The Hippie Moose

Soup you can make on one foot!

2012-01-24T15:46:00.000-05:00

This is my current favorite soup. I like that my kids can make it for me with a bit of instruction and I can do as little as necessary.

Potato Leek Soup

1 Leek
2 Onions
bit o' butter

1 box Vegetable Broth

Salt & Pepper
1/2 tsp Thyme

1 cup buttermilk (make this using one cup milk with 1 tbsp. white vinegar.)
Instant mashed potatoes or dehydrated potato flakes.

Slice the leeks and onions, saute in a pan with butter till soft. Pour in your vegetable broth, some salt and pepper, and the thyme. Shove in that buttermilk too. Enter the stick blender if you have one, whhizzz until everything is creamed. If you don't have one, no worries, you have a chunky soup.
Now add a few sprinkles of the potatoes. Keep adding until it's a consistency you like.... if you go overboard add a bit of milk or water.

Yummo, soup in 15 min.

Now in case you think I'm the only one cheating like this... check this out...
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/potato-leek-soup

Cast 2.0

2012-01-22T15:29:00.002-05:00

Well on Thursday I got my second cast on. I went with a Iroquois Purple! I haven't decided how I'm going to decorate it yet, but the ideas are starting to brew, and since I'm going to have it for SEVEN WEEKS I guess I have some time to come up with a plan.

Now did you know you can get "tattoo's" for your cast? I can't make this stuff up.... check this out.

I think I will stick with something a bit more traditional... sharpies.

Plaster of Anguish

2012-01-18T15:32:00.000-05:00

Well I haven't written anything here for such a long time!! Due to recent events you might be seeing more of me, I will try to make it as entertaining as possible. The reason for my new found blog time?
Exhibit A:

Plaster of Pain

I know, soooo pretty. That huge bulge in the plaster on the left would be my ankle. In keeping with not wearing white after Labour Day (whatever!) ...
Exhibit B:

Cast yarn bombing

Maybe now nobody will notice.
Either way you are probably looking at 6 weeks of my ranting. My apologies in advance!

13 going on 91 !!

2011-06-06T10:36:00.001-04:00

Well it's the time of year when 12 legs get hoisted into the back of the pickup truck for our annual Birthday Cone Extravaganza!

Yesterday was Boda Zapha's birthday (he's the black dog on the right) and Zeke the Freak has a birthday in a few days, they are both 13 this year. Gingivitis doesn't celebrate hers until November but it would be wrong to leave her out don't you think? This year I decided to take a video to prove that dogs are just like kids... no two are alike.

For the record: the cone on the Golden Retriever isn't some sort of odd torture. She had bad seasonal allergies so every year the cone comes out while we give her meds... otherwise she would chew her butt bald... I've seen it, it's not pretty.

Hedgehog Anniversary

2011-06-01T13:20:00.000-04:00

We have a hedgehog. It was given to us by the Pilgrim Family and we are so gratefull because we just love every spiky inch of her! Her full name is Sonic Sally Mia, but we just call her Mia (which is the name she was given before we got her and seems to stick!) We are just coming up to our 1 year anniversary with Mia, thus the tribute to our prickely pet.

A few cakes from May

2011-05-30T13:06:00.000-04:00

Despite my recovery I allowed myself to play with a bit of sugar this month... here are a few pictures.
The top two are for two homeschool girls that graduated this past weekend. The one is lime green (which doesn't show well in these crappy pictures) and the other is purple.

My friend Matt celebrated a birthday and we couldn't help but send him his own R2D2:

R2D2 Cake

I also did a pirate/treasure map cake but forgot to take a picture ( I always forget!). I will try to get one to post.

Things your surgeon fails to mention....

2011-05-28T11:30:00.000-04:00

You might have noticed I haven't been around here much recently. My apologies. I had a hysterectomy 4 weeks ago and am finally feeling like myself.

On that note here are a few pointers for anyone else looking forward to this kind of surgery:

*Slip on shoes are a must at the hospital. Waiting around to have someone tie up your laces is a real downer and makes you feel 2 years old again.

*If your husband/friend rents a funny movie to lift you spirits after surgery... kick them out and tell them to take their tool of torture with them. I didn't know this universal rule and had to hold a pillow to my abs while trying not to laugh for two hours.

*Even the most proper of us will start to rejoice at the return of certain bodily functions. Abdominal surgery messes with everything and sometime your body takes it's time getting back into the swing of things. In the meantime you will feel like Buddha (the short happy fat one) and feel disgusting.

*If you body is stubborn and DOES NOT start said bodily functions... call your surgeon. DO NOT leave it TWO full weeks until your mother who happens to be an unsympathetic RN drags you kicking and screaming to the ER for X-rays and other things I will spare you from knowing about. Enough said.

*Hiccups are from hell, avoid them at all costs.

*Between incision holes and hepron shots your abdomen will look like a world map to a world you have never seen. Don't sweat it, just make up country names for all the bruises, they don't last forever (although those hepron shot sights are still alive and kicking 4 weeks later ~ just to warn ya!)

*Get used to the following pet names: Frankin-mommy, Frankin-wife, Scary-lady-who-sleeps-all-day.

Enjoy the rest, take it easy, milk it for all it's worth. That's been my motto.

The Story of Stuff

2011-04-26T19:29:00.000-04:00

OK, I LOVE the Story of Stuff. But, did you know there is also The Story of Bottled Water? The Story of Cosmetics? The Story of Citizens United vs. FEC? It might be time for you to take another look at http://www.storyofstuff.org/

Underpants

2011-04-15T11:46:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when my husband goes out the dogs do some pretty freaky stuff. Just recently while my husband was away for the day our lab came out of our bedroom looking like this…..

I don’t know how he get’s them on, or why. Strange, right honey?

Sweet Potato Heaven

2011-04-08T11:21:00.000-04:00

Well I decided I better post something from the recipe book I felt so guilty about buying…(see here) just to prove I actually use it!
This was amazing! It's a side dish but I could have had just this and been supremely happy.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pecan Topping

6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (approx. 3 lbs.)
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (approx. 1 lb.)
3 eggs
2 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp. salt
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch pepper
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook potatoes and sweet potatoes, covered, until tender, about 12 min. Drain; return to pot. Mash until smooth.

Beat together eggs, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt, nutmeg, and pepper; beat into potatoes. Scrape into greased 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. ( To prepare ahead of time, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; add 10 min to baking time.)

Stir pecans with brown sugar; sprinkle over potatoes. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees F until set and bubbly, about 45 min.

