Sunday, September 28, 2014

Vegas Bound

The farmer/businessman and his wife go to 
Las Vegas.....

What's a girl to pack?

It's a business convention with several formal gala dinners.
Thus, packing suits, dresses, and some bling - eek!

Here goes.....


Do you lay things out on the spare bed for this process like I tend to?

Hope no one recognizes that I wore these two dresses to the last convention in Boston!






This one doesn't look quite 
so matronly?
I think I'll throw it in too even though I'll probably wear the other two again.











It's going to be super hot
while we're there, according
to the weather forecasts.
That means a sundress,
tunic top and white capris are in order.
Oh, and a denim jacket and 
sweater,
just in case it gets cool on those 
desert evenings.













Casual stuff....
3 bottoms with 3 interchangeable
tops for the days of shopping and touring?
Hmmmm - I see a purple, 
black and white theme
going on here!

















Something to wear to an 
evening show?
Yep, I'll throw this in too.















My favourite white jeans,
black T-Shirt and scarf,
just in case!













Don't forget the shoes and a sun hat.
If there is still room after I've packed, I might be known for 
slipping in a couple more pairs of shoes!




I'll wear my comfy Lululemon capris,
T-Shirt and jacket for the plane ride,
dressed up a bit with a colourful scarf.




My carry-on will have one change of clothes,
my swimming suit, my purse and jewellery bag,
my laptop, camera, all in case the other bag gets lost!


I'm glad I did this little exercise - it truly helped me
to decide what to take and hopefully not overpack as I usually do.


Now to pack the farmer's suits and shirts.
This is always a challenge - especially because he tends to pack VERY last minute!


Till next time .... how do you pack for a trip? Have you been to Las Vegas and if so, I'd love to know  your travel tips for this trip?






Monday, September 22, 2014

Glow juice

Here she is ..... my latest kitchen appliance!
She is so sturdy and broad of girth
that she looks like a giant in my small country kitchen.

I finally had a chance to give her a "whirl" today.



My sweet daughter gifted me with this famous "Oh She Glows" cookbook
by Angela Liddon
and I've been anxious to try some of the smoothie recipes.
No more excuses now that I have my Vitamix!


I used one of the Yogi Juice recipes
with a few slight variations.






The Beet-utiful Power Glow recipe calls for
1 seedless cucumber - I used half.
1 small beet - peeled and chopped - I grew some candy-cane striped beets so I used one of those.
1 medium carrot - peeled and chopped.
1 - 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice - I also added lime juice.
1 small apple - cored and chopped.
I added two handsful of spinach and 1 banana.
It also seemed too thick so I added 1/2 Cup of water.

My juice came out looking green but if you use
a red beet it would be a lovely red like in the book.












This made approx. 3 servings and the fresh flavour was delightful.
The banana added just the right amount of sweetness.
The recipe suggested straining the mixture or not if you like the pulpy texture. I chose not to strain but could have used a wider straw - just saying!

Because my Vitamix is so powerful it was unnecessary to  slightly steam the beet before blending - bonus.







Now I'm hoping the power part kicks in and gives me the umph I need to
tackle the flower beds today....


Till next time - making the most of my Monday!





Monday, September 15, 2014

Niagara RV Rally 2014

A rally of Fibreglass RV's?
I would never have guessed I'd be at one of these
just one year ago!


If you've been following my blog lately,
you'll know that the farmer and I have been enjoying
our "new to us" Escape 19 RV trailer.

This gathering of all shapes and sizes of RVs at Riverside Campground
just across the street from the mighty Niagara River
brought back so many memories of using my brother's Trillium trailer
many years ago - they are classics now and some folks have
done a wonderful job of restoring these sweet little houses on wheels.
There were Bolers, Trilliums, a Compact Jr., Big Foots, a Surf Side, a Play-Pac, Tent campers, 
and of course several Escapes!!!

