokefest." Here, my cousin is laying the salmon onto the racks to go into the smoker. They have been marinating in the brine over night. These tomatoes were quite delicious as well, made with balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese and melted with ooey gooey brie cheese on top. We got to bring home a couple of the smoked salmon. My husband has eaten it all already. Lucky for us, we know exactly where to find more. Now, this party is certainly not what I would categorize as frugal, per se, however, next time, I will let you in on some of the trade secrets of a lady I know that lives here. She has a secret room. What is in that secret room? Well, let's just say that she is the freakin' Queen of Frugalistas. She is the original, the bonafide bodacious bountiful Bernice. If ever there is a natural disaster, or if ever I just feel like falling off the grid of society, I am going to live with her. Stay tuned...

You can call me Alvin

I'm a chipmunk, hoarding my nuts for the winter. I can not rearrange my freezer anymore as it is now stuffed. I have reached the point where I must eat all the food, I absolutely cannot buy anymore. This gives me such a satisfying feeling. The minute the weather cools off I seem to get into this frenzy of storing food. I come by it honestly. You see, my relatives are hoarders. Not in the extreme sense where you can't see over our piles of newspapers or anything. We just like to keep stuff. Lots of stuff. The more the better, really. You never know when you might need it! Remember my zippers?

I only keep the most recent two newspapers tops. Otherwise my husband will have a conniption fit. He thinks I must be afraid of starvation or natural disaster. Maybe that is true, but it doesn't come firsthand. This fear was bred into me, I think, from my ancestors. I am of Irish descent, after all.

I also did some baking today, using the same recipe booklet as the banana bread. (In other words, I kind of made things up as I went along.) I made two different kinds of muffins; carrot-pineapple and apple-cranberry-lemon, as well as a zucchini bread. The latter was a huge recipe, it filled my 9x13 pan. I am taking all it to the relatives so they can eat it on Saturday. By then, all the flavours should be just right.

I also finished my menu plan and ordered my first Good Food Box. It will arrive in a couple weeks. I can't wait to see all the fresh goodies from local farms. The price was so reasonable, and I can never seem to get to the farmer's market. I have been meaning to do this for over a year, so I am glad I finally got off my butt and did it.

I am looking forward to the long weekend, but with a smidgen of sadness because after that, summer will truly be over. It's a good thing I love the autumn so much.

We all knew it couldn't last forever

Time sure flies when you're having fun and we've been having our share of it. Now, as the end of summer draws near, I am beginning to look forward to the upcoming autumn and thinking of some goals I would like to set for myself and my family. I wrote previously about beginning to prepare for Christmas and gathering supplies for Halloween.

As for the return of pencils, books and teacher's dirty looks, this reality is beginning to dawn on me as never before. I have purchased the school supplies and there they sit, in the same plastic bag as the day they were bought and plunked unceremoniously on the floor. At some point they will need to be opened, labelled and utilized. My child will need to be reigned in from weeks of late nights, unkempt hair and face washing being deemed optional. Popsicles can no longer pass as a snack. We need routine. In my realization of the impending end of our party time, I sent out a family memo. It read something to the effect of : Summer's almost over! Clean up your own damn messes, you hillbillies! I am not your maid! and so on...The memo, which was read in my absence and was left with sticky Popsicle fingerprints on it, was met with, well... apathy, frankly, but thankfully, no resistance. It was a response something along the lines of; "Meh." Some half hearted attempts have even been made to 1) aim, 2) put the lid down and 3) flush. For these things I am grateful. And yet, I yearn for more. It is my hope to reinstate some kind of order to this household, starting with good short haircuts all around. Well, not for me. I am not that militant. With proper menu planning, chore charts, budgeting and regular family meetings, we will begin to have some structure security, and less panic and low blood sugar at supper time.

These are not new concepts for us. I think the key will be consistency. I have learned much from my fellow bloggers and I continue with the heart of a new student to receive and pass on information I gather and what is useful to me. I will renew and redouble my efforts, taking what I have learned and putting more theories into practice.

Here are my 5 goals for the week:

1)Begin to pack away/donate some of the summer clothes

2) Make yogurt, fruit lax, muffins

3)Write up agenda for family meeting

4)Fill out chore charts

5)Make up a menu plan for September