Yoga’s in the bag…

2011-04-02T00:42:00.000-04:00

I’m out to deliver some yoga bags I just completed. Here are a few images. It’s amazing what you can do with recycled jeans!

These are made with jean legs. You have to open one of the seams to apply the fabric designs and then stitch it back up again. (All of my appliques are made from quilting scraps and leftovers from other projects.) Add a round bottom, a strap and fold over the top and make a channel for a string to tie the whole thing closed! Happy downward facing dog!

A few more cakes…

2011-03-15T10:31:00.000-04:00

February/March was a really busy time for cake making! Here is a rundown on some of the more recent stuff…

A Jungle Theme baby shower… It was actually for my friend Mary in Penetang. ON, she picked it up on her way home from Ottawa and froze it until the shower. She's going to be a grandma! Here are the elements, picture it stacked all together.

My friend Sara ordered a Pirate birthday party cake for her son Kailin. I’m pretty happy with how the chest came out, and the gummy spiders were a bonus last min. find at the Bulk Barn!

February & buttercream

2011-02-22T18:27:00.000-05:00

I love doing baby shower cakes. They are always fun to do!

Baby shower cake ~ boy

After the baby shower came my youngest sons birthday. He wanted a Star Wars cake. Again. I had a million other ideas for cakes but... no.... he wanted star wars.... again. So here is, hopefully, my last Star Wars cake.

R2D2 Cake

My VW Bus

2011-02-07T14:14:00.000-05:00

Every winter I get a bit antsy to do some truck painting. My loving husband took this into account at Christmas and that’s why I am the proud owner of this VW Bus….

Ok, so I can’t drive it anywhere, and it's not as cool as Rachel's … but I can paint it over and over and over and over …. you get the picture!

Pizza Sticks with Roasted Red Pepper Dip

2011-01-31T10:09:00.000-05:00

So ya have some leftover dough from your buns (see HERE) and you want to eat something yummy. Well prepare yourself for something great….
Roll out your dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle.
Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder, and any herbs you like. (I used basil and oregano).
Now shred cheese on one half of the rectangle.
(I also added a drizzle of my favourite sweet BBQ sauce.)
Fold your dough over to seal everything in. Roll with your rolling pin just to flatten out slightly.
Let rise for 30 min.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min.
Cut into strips.

An AMAZING dip for these is a roasted red pepper and sun dried tomato puree….
This actually came from a Vegetarian Times recipe for pita pizza. This was the sauce they used instead of a tomato pizza sauce:

1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained.
6 oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, plus 1 tbsp. oil.
1 clove garlic, pressed or chopped super fine. (I used 2)
(I also found it a bit acidic so I added a tbsp. of honey to cut the acid and add some sweet, taste it and see if you think it needs it for yourself)
Put everything into the food processor and spin the crap out of it.
NOW DIP!! AAAHHHHH.

Burger Buns... so fast they should wear a cape!

2011-01-29T21:56:00.005-05:00

I found a recipe for fast burger buns and thought I would try them. The process is a bit different from anything I had ever done before but I was really pleased with them and the great thing is they only require 40 min. of proofing/rising.

Here is the recipe:
4.5 cups flour ( I used two cups all purpose & 2.5 cups whole wheat)
2 tbsp. yeast
1 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup oil (i used olive oil)
3 tbsp. honey.
In a bowl combine 2 cups of flour and the yeast. Stir to mix the yeast through.
Heat the water, milk, honey, salt, and oil until warm but NOT hot. (I just microwaved the whole thing in a glass measuring cup for a minute on high).
Stir this into the flour until it’s all combined. Add the rest of the flour gradually until you have a soft dough. Knead until soft and smooth. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 10 min.
Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick using a round cutter of some sort. Place on a greased baking sheet (I used parchment paper instead) and let rise for 30 min. Bake for 12-15 min. at 400 degrees.

This recipe should make about 2 dozen buns. If you have no use for 2 dozen.... hold on and I'll show you what I did with the other half...... to be continued.

Cookbook guilt

2011-01-26T09:33:00.000-05:00

I bought a new cookbook. I have quite a NUMBER of cookbooks. Justifying the need for another one is not easy, but somehow I did it. To be fair ~ I took it out of the library originally and by the time I wrote down all the page numbers of things I wanted to try/copy down I had half the book listed. So here it is…
Canadian Living ~ The Vegetarian Collection.

The longest crochet project of my life….

2011-01-20T21:57:00.001-05:00

Some of you might remember this picture from 2010. It was my gift to my husband last Christmas.

I’m pleased to announce that with only a week to spare his gift was finally finished for this past Christmas!

I’m not going to lie to you. Crocheting something this size and then felting it is a daunting project. Before it was felted it pretty much covered our bed. The best/worst compliment I got was from my youngest son who took one look at it and said: “I want one too!” Oye. Maybe for his 18th birthday.

Tea… it’s not just for drinking anymore.

2011-01-18T11:58:00.000-05:00

Last night my children were a little put out that there had been no dessert for quite a while. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much to work with to change our sugarless streak. I did however have a HEAP of left-over rice from dinner. So…. into the oven it went with a few additions. One such addition was the contents of two chai tea bags. Let me tell ya… it was yummy. Here is a brief outline:

1 can of light coconut milk

2 eggs

3 tbsp. sugar

2 chai tea bags or about 1 tbsp. loose chai tea blend

1 cup raisins

1 cup flaked coconut

2 cups of leftover sticky rice

Beat the eggs, mix everything together, dump it into a baking dish. Place this into a larger pan and add a enough water to reach half way up your baking dish. Bake for 45 min. at 325 degrees. The kids loved it once I convinced them to try it.

Resolutions Past & Present

2011-01-16T12:24:00.000-05:00

If you recall, last year I resolved to read a book a month. No problem. I think I went a bit off the rails in posting my reading adventure so I will briefly sum up….

January: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (Miller) ~ spiritual

February: Ignore Everyone (Macleod) ~ art, creativity

March: Super Freakanomics (Levitt) psychology

April: Buyology (Lindstrom) ~ psychology & marketing

May: The Kind Diet (Silverstone) ~ vegetarianism
June: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Larsson) ~ fiction
July: Rework (Fried & Hansson) - psychology and business
August: The Poisonwood Bible (Kingsolver) ~ fiction

September: The Lovely Bones (Sebold) ~fiction

October: The Girl who played with Fire (Larsson) ~ fiction

November: The Girl who kicked a Hornets Nest (Larsson) ~ fiction

December: Exiles (Frost) ~ spiritual

I don't think I read a book I didn't like. If I had to pick a favorite I would say my favorite fiction was The Poisonwood Bible, non-fiction was A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Here's hoping 2011 brings more good reading! If you want to read more about what I though of the books you can hit BOOKS in the label list and there should be reviews for at first half of the year at least!