This sweet Coca Cola Classic by Al and Andrea was amazing
right down to every littlest detail!!








Our hosts organized an Open House/Trailer and I couldn't wait to have a peek into this sweet little trailer!













The table was set for two.
Andrea made all the placemats,
table runners, cushions, curtains, and all things Coke
from rare fabrics she has found online and elsewhere.
I felt like I had stepped into a fairy tale room - super cute!





Becky and Doug brought their Compact Jr. which they lovingly named Tweetx
Tweety Bird peeked through the window and made me smile! What a cute little trailer!


Check out this amazing quilt made especially 
for a much loved Trillium.
We even discovered that the couple who owned it
were from our area and know people that we know - small world!





There was another cool coke
themed trailer complete with a 
palm tree.
We didn't have an opportunity to see the inside, but the owners had a matching hot rod pick-up truck to tow this gem.













Another gorgeous quilt made of
homespun fabrics.
Hmm - Can you tell I was looking at the decor while the farmer was looking at all that other stuff like mechanical and such?








Our next door neighbours Mike and Sarah were SO helpful, sorting out a little 
electrical problem and encouraging us as rookie RVers!


Our hosts Alf and Mary Anne Stacey, in their beautiful Escape 5.0 Fifth Wheel,
made us all feel welcome, organized a fabulous pot-luck supper
and brought door prizes for everyone.
What great ambassadors for Escape trailers!







The potluck table included Blueberry Pies decorated with trailers - wow!
These were made by Jon who has been travelling the continent for a whole year in his Escape 17 - a fantastic photographer and pie baker!






Well, that was fun!



Till next time .......... preparing for Winter Storage - can summer really be almost over????







Monday, September 1, 2014

A MILLION SWEETS!

What to do with a Million Sweets,
Sweet Million Tomatoes that is!!??

My patch almost literally has produced a million, or more, of these sweet gems.

The rest of my garden hasn't amounted to too much but that's
not the case for my tomatoes.

The plants grew so large and became so heavy with
their fruit that the spindly cages bent under all the weight!


I bravely stepped into the mangled mess and the plants
and cages attacked me - eek.
My flip-flops got tangled and the cherry tomatoes 
went flying as I slowly went down, hitting the hard ground
roly poly - ouch! 





The first picking went directly into
my freezer.

So easy - just wash, destem and place on parchment lined
cookie sheets to freeze.

Once frozen - put these frozen
"marbles" into freezer bags for
use in future sauces, adding
a fresh tomato taste.







The next picking - even larger, really made me think of what to do
this time......

Before

I decided to slow roast this batch.
The tomatoes and several cloves of garlic were sliced in half and
drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and pepper, and spread onto parchment lined cookie sheets.

The roasting took approx. 2 1/2 hours at 250F (stirred at the half point). Smelled so good! These can be kept in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for yummy soups or sauces.





After


Some of the fresh  ones were tumbled in seasoning and made for
a wonderful addition to the fresh veggie tray as an appetizer.
This Tumbled Tomatoes recipe was served to us by our friends in Mexico
and are so refreshing and delicious.




Tumbled Tomatoes
1 Tbsp. Herbs de Provence - Presidents Choice carries this (I picked mine up in Mexico)
1 tsp. Coarse Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
Mix herbs with the salt and garlic powder - pulverizing it in a mortar and pestal or salt grinder.
Wash the tomatoes in cold water, drain but do not dry. Place the tomatoes into a large bowl (or container with room to tumble). Toss tomatoes with the herb salt mixture until evenly coated. Refrigerate, tumbling occasionally until water is evaporated. Once water is evaporated, the herb salt mixture forms a light crust on the tomatoes. Serve chilled. This keeps for several days in the fridge. The drier and crustier the coating - the better they taste!



Now, what will I do with all the "big brother" tomatoes?
I see a few jars of stewed tomatoes and fruit relish in the next few days.



Till next time ............ Happy Labour Day everyone.....enjoy the day!



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