Feeling So Sew

I love to piece quilts

when I have time,

or when I take a class!

Needless to say - I don't get too many done.

As of now I have at least four tops sewn

but, alas, have not attempted the quilting part.

I do have my Mom's quilt stands that were

made for her by my Grandpa Gerber

so there really isn't an excuse - sigh!

On Saturday I dusted off my sewing machine,
and went to a quilt piecing class.

The pattern is called "Magic Tiles".

There were four of us "students" in the class

and each one had chosen the most interesting

fabric combinations...

One was a Grandmother who's Grandson

picked out the striking blue and green combinations for
his quilt to be,

a young mom who chose
the beautiful batik fabrics
to make a charming quilt
for her daughters "big girl bed",

and a young woman who was making an

ambitious queen size black, red, and white quilt.

We got all the pieces cut and were able

to get one block finished before it was time

to wrap it up.

What fun ...... a whole day of creating!

Today I stayed home from work with one of the worst

head colds I've had in years - so out came the quilt blocks,

the kleenex box, the hot tea,

and it all seemed to go quite well - could be because

of the drugs I'm on!?

Just the borders to go and then

it's ready to quilt.......

Now if I could just kick this fever, runny nose, and cough.....

A warm quilt to wrap up in would sure feel good.

Till next time ......... what are you creating these cold wintery days?

German Pancakes

Shrove Tuesday
(the last day before Lent begins)
is just around the corner

and I've been craving pancakes!!!

Years ago I purchased a crepe pan while

vacationing in Quebec City 

but had never actually used it.

So I thought I'd pull it out

and make these

easy peasy German Pancakes,

a recipe I received from

a dear lady in Manitoba!
Wish I could remember her name.

Our daughter was in the

Ontario Mennonite Children's Choir
at the time (20 some years ago)

and I was privileged to tag along

as a chaperone

on their trip to the Winnipeg area!

We had such fun and stayed with

such lovely folks who graciously hosted

the choir members.

We were so delighted to be served

these delicious treats for breakfast

one morning and I was gifted the recipe:

German Pancakes

These were served with strawberries and whipped cream and so delicious!!!!!  Typically these were made for supper and sometimes filled with meats and cheese.

1 1/2 Cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 Cups milk
Whip with a whisk.  This is a double recipe and you must use lots of real butter for each pancake you make! J. That's what our hostess told me.....and she was right! Butter always makes it better.
Flip pancake with two forks (I couldn't get the hang of this so I used a good old spatula) when it looks crispy and bubbly on the edges. Then let it cook on the other side just a wee bit longer. Roll the crepes and serve with syrup or dip into lemon juice and then cinnamon sugar.
Another way to enjoy them is rolled up with cottage cheese and fruit or whatever you like.

My favourite way to eat these is simply with lemon juice and a sprinkle of icing sugar.

Do you eat pancakes, crepes, etc. for

Shrove Tuesday?

What are your favourite pancakes?

Till next time ....... keeping the crepe pan on top of the frying pans pile for now!

Savoury Kringle Bread

It's cold outside,

a warm soup kind of day,

 the Olympic Game is on

between Finland and U.S.A.,

the sun is shining - showing all the dirty windows,

the farmer has a nice fire going in the woodstove,

and I have a hankering for baking

some savoury bread!

Have you ever made Kringle bread?

It's an Estonian Bread - fairly easy to master

and looks so pretty.

The most popular versions of

this bread 

are the ones with sweet fillings

but because I'd like to serve this with

soup today - I've decided to make it savoury.

Pesto, Sundried Tomato, Goat Cheese Kringle Bread

Dough:

2 Cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 Cup lukewarm milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

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

1/8 Cup melted butter

1 egg yolk

Mix warm milk and sugar. Sprinkle on the yeast and let stand for 5 min. Add egg yolk, melted butter, flour and salt. Mix and knead till smooth. Let rise till double in bulk - approx. 1 hr.

Preheat the oven to 400F

Filling:

4 tsp. Pesto

3 Tbsp. chopped Sundried Tomato

1/2 clove garlic - crushed

4-5 Tbsp. soft Goat cheese

*or any combination you choose (see below for some options).

Punch down the dough and roll out into a rectangle. Spread with Pesto, sprinkle with tomato, garlic and cheese.

Roll tightly into a cylinder, starting from the long side. Using a sharp knife, spit the cylinder in half lengthwise, leaving the one end attached. 

Twist the two halves together, keeping the open cut layers exposed.

Form into a circle, weaving ends together. Pinch to seal and place in a greased pie plate or on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cover loosely with foil halfway to prevent excessive browning.

*Optional Fillings:

1/4 Cup softened butter

2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 garlic clove - minced

3 Tbsp. flaxmeal/ground flaxseed

Sweet Filling Option:

1/4 Cup softened butter

4-5 Tbsp. sugar

3 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbsp. ground almonds

(I'd like to try this combo sometime!)

Till next time ............ are you watching the Olympics?  Tomorrow is the big game for Canada!!!