My Favorite Whole Wheat Bread

2011-01-04T09:40:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I know I've posted a bunch of bread recipe's, and at the time they really are my favorite. BUT. My CURRENT favorite is this beautiful whole wheat from the Amish and Mennonite Kitchens cookbook. I like that it makes 4 loaves because my dudes can go through it no problem. However, it also freezes well for those who can't scarf down that many carbs in a short time. You can also half the recipe pretty easily.

2 pkgs dry yeast
4 cups warm water
1/2 cup soft margarine or butter

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup honey

2 tsp salt

6 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups white flour

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water
2. Combine margarine, molasses, honey, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Add yeast mixture. Gradually add flour. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in greased bowl and let rise until double. Punch Down. Let dough rest for a few minutes. Shape into four loaves and place in greased bread pans. Let rise about 1 hour.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Homemade bread...It's a thing of beauty.

Pale Moon Rising ~ DPP

2010-12-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

Book Worm~ DPP

2010-12-23T14:44:00.000-05:00

LiveJournal Tags: December Photo Project,photography

Driveway ~ DPP

2010-12-22T14:39:00.000-05:00

Pottery ~ DPP

2010-12-21T14:41:00.000-05:00

Yarn Bowl ~ DPP

2010-12-20T14:43:00.000-05:00

Glass ~ DPP

2010-12-19T14:44:00.001-05:00

Furry Elf ~ DPP

2010-12-18T14:40:00.000-05:00

This is actually a DPP 2009 shot but I love it so much I’m reposting it for 2010!

Angel Wings ~ DPP

2010-12-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

Ornamental ~ DPP

2010-12-16T14:42:00.000-05:00

Bridge over frozen waters ~ DPP

2010-12-15T08:12:00.001-05:00

Lantern Glow ~ DPP

2010-12-14T08:11:00.002-05:00

Nature’s Bowl (DPP)

2010-12-07T10:42:00.000-05:00

Tea Time (DPP)

2010-12-06T10:41:00.000-05:00

Stitchin’ (DPP)

2010-12-05T10:40:00.000-05:00

Java Love (DPP)

2010-12-04T10:41:00.000-05:00

Big Wheel keep on turnin’ (DPP)

2010-12-03T10:41:00.000-05:00

This little light of mine….. (DPP)

2010-12-02T10:43:00.001-05:00

December Photo Project 2010

2010-11-28T23:14:00.000-05:00

Well the December Photo Project is almost here! I had a great time doing it last year and have decided to give it another go. Check it out!

Aussie Birthday!

2010-11-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

Had a blast doing this surfing kangaroo for Kira!

Iced in vanilla buttercream. All the decorations were made out of fondant. Water is made with piping gel and a bit of royal blue paste colour. The rocks you see are chocolate and available at the Bulk Barn here in Canada. I used edible food colouring markers to make the designs on the surf boards and the boomerang. Everything you see is edible.
Got a question about how I did something on a cake…. just ask! I would be happy to spread the love.

Celebrating Fall

2010-11-26T22:30:00.002-05:00

In every family I think there is one time of year where you get lots of celebrations all packed together into a month or two. For me it’s in and around November. You can’t swing a cat without hitting a birthday or an anniversary.
As I type this my two nephews are on there way here and I’m prepared… with battling lightsabers. One blue, one yellow. I posted about this cake a short time ago. I LOVE how easy it is to make.

My friend Kim had me make a skate park cake for her son’s birthday, and a boxing cake for her dad’s!
The cupcakes were all DC and Element… his favourite teams.

Boxing cake:

Next up… a surfing kangaroo and something pretty for a good friend!

Twisted Log Cabin

2010-10-27T13:28:00.000-04:00

I have a new favourite quilt pattern. It’s called the Twisted Log Cabin and I just love how it comes together and how it looks when it’s done. I have completed two throw quilts (16 blocks done 4x4), both with very different fabric choices. I love them both, just for different reasons. One is dark browns with red. It’s done in the classic log cabin where one side of the block is darks and the other lights. Both quilts had yellow stars separating the blocks. The second quilt is done “scrappy” with no rhyme or reason to colour choices or sides and is a lot lighter in colour.

I think my next project will be a table runner using these blocks.
Do you have a favourite quilt pattern? I would love to hear what it is…

May the Force be with you…

2010-10-13T10:49:00.001-04:00

My son just celebrated a birthday and when asked what kind of cake he wanted he didn’t come up with an answer until the night before the big event. His answer was that he wanted a Star Wars cake…. no other details were given.
I decided to make a light-sabre. The reason I’m sharing this with you is that is was so easy it was scary, it looked pretty cool, and you can adapt the idea. Here’s a picture:
I simply made a 9x14 sized cake, cut it into long strips, pieced it together on a big tray and iced it. What made the kids love it is the addition of glow sticks along the sides. I already have an order for another one in November. (I’m not sure why it looks so crooked in the picture?!?!)
If a light-sabre is not something your birthday person would be into, you could transfer the same idea to a princess wand, fairy wand, change the shape of the cake and you could do a lava lamp, a glowing retro diner clock, any neon sign you want to reproduce in sugar….. you get the idea!
Any other suggestions I’ve missed?

Apple Butter

2010-10-11T10:12:00.000-04:00

I have an Amish cookbook that has the instructions for making apple butter. One recipe requires 40 bushels of apples, begins at 5:30am and is ready to can at 8pm. Mother of McIntosh! Anyway, I found this great recipe online for apple butter that you make in your slow cooker. I’m sure some of you already know this method but it was a revelation to me! So I dumped a load of my fresh, unsweetened apple sauce into the slow cooker, left it for 9 hours, and voila! Apple butter! We've gone through a few jars in the past week. If you’ve never tried this method I would highly recommend it! I have another batch on as I type and it’s slowly bubbling away giving off amazing aroma of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.

I could type out the instructions, but why reinvent the wheel? I found this marvel of ingenuity at the PickYourOwn.org website. There is even a PDF version you can print off with pictures and everything!

John Lennon - Imagine

2010-10-09T14:22:00.001-04:00

A legend was born on this day.

Canning Circus!

