Time to Shine

The hall is "dec'd"

The porch is done

Biscotti made

Ginger cookies baked

The reason for the season ...

A special "first time" school concert - delightful!

Front - almost centre with red and black checked shirt

Kitchen island centre piece

A birch theme this year

The mantel 

Mom's China Cabinet

The tree

We're almost there and things are beginning to sparkle and shine.

How are your preparations coming along?

As we prepare, let's remember ...

... to be humble and kind!

Till next time ... shine on.

Flash Back to November

In a Flash is the only way that I can describe November!

It seems that I am unable to find the time to put together a proper post

and/or even get around to reading my favourite blogger's posts.

There have been a fair number of "dark cloud" days of late.

Has November been like that for you too, dear reader?

I had to look back at the pictures that were captured during this

past month to even remember what has all happened.

(not too many pictures were taken either - ugh)

November began with some

quilt piecing at the college where I used to work.

So great to see everyone again and to work

on this project which will be auctioned

at the annual M.C.C. Relief Sale

in May 2019.

The pattern is called "3 Dudes"

and the colours are bright and sunny!

Speaking of "Dudes" ...

this little guy is growing by leaps and bounds

and is a happy, cuddly

7 month old!

It seems like Winter crept up on us so quickly this year.

Some of the outside work will just have to wait till Spring.

The garlic was quickly planted by punching holes into the partially frozen soil!

Hoping it will survive.

The remaining weeks that flew by,

included an office party,

Charcuterie Board at the party - so pretty and delicious!

and church Christmas banquet,

the annual local little Theatre play kept me busy searching Thrift Stores

for appropriate costumes, helping to set up and then tear down the stage and props,

completion of a baby quilt project for a special little fellow that

made his debut just a few days ago!

Northcott Mountain Wilderness Panel.
My first attempt at incorporating a panel into a baby quilt.
Matching fabric strips and pieced "flying geese" strips to go with the wilderness theme!
Quilted by Kathy Janzen, on her long arm machine, who made this quilt sing!

throw in the beginnings of a complete Condo renovation (more to come on this project),

and last but certainly not least,

celebrating the 35th birthday of a special Daughter/Momma to our beautiful grand children!

Can't believe she's 35!

Christmas is coming ...

The decorating is happening at a snail's pace this year.

Now how to make time slow down to this pace too?

Praying for peace and contentment as I intentionally prepare my heart

for the reason we have this season.

God bless you all as you prepare too!

Paw Patrol Love!

Till next time (whenever that may be) .... stay safe and feel the joy of Christmas coming.

Root vegetables for Thanksgiving

My friend Anita's daughter, Melanie, just posted this 

yummy root vegetable recipe on facebook.

I had to try it! All the ingredients were in my fridge.

I made a small batch for the farmer and I today and

it did not disappoint. So flavourful and pretty.

Adapted from Melanie's recipe:

2 medium parsnips - chopped

2 medium carrots - chopped

½ turnip – chopped

1 large onion – chopped

3 stalks celery – chopped

Cook above in pot with 1-2 cups of water for 10 minutes till tender (turning down to simmer after it begins to boil).

Drain and save ½ Cup liquid in a small dish (I used my 2 cup glass measuring cup)

Put veggies into a buttered casserole dish

Add to the liquid:

½ Cup sugar

3 Tbsp. butter

½ tsp. salt

½ Tbsp. corn starch

1 tsp. nutmeg

Several grinds of pepper

Boil/microwave till thick and pour over veggies

Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Melanie notes - she always doubles this recipe but not the sauce. She makes this ahead and then reheats it in a crockpot for their family's camping Thanksgiving Dinner! Yum....

This may well become a new tradition for Thanksgiving Dinner

for our family too. I will make this again for sure.

Now, the other new thing I made this week was a Ricotta Pumpkin Cheesecake.

Unfortunately it cracked!

Hoping it tastes better than it looks.

In hind sight it probably cracked

because I took it out of the oven too soon and it cooled too quickly?

Who knew?

I may also have baked it a tad too long.  Other hints on line are that you should bake it in a water bath to prevent cracking.