2010-10-07T13:26:00.002-04:00

My favourite time of year is autumn. I love it. Like most people it’s also the busiest time. With homeschooling getting back into full swing, apple and pumpkin picking, corn mazes, and a LOT of canning! So far I’ve canned 1 bushel of McIntosh apples (both sauce and butter). I’ve never done apple butter before but I’m in love with it. I only have two more bushels of apples to go (oy!). Any other MUST try ideas for canning apples?? I’m all ears!!!!

Sugar Suzuki

2010-10-05T13:30:00.001-04:00

Some cakes you make are pretty boring, you’re just giving the client what they want! Then there are those cakes you get to do as you wish, what I like to call the “free reign” cakes! This past weekend I delivered just such a cake. My sweet friend Wendy turned 40 recently and had her party on Saturday night. We were already booked elsewhere so we missed the shindig, but I got to go nuts with some sugar!

Fire pit and Stringer Pond

Wendy's Apple Orchard

The icing is butter cream with meringue powder, all the decorations are made of fondant with gum-tex, except the pretzel logs in the fire pit and the chocolate rocks for the pathway. The pond is piping gel tinted blue.

Place Butt Here

2010-09-25T05:33:00.000-04:00

My kids are not the most gentle creatures when entering and exiting a vehicle. So it came as no surprise to find my thin cotton seat covers ripped to shreds. It was just a matter of time. So when I started looking around for replacements I knew I had to go much more heavy duty. Do you know how much those things cost to buy?? I mean REALLY. So I was going over some old posts here on the ol’ blog and fond memories stirred when reading THIS ONE. So I put the same idea to use and came up with these ……..

Overall I would rate these as a pretty easy project. I had to run out a few times to make sure they fit and pin them for adjustments. My old seat covers only covered the back and not the butt, so these go that extra mile by adding a flap of material to cover the seat as well. The great thing about using jean is I just cut around objects like the seat belt hardware and didn’t bother to finish the seams. I didn’t attach the two seat covers together but I might do this at a later date to make sure they don’t shift around. I did a bit of a his & hers theme by appliquéing some elements on each one. I got some flowers, hearts and patches. HE got a big sun, waves, and a barefoot print.

Hope you had fun Matey!

2010-09-21T10:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I hope you all enjoyed International Talk Like a Pirate Day on Sunday! We had a blast, we went to church all dressed up, then joined a few other families to build cardboard boats and "sail" them to the park! Can't wait until next year.

Pirates love coffee

2010-09-14T12:26:00.001-04:00

I would be negligent if I didn’t supply a means for everyone to get their morning cuppa joe!

Large Coffee Double-Double = Sling me a jorum of java, me hearty. Twice the tooth rot and double the butter broth!

Coffee with sugar and no cream = Make a java sweet as love and dark as the night!

Black Coffee = Brew mine pure n’ shimerin like obsidian.

Finally, not to overlook our tea drinkers out there… you know who you are:
I would like a large cup of tea = I’ll be needin’ to get meself around a mutchkin o’ scandal broth!
DRINK UP!

Greeting fellow Pirates

2010-09-12T12:26:00.001-04:00

You can meet up with other Fans of International Talk Like a Pirate Day… they have a Facebook page, like who doesn’t these days. It’s HERE!

So you don’t sound like a dimwit, here are a few greeting to use depending on the circumstances:

Hello Friends = Ahoy, mateys!

The weather this morning is excellent, my good colleagues! = ‘Tis a proud mornin’ me hearties!

I beg your pardon? = Anan?

Whose step is that I hear behind me? = Was that yer, beetle-crushing tread, dimsel wit?

If you are meeting up with someone who has a wooden leg, here are a few terms of endearment:
Plank Shank, Spruce Boot, Lumber Limb, Pine Foot, Splinter Toe.

August Book ~ The Poisonwood Bible

2010-09-10T21:55:00.002-04:00

Oooops! I thought I had posted my August book, my bad! A Great Book!

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.
It's amazing to see all the girls from the same family go in such different directions. Makes me want to visit the former Congo. Also makes me so mad that people on the other side of the ocean can have such a huge part of destroying a culture so far away. Read it. You'll love it. Here is the summary, because they do it better than I ever could: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Poisonwood_Bible
Thanks so much to Deb for lending it to me!

Countdown to AARRGGGG!!

2010-09-09T12:20:00.002-04:00

Well, it’s that time of year again… the day you’ve been waiting for… International Speak Like A Pirate Day. This blessed event falls on September 19th every year! Check out the official site by hitting the picture below:

In order to get all my friends prepared for this important day on our calendar I thought I might do a few posts of popular terms so you don’t get caught without the right vocabulary on ISLAPD!

FIRST things FIRST. You must pirate-ize your name. Here are a few suggestions.
Pick a work from the first list. Insert your name. Add a phrase from the second list. Eg. Barnacle Steph the Forgetful
LIST ONE:
BLACK, GUNPOWDER, NAUGHTY, SCURVY, BIG, CANNONBALL, GASSY, BARNACLE, DIAMOND, SWORDFISH, PINK, RUSTY, ANCHORHEAD, SPLINTER, MATEY, MISSY, SWASHBUCKLER, SMART, SHAKEY, MAIDEN, JOLLY…..

LIST TWO:
the Weak, the Filthy, the Smelly, the Bloodthirsty, the Fancy, the Forgetful, the Angry, the Naughty, the Beautiful, the Ugly, the Strong, the One-Eyed, the Flatulent, the Haggard, the Jolly, the Fetching, the Salty….

Come up with your own ideas… be creative, a Pirate name is no joking matter!

Curried Cranberry Couscous

2010-08-24T21:16:00.001-04:00

I know what you’re thinking… where has she been? We had a bit of a laptop meltdown in July, something about not being able to find the operating system. Apparently this is a bad thing. Enter new laptop finally. So I’m hoping you will be hearing from me more often now! Yeah for you. As a peace offering here is my favourite summer camping salad. Also good in the fall, winter and oh yeah, spring!

1 cup couscous

1 1/4 cup boiling water

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1 Tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 orange, juiced

3 Tbsp. olive oil

4 scallions chopped

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1/2 lemon, juiced

3/4 cup walnuts OR almonds, toasted.

Stir couscous, cranberries, curry, salt, and sugar in a heat safe bowl (glass). Add boiling water and orange juice. Stir to combine, cover, and let stand for 5 min.

Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the olive oil, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, and nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Great warm or cold.

I take this camping every year because it packs up to the beach really well!

Alergies

2010-08-19T21:47:00.002-04:00

My girl Ginger has been sporting some new accesories that you might like. They are the new cool neckware for dogs (at least that's what we're telling her).

She has allergies. She's ticked. (When she's not drugged up on Benadryl) And she's trying to chew off her own butt. Thus the protective headgear.

Canoe Bling

2010-08-17T21:45:00.001-04:00

Well, my 12 year old Kevlar canoe... my pride and joy, needed a face lift. The UV had done a number on the finish and it was badly scratched. So, I did what I always do. I painted it.

If you've never painted something large... you need to try it. Even if it's just a huge piece of plywood you find at the back of the garage. There is something about doing art on a BIG scale that just makes you stand back and say wow. I can't say it enough... art is not about doing something that fits into a certain box. It's ALL about putting yourself out there, through paint, pottery, beads, yarn, words, crayons, etc. It's about having fun and expressing your soul.

Eagle

Whale fin

Happy Anniversary!

2010-07-27T11:36:00.000-04:00

Happy One Year Anniversary to our mudpuppy GINGER. It's ~~been a long year~~.... a BLAST!

July Book ~ REWORK

2010-07-18T09:12:00.001-04:00

Loved this book. End of story. OK, I will expand on that for you...
This is actually a business book but when I read it it came to me how many different areas of my life it applied to. And before you get your knickers in a knot, it's like the anti-business book.

It was written by Jason Fried and David Hansson, the ideas presented only take up a page or two at a time so it's really easy to pick up and put down as you have time.

Here's a list of some of the "chapters":
Why Grow?
Make a Dent in the Universe
Live it or Leave it
Meetings are Toxic
Press Releases are Spam
How to say you're Sorry
Send people Home at 5

... and the list goes on. I picked it up because I own my business, I love reading about economics, and it came highly recommended. I wasn't disappointed. Check for it at your library, I found it at mine!

Bag Lady!

2010-07-15T19:42:00.002-04:00

My friend Wendy sent this to me and I have to say I'm lovin it... try it out, it works, and we can all use more bags to lug our mommy stuff around in, I mean really.

Squatters

2010-07-10T20:57:00.004-04:00

I went to BBQ pizza a little while ago. The boys and I made dough in the a.m. so I was all ready by dinner. I strolled over to the BBQ to light er' up and found this....

I proceed to yell at Dave... what kinda crap have you put in my BBQ? To which he gives me one of those .... "I have no idea what you're ranting about" looks.

Then it all became clear...

Now I can hear the question rolling around in your head... did she light it? The answer is NO. We removed the herd, had a nice little talk about appropriate nesting areas and I pulled out a cast iron skillet and made skillet pizza. We ate a little later that night.

I guess the moral of this little story is if you don't use your stuff... somebody else will.

New Girl in Town

2010-07-08T20:03:00.000-04:00

Come meet Mia aka: Sonic Sally Mia because everyone has an opinion on what she should be called. We are hogsitting her for the summer and we are in love! She's a bit spikey, but very lovable. She spends evenings running around our bed, hiding under pillows and trying to burrow into Dave's shirt. Priceless.

June Book ~ The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

2010-07-02T20:03:00.000-04:00

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson. This was a great read if you like a mystery.... it is a bit gorry and some parts were very disturbing ~ so be warned (overall nothing you wouldn't see during prime time TV). I hear they are making it into a movie again, it would make a great movie in my opinion.

There is a lot to the storyline and I wouldn't know how to go about telling it... so.... there is a great synopsis HERE on wikipedia.

I will be looking for the next one in the series.... "The Girl Who Played With Fire".

Outdoor Shower

2010-06-28T20:13:00.000-04:00

For all those coming to visit... I have some excellent news. Our outdoor shower is set up, so no fears of spotting naked bathers on the driveway if we don't know you're coming. The local wildlife is also pleased with our new found modesty!

Here it is..

You might be asking yourself... where do you get a shower curtain that big.... well, I'm glad you asked. It's actually a canvas painting tarp that we got at the hardware store. I had to cut in half and sew it back together to make it skinny and long, instead of a huge square. Then I added big grommets to the top to put hooks through. The poles are obviously from the property and we had the rope lying around. Overall I think the whole thing cost about $20.

So grab your favorite biodegradable soap (or borrow some of ours) cause' there's nothing like showering with the birds chirping and the sun shining.

May Book ~ The Kind Diet

2010-06-23T19:43:00.000-04:00

Well, let's catch up on some reading again...
For May I read "The Kind Diet" by Alicia Silverstone. Normally I'm not into anything written by a celebrity but this one got such good reviews I decided to check it out anyway. I actually think she did a great job. She had lots of good info, lots of Dr.'s backing her up, and I was inspired. Nice. She has a website that's really good in case you can't get your mitts on her book: The Kind Life Website

While I'm not a vegan I would say after reading her book I might qualify as a quasi-vegan. I'd say I'm now vegan about 90% of the time. But lets face it.... cheese is from cows, and that's a hard drug to drop. I also love my cream in my coffee in the morning. Other than that I have cut out pretty much all my other animal products. I feel pretty darn sweet. If I could just break the cheese addiction....

Happy Summer Solstice!

2010-06-21T20:02:00.000-04:00

Trusting all enjoyed the longest day of 2010. We didn't dance around Stonehenge or anything but we did have a killer day at the beach!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-06-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 cups quinoa flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. veg oil

Measure and mix all dry stuff in a big bowl.
Whisk together wet stuff!
Add to flour mixture and stir just until blended.
use 1/4 cup per pancake in a nice hot greased pan.
Serve with maple syrup, pecans, and whipped cream.
YUM.

Change is good

2010-06-08T01:45:00.000-04:00

I think there are two types of people... those who thrive on change... and those who resist. I fall into the "thrive" catagory!

As such...we just updated our art truck photos so please have a look!

Pink and bows and booties, oh my

2010-05-26T14:27:00.000-04:00

My first Baby Shower Cake. It was a fun one....

Window Dressing

2010-05-22T16:36:00.000-04:00

Well the back window of our pick-up cap is finally fixed. I'm not going to point any fingers but SOMEBODY was driving the truck with the window up and smashed it out. The sound could be heard for miles and was akin to a grenade going off. Needless to say.... no more window.

We looked into buying a replacement window.... and looked at the guy at Truck World as if he had just lost his mind..... You want HOW MUCH for a piece of glass? Did you blow it yourself?

We looked at getting a new cap on Kijiji (where we found our current one) and found some nice deals but I would have to REPAINT, and WASTE the one we have.... that seemed pretty wrong.