Have you ever made a Ricotta Cheesecake?

I hope this fix will do the trick ....

Pumpkin whipping cream sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice.

(extra topping saved for tomorrow morning's pumpkin latte)

Tomorrow our extended family will gather for a Thanksgiving Dinner/Feast.

My small contribution - homemade bread, pumpkin cheesecake, and 

a crunchy broccoli salad

We have SO MUCH to be thankful for ....

Till next time - Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends and family

Platz Therapy

I finally made some platz!

The peaches on the back porch were ripening rapidly and needed to be used.

Platz - Peach Platz (I love saying that)

was calling out to me and I've always wanted to try making this.

Of course, the only recipe I needed was Lovella's

and it is a winner!

This recipe was posted 9 years ago, even before I knew about the

Famous Mennonite Girl's Can Cook ladies!!!

I enjoyed reading the comments on this past post.

What a blessing they have been to me on so many levels!

Since my last post on July 13th - SO much has taken place.

Huge Amish Sale

Annual Family Picnic at the Freeman's Pond

A few days of camping with dear friends!

Sunsets at my favourite Lake Huron!

A new baby great niece was born - Maia Star (can't wait to meet her)

A new little neighbour was born - Jack (can't wait to meet him)

Vee, a favourite blogger friend has decided to stop blogging.

I understand her need to do this and sometimes it makes me think this might

be what I should consider as well?

And all the while ...... actually since mid-May

I've been fighting a very nasty virus that just keeps rearing it's ugly head

in different ways.

This includes intense congestion, constant coughing fits, pink eye,

loss of smell and taste senses, angry rashes, fever, low energy levels, and weakness.

In one way my wish to slow down the summer days has been fulfilled,

however, not in quite the way I had expected.

After two visits to the emergency dept. and several doctors appointments I 

feel like I'm finally seeing some improvement.

I am thankful to be feeling a bit better and am determined to regain my health.

Baking a peach platz today gave me some much needed "baking therapy"

and it feels good to once again be inspired to cook and enjoy eating.

Thank you Lovella for this tried and true recipe, one that I hope to make often!

In the meantime, our little love bug turned Two. 

We love her so much ... there are no words!

Papa's little love!

Till next time - August blessings to you all!

My August chalkboard message!

"Rooted" in Family

Me - "I don't think I'll make turnip this year for Thanksgiving.

The Farmer - "What!!! No turnip!!"

I was feeling lazy and remembered how much work it is to

peel and chop those hard rutabaga heads.

But not to disappoint - off I went and thought "I'll just buy the frozen chopped ones".

Not one bag of frozen chopped turnips to be found in any of our local grocery stores.

Green Giant - where are you when I need you?

Sigh - there they were - beautifully waxed and round rutabaga roots in the produce bin ...

O.K. - I can do this.

The best way to peel them is with a vegetable peeler (a paring knife works too but a tad dangerous in my case). 

I like to peel them on some newspaper or paper towel, thus avoiding the wax from getting onto my cutting board.

Why do they wax them so heavily?

Chop, chop - here we go!

Seasoned with some salt and pepper - water added and boiled gently till soft and mashable.

Now I will cool them, refrigerate till Thanksgiving Sunday (tomorrow) and make my Mom's casserole recipe. I love recipes with do-ahead possibilities.

My Mom's Turnip Casserole recipe goes something like this:

Add to one boiled and slightly mashed turnip:

1 beaten egg

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 Cup cream

1/4 Cup unsweetened apple sauce 

Turn into a buttered casserole dish and top with:

1/2 Cup bread crumbs moistened with a few Tbsps. of melted butter

Bake at 350F for 1 hour or till hot.

The other roots that will be appearing on my Thanksgiving Table are these beauties right from my garden:

Rinsed and ready to roast

They have been roasted and diced. Tomorrow I'll simply reheat and butter them before serving.

A medley of yellow, candy cane, and red beets, roasted and ready to be added to the Thanksgiving table.








I'll let you know how it all turned out.
Hope our family likes these roots!

Happiest of Thanksgivings to you and yours on this Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend!

God is Good!