SO..... we made one. Perfect...it is not. Functional... yes. Funky.... FOR SURE!

Pictures....ok:

In process....

Glue is drying....

Installed and painted.

I don't know how long it will last, but for now it works.

Catching up on my Books

2010-05-18T20:55:00.002-04:00

I just realized I missed posting my March and April books so here we gooo....

March I read something....hmmmm, oh yeah...

THIS ONE:

SUPER FREAKONOMICS by Levitt & Dubner.

From The Hippie Moose

I loved it. But I loved the first Freakonomics book so I knew I would. It's just a lot of really interesting true facts and how they effect economics today or in the past.

A breakdown of what's covered:

Introduction: Putting the Freak in Economics

Chapter 1: How is a street prostitute like a department-store Santa?
Chapter 2: Why should suicide bombers buy life insurance?
Chapter 3: Unbelievable stories about apathy and altruism
Chapter 4: The fix is in---and it's cheap and simple
Chapter 5: What do Al Gore and Mount Pinatubo have in common?

OK, onto April. That one was a bit more disturbing.

BUYOLOGY by Lindstrom

From The Hippie Moose

It was a bit of a wake-up call in terms of being more aware of advertisers and how pervasive the whole business is. It's everywhere, the price they pay to do it could end world hunger, and it makes me sick. If anything I have stopped buying anything I don't need to.
I will cover one of those things in my next post...... but I digress.

Both books came from my local library and I would recommend both for different reasons.

NEXT BOOK.... something a little more uplifting.

Explosive

2010-05-14T15:01:00.003-04:00

I just walked into my sons room.
I turned.
I walked out.
Who instructed these two in the use of explosives?
When did it go off?
Why didn't I hear anything?

I could freak out.
I'm not going to.
I'm just going to give them both big hugs,

Assure them that my love is not based on performance,

And tell them they have 24 hours.

I will be outside reading if you need me.

From The Hippie Moose

Dready Anniversary

2010-05-04T15:05:00.003-04:00

In honour of my Dreadlock Anniversary last week I took a look at the blogs I read that just happen to be written by fellow dready's. They are some pretty amazing people! SO....a shout out to all my fellow dready momma's in blogland. Amazing women like Sara at Walk Slowly, Live Wildly. The Organic Sister Tara and her new wandering tales... the amazing pictures at Boho Photography.

From The Hippie Moose

I was in the middle of painting my bike so unfortunately I'm sporting my favorite painting shirt.

I'm pretty thrilled that my dreads are starting to grow. They spent the first year locking up and getting shorter (ggrrrr).

Question asked most often..... how do I clean them. I'm glad you asked!

Fill a sink or container with:

1/2 cup baking soda
8 drop tea tree oil*
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. sea salt.
Fill with really hot water... as hot as you can handle.
Soak for 10 min.
Leave for another 30 min wrapped in a towel.
Rinse.

* If you are not a fan of tea tree oil sub in something you love the smell of!

100th post... What I learned while my husband was away...

2010-04-12T23:05:00.001-04:00

In honour of my 100th post I thought I would ramble about my weekend. My husband has been away for three days and it rained for two of them. Nice. In case he doesn't believe me I took a few pictures....

I learned that I seem to get WAY more done when he's gone than when he's here. Odd. I had a few unfinished projects I decided to tackle in his absence. The first was a chair that I bought at a junk shop (for lack of a better term) at least 10 years ago... OK 15 but who's counting. I was inspired to do this by Brenda. I read THIS blog posting the day Dave left and was completely in awe of her ability.

I learned that I can break my own rules...I have a rule against painting wood. So I stained it with blue milk paint. You can still see the grain and details through it... but it's blue. I consider this a fair compromise. I learned that boys are a great help sanding. Staining.. not so much. Going with the grain seems completely and genetically beyond them. I blame my husbands DNA for this.

I also learned that even though they are boys the have very decided opinions on fabric so a 5 min. trip to the fabric store turned into 35. The stripes were the compromise between the vision of three different personalities. I also learned that stapling fabric with a electric staple/brad gun is pretty scary stuff with an 7 and 8 year old "helping" you.

I learned that tea tastes better in my new mug. No.. it's not all in my head. It really does.

I learned that once I start to paint it's REALLY hard to stop.

I learned that when trying to fix your plastic dog head with expanding foam because your adorable sons smashed his nose in...... less is more. There's a reason they call it expanding.

Finally, I learned that I really miss my man when he's gone.

Cookie Review

2010-04-08T11:10:00.000-04:00

Ok, so the cookies were amazing. The kids didn't love them but I was in heaven.
They turned out just like they were supposed to, crunchy on the outside, hollow on the inside. I added a few tbsp. of cocoa powder which made them look a bit more like rocks.

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture because they were gone SO quick!

For the Instructions SEE HERE!

Empty Tomb Cookies

2010-04-04T16:44:00.000-04:00

Empty Tomb Cookies - 220621 - Recipezaar

To celebrate Easter we will be making these cookies tonight to be ready on Easter Monday morning!

Maple Madness

2010-03-27T09:33:00.003-04:00

Spring is for Maple Syrup!

We checked out the Sugar Shack at Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation area with the Williams Family and their Aussie friends Julia and Bryce.

Fields of Whirligigs

2010-03-22T13:00:00.006-04:00

Over the March break my sister came down with her two boys and in an effort to keep them all amused we decided on a ferry ride. It was a pretty cold day and this offered a lot of amusement for free.

The bonus in it all was that I finally got over to the Wolfe Island Wind Farm to see the turbines up close. They are amazing.

The kids even enjoyed following the route the energy takes from turbine to Joe Smiths home. They had it all mapped out at the information hut. I love the unexpected lessons that we can take home and do more research on!

Peppermint Patty's Day

2010-03-17T10:08:00.014-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm not Irish but will celebrate just about anything.

To mark this special day my sons and I made Peppermint Patties from "How it all Vegan".

These things were SUPER easy to make and very yummy.

We tried to make hearts and shamrocks but once they were dipped it was really hard to tell. So do yourself a favour and go with round balls, much easier to shape and dip.

The filling is SOOO easy:

2 cups of powdered sugar

1 tbsp. vegan marj.

2 tsp peppermint extract

2 tbsp vegan milk ( I used rice milk)

Blend it all together until its a paste, form into balls, freeze 15 min. Dip into melted chocolate with a bit or margarine. SWEET!

Seed Sale on Saturday!

2010-03-11T14:00:00.001-05:00

This coming Saturday is the seed sale in Kingston, Ontario. Check out Seeds of Diversity for sales all over:

http://www.seeds.ca/ev/events.php

Here is all the info for Saturdays event:

Kingston Public Library Central Branch

Saturday March 13, 2010 10-3
Kingston's 3rd Annual Seedy Saturday invites you to a seed networking and education event for both novice and experienced gardeners. If you are interested in open-pollinated and heritage seed, seed saving, biodiversity in your garden and food security, this is the place for you! Attendees are encouraged to bring their own well-labeled, saved seed to trade at the seed exchange table. Seed from "Seed Savers Exchange" and a select number of local seed companies will be available for purchase along with several varieties of Canadian-bred foundation seed. Join us in discussing the possibility of creating a living community seed bank. Lunch will be available as well as children's activities. Admission $1. Learn more about garlic, dahlias, foundation seed, and what the future of food may be for us in these interesting times:
10:00 "The Story of Food" & "Banking Diversity" - USC Films
11:00 "The Small-Trial Garlic Bulbil Project and Leek Moth Control" - Paul Pospisil, The Garlic News, Beaver Pond Estates
12:00 "Good Foundations: Building Community Seed Security" - Jennifer Hutson, True North Seeds Trust, Journal of Culinary Garden Research, Seeds of Diversity
1:00 "Dahlias to Dazzle" - Margaret Pyke, Wolfe Island
2:00 "The Future of Food: Sustainable Local or Industrial Biotech? It's About Seed" - Andrew McCann, Seed, Farm and Food Activist
Contact: Katherine Rothermel 613-385-8569

Dog Fight

2010-03-10T11:07:00.007-05:00

Every night at bedtime three dogs jockey for position in our room for the best dog bed. When they were younger they didn't seem to care where they slept, but as they age everyone wants the soft bed. I can relate.

On a seemingly different topic, I had a garbage bag full of old pillows that I was debating on what to do with. I had replaced a bunch of old pillows at Christmas time but was having a really hard time sending them to a landfill. So there they sat, waiting for inspiration to strike.

Yesterday it struck.

I pulled out my sewing machine, stitched two pillows together, grabbed a bunch of fleece I had sitting around (also waiting for inspiration to strike) and made some really big pillow cases!

I also made drawstring bags out of unbleached cotton. Why? To fill with cedar chips. The bag will get shoved inside the "pillow case" to keep the beds smelling nice and more importantly... repel fleas. Fleas hate cedar.

Ginger has claimed the cow print one for herself and has been spotted dragging it around the room. I'm guessing she's trying to break it in. Boda Zapha is looking pretty regal on his new red bed. And Zeke is still trying to sneak onto our bed at every opportunity but is still satisfied with his big jean bed.

Don't they look well rested......

February Book

2010-02-26T10:38:00.004-05:00

I just finished reading "Ignore Everybody; and 39 other keys to creativity." by Hugh MacLeod. It's actually an extension of his blog: Gaping Void

I really loved Chapter 7 about getting our crayons back. Somewhere along the line of "growing up" our crayons are taken away and we need to demand them back. To do art for the sheer enjoyment of the process and not the possible outcome of the endeavor.

I also REALLY love his art, very real life and he does it all on the back of business cards. Brilliant. Check out his gallery at: http://gapingvoidgallery.com/

Totally Fake

2010-02-02T13:08:00.006-05:00

I just found a pretty cool book at the library. If you have boys, or girls of a certain personality, you should give it a look! It's called "100% Pure Fake". There are instructions on how to make fake blood, puke, poop, brains, etc. My boys are lovin' it. It certainly brings out their disgusting- joke nature. So far we have made fake blood, a dead finger in a box, and fake pee which is appropriate since we have three dogs. Next up, edible dog poop made of oatmeal, cocoa powder, green food colouring, etc.

Churning the butter

2010-01-31T19:00:00.009-05:00

This past week I did a lesson with the boys on how to make butter. Originally I was going for a straight imparting of information but it turned into a bit of a science experiment. You see I bought the wrong dairy product. I reached for whipping cream and came away with table cream. I didn't realize my mistake until we were well into it so I had to think fast to redeem myself. I guess I could have said "hey look, I bought the wrong thing!" but why? After our first run we got our hands on some whipping cream and did it all again!

First experiment (500 ml Table Cream): Shake time: 40 min. Butter achieved: about 1/4 cup.

Second experiment (500 ml whipping cream): Shake time: 14 min. Butter achieved: about 1 cup.

We made a few loaves of bread with the buttermilk and had daddy help us with a taste test to round out the experiment.

For those who would like to give this a try, you will need WHIPPING CREAM (learn from my mistakes people), a big ol' mason jar with lid... or other seal able container which allows lots of shaking room (the more space, the faster the process), a bowl, a wooden spoon, and a sieve to drain off the buttermilk from the butter.

Pour milk into the jar. Shake like crazy. You will eventually get whipped cream... keep going. As soon as the liquid separates from the milk solids you're golden! Pour it all out into the sieve, KEEP THE MILK (it's great for making bread, biscuits, pancake batter, etc.) Plop your butter into a bowl, take a wooden spoon to it to extract any remaining milk... and presto! You can stir in a pinch of salt if you like, or go unsalted.

Simple Bread

2010-01-19T11:14:00.004-05:00

Here is the recipe I use with the boys for bread... I think they have made it enough times to almost be able to do it solo! (It's from the book: "From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens" by Good and Pellman). This goes out to fellow homeschool mama Jordin!

White Bread

1 pkg dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

1/2 cup warm water

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

2 cups warm water

2 1/2 tbsp. melted shortening

6-7 cups flour

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.

2. In large bowl combine sugar, salt, water, and shortening. Add yeast mixture. Gradually add flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in greased bowl. Cover and let rise 2 hours. Punch down. Divide into 2 portions and form loaves. Place in greased bread pans. Prick tops with fork. Let rise until higher than pans (1 1/2 - 2 hours)

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. You can brush tops with butter if desired.

My FAVORITE bread recipe is posted HERE but is a bit more labour intensive and not appropriate for kids because of the boiling water.

A while back Mother Earth News did some articles about No-Knead Breads.... I really want to try this one.... I will let you all know how it goes...

Easy, No-knead Crusty Bread

Garden's ahoy

2010-01-17T13:16:00.007-05:00

Ok, lame title but I've been throwing up for the past 24 hours and deserve a break on the creativity side of things. I have been flipping through seed catalogues during my downtime and I'm getting excited about planning this years garden. I'm pretty sure I posted about Seeds Of Diversity last year but here is the link to all the great seed sales, mostly in BC and Ontario.

http://www.seeds.ca/ev/events.php

In the USA? Seed Savers is also a great organization. I've had a lot of success with their seeds...

http://www.seedsavers.org/

and... they have a blog...sweet!

http://blog.seedsavers.org/

Here is an interesting article about planting according to the moon cycles... if want to give it a go there are lots of places to pick up calenders... just google moon phase gardening.

http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Moon_Planting.asp

The farmers almanac sells a 2010 calender with the moon info included.

http://www.amazon.com/Farmers-Almanac-Gardening-Calendar-Calendars/dp/1571984887/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263753934&sr=1-3

Sorry this post is so "linky"!!

A cake for Shannon and Ella

2010-01-11T16:22:00.002-05:00

Our Cake
Originally uploaded by from the hip*

I loved how this cake turned. I don't get to do pink too often with so many boys in the house!

Resolution 2010

2010-01-08T15:46:00.000-05:00

As you might recall from last year my resolution was to read a book-a-month. I was successful and feel that I like my odds for 2010 so here we go again! Here is the list from 2009:
January: "The Shack" (Young)
February: "Irrisistible Revolution" (Claiborne)
March: "The Book of Negros" (Hill)
April: "The Alchemist" (Coelho)
May: "The Book of Negros" (Hill) ~ yes, again.
June: "So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore?" (Jacobsen)
July: "Three Cups of Tea" (Morentson)
August: "Three Day Road" (Boyden)
September: "Any Known Blood" (Hill)
October: "They Do It With Mirrors" (Christie)
November: "A Good Yarn" (Macomber)
December: "Alice in Wonderland" (Carroll)

It would be hard to pick a favorite from 2009, The Alchemist has been a long time favorite and I read it once a year. In terms of books I had never read before I will have to say my favorite fiction was "The Book of Negros" and favorite non-fiction was "Irrisistable Revolution".

So here we go with 2010.
January: "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" (Miller)

Yes, I have already finished my January book. It was SO good I couldn't put it down and was so dissappointed when it was over. It's all about living a good story, and what it takes to change the story you are living.

Graffiti

2010-01-06T15:39:00.005-05:00

The marker didn't come off. So the paint and fabric pens came out....

Happy (belated) New Year!

2010-01-04T16:58:00.005-05:00

We have had a busy start to the year, with a party on the 1st, concert on the 2nd, a day of rest on the 3rd and back to homeschooling on the 4th!

One of my hopes for 2010 is to make more time for creative endeavors and it seems that my youngest has the same resolution. Last night we were sitting down to dinner when I noticed something on his pants...

When I asked what I was looking at he proudly stood up so I could see all the artwork he had done on his lap in pen. As I was formulating my response Dave looked at me from across the room and simply said "careful". I understood. I simply asked that next time he ask before he doodles because some pants are for family time and some are for special times, and very nice work by the way. My plan now? To wash them and see what happens. If the pen comes off fine. If it doesn't I have fabric markers in about a dozen colours that I will give him and tell him to "finish the job". Because if you're going to create.... ya better go big.

And thus begins 2010!

Christmas Sweater

2009-12-28T12:46:00.005-05:00

I had every intention of knitting Dave a sweater again this year....
Last year I knit this one...

(wow his hair is short)

This year he got this.....as you can see, I have made him a hat to wear but the sweater is in it's raw form so to speak. My Goal: to finish the sweater by Valentines Day. The Problem: I haven't even picked out a pattern yet. Grim. I figure I'll scout out Ravelry and see what I can come up with. However, I'm open to any ideas....??

December Photo Project ~ 12/24/09

2009-12-24T10:52:00.000-05:00

A festive Christmas Eve to all!

December Photo Project ~ 12/23/09

2009-12-23T20:44:00.002-05:00

December Photo Project ~ 12/22/09

2009-12-22T14:47:00.002-05:00

I have decided I will travel the world and take pictures of my favorite mug in wierd places. Similar to the couple that did it with their nieghbours garden gnome... but mine will be filled with yummy java.

December Photo Project ~ 12/21/09

2009-12-21T09:37:00.002-05:00

A walk down the driveway.

December Photo Project ~ 12/20/09 & CARAMEL CORN!

2009-12-20T15:05:00.004-05:00

Our annual Caramel Popcorn. A sticky, sweet, yummo Christmas tradition.
In honour of a beautiful Next mamma.... how to make your own:

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup popping corn

Pop the popcorn and place in a buttered roasting pan.
In a saucepan bring the butter, sugar, syrup and salt to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling stop stirring and let boil for 5 min. Take off the heat and add stir in soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn and stir well. Place in 250 degree oven. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 min.

** As someone who values learning from others misfortunes... please note that the saucepan should be big enough to allow the sauce to increase in volume as it boils. Cleaning up molten sugar lava is not an activity I suggest for putting people in the Christmas spirit. Trust me on this one.

December Photo Project ~ 12/19/09

2009-12-19T06:20:00.001-05:00

December Photo Project ~ 12/18/09

2009-12-18T06:01:00.001-05:00

December Photo Project ~ 12/17/09

2009-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

A little school work and hot chocolate. Sweet.

December Photo Project ~ 12/16/09

2009-12-16T06:58:00.000-05:00

I just love a red door. This is my Aunt Carols cottage.

December Photo Project ~ 12/15/09 & COOKIES

2009-12-15T06:41:00.001-05:00

These are my favorite cookies to make with the boys. They don't require a mixer, just a bowl and a wooden spoon. I like them because the are so versatile, you can switch up a few things and have a completely different cookie. (You will see what I mean) In the time it took me to get the camera I lost one as you can see (Dave, I know where you sleep!)

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 pkg vanilla INSTANT pudding mix (I highlight this fact because I have purchased the wrong one in the past with very dire results)
1 tbsp. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Line baking sheet with parchment paper (or grease them).
In a large bowl mix together butter and both sugars. Stir in pudding mix and milk. Stir in eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by heaping 1 tbsp about 2 inches apart (I use a small ice-cream scoop cause I'm lazy!) on prepared pans. Bake in centre of 350 degree oven until edges are golden, about 12 min. Let cool for 5 min on baking sheet. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 doz.

NOW... I have done the following combos:
Chocolate pudding with semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Butterscotch pudding with Scor bits
Chocolate pudding with white chocolate chips and pecans
Chocolate pudding with peanut butter chips
Butterscotch pudding with milk chocolate chips
and so on, and so on, and so on....

and THAT is why I love this cookie!