Waterblogging

This is my first ever "link" up

blog post.

Rhondi from Rose Colored Glasses

created a "Waterlogue Wednesday"

Party and I've been invited!!!

I noticed Rhondi's beautiful watercolor

"paintings" on one of her recent posts
"The Secret of my Success in Watercolor Painting"

and was so intrigued by

her secret method.

Once I figured out how to download the iPhone App

(with Rhondi's help) I started "painting" to

my heart's content ....

Welcome to my first ever 'waterblog' exhibit:

Elegant Ajijic Cactus

Valentine Breakfast Flowers

Mexican Coffee Break

Brown-eyed girls

Memories of Lake Chapala

This honestly makes me want
to take some real watercolour painting classes!!!!

Be sure to head over to Rhondi's blog

and leave a comment....

Linking is fun!!!!!

A Taste of Mexico

La comida Mexicana es delisiosa!

We enjoyed some wonderful meals

with awesome Amigos

while on our recent holiday 

to Lake Chapala, Mexico.

Osso Bucco 

(Veal Shank) was a great choice.

The Molcajeti

(a sizzling veggie and cheese dish)

was also a

delicious treat!

There were always 

delicious fresh salad choices

and this was my salmon stuffed

pasta meal - yum!

Margo cooked up some of the most wonderful
homemade fare,
like fresh shrimp, tacos,
beef fajitas, bananas Foster,
yummy homemade soups and salads,
just to mention a few.
Her meals were tasty and healthy.
I can't believe I didn't get any photos of them
(guess we were just too fixated on eating up the deliciousness).

Appies for a light luncheon with neighbours.

Barry and Margo's friends

invited us in for some delicious home cooked meals.

We enjoyed an authentic Italian Meal,

prepared by Connie and Wayne 

complete with amazing homemade meat balls

and tomato sauce for the pasta - oh my!
Not to mention the anchovy appetizers and Wayne's
peanut butter brownies!
They were such great hosts and made us feel so welcome!

Henry and Barb (neighbouring snowbirds)
 served us a lovely chicken dinner

with Barb's famous homemade Polish Dill pickles and

yummy beet salad.
We had so much fun, eating, playing cards, and
getting to know each other.

We were SO impressed with the sense of community

in this small Mexican town which is a Winter home 

for so many Canadians - they enjoy getting together,

sharing meals, meeting each other, and becoming 

friends for life!

A recent murder there was a rare
and unfortunate tragedy
This apparently was not a random act
and could have happened anywhere in today's crazy world!

Barbecued Chicken Stand featuring delicious roasted onions and chili peppers too - we did a take-home meal - so good!

This weekend we invited some friends in,

stoked the fire to heat up the room,

put a Mexican blanket on the table,

blended up some margaritas,

and enjoyed a Mexican Fiesta of sorts.

For a few hours, we forgot

about the below freezing temperatures

outside and basked in the memories

of a warm vacation!

Our menu included:

Guacamole - of course

Salsa and Tacos

Chicken Fajitas with all the fixings

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Lettuce Salad with Avacado and Lime dressing

Papaya and Grapes

and lots of conversation and fellowship

These were on the dessert table too ....

Coconut Macaroons - super easy!
3-4 large egg whites
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
5 Cups sweetened shredded coconut
Whip the egg whites with the sugar, vanilla and salt till glossy and foamy.
Stir in the shredded coconut and mix well.
Drop batter in 2 Tbsp. mounds onto parchment lined cookie sheets approx. 1 inch apart - I used my ice cream scoop.
Bake at 325F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool completely and store for up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
Can be dipped or drizzled with chocolate if desired.

We had a great evening!

Thanks for coming, Wally and Carolyn,

and braving the cold for a "taste of Mexico" with us!

Beautiful Lake Chapala

Till next time ............ stay cozy and start dreaming of Spring - positive thoughts, positive thoughts!!

HAPPY FAMILY DAY IN ONTARIO TODAY!!!

Snow Bank Graffiti

Very "cool" Snow Bank

Graffiti

on my way to

work

this morning!!!

GO CANADA GO......

Haven't seen the snow banks

quite this high since I was

a kid,

and that's a LONG time ago - smile!!

HAPPY V-DAY EVERYONE.

Gringo's Go To Market!

Our short visit recently

to Ajijic, Mexico

offered many local markets

They were all a treat,

to say the least!

Ajijic Market

The Wednesday market very near to us

right in Ajijic, is the primary

fresh local food market.

As the farmer and I enjoyed the

sights, smells and sounds, our hosts

did their weekly shopping.

Margo prepared a delicious

lunch of freshly cooked shrimp  - oh my!!

What a treat!

Chapala Market

The 4 mile walk to Chapala was 

well worth it.

Delicious breads, cheeses, fruits,

veggies and such tempted us.

Some of the meats were not quite as appetizing,

as you can see.

We were rewarded with a delicious fajita

lunch that included free margaritas!

Needless to say,

we took the bus back to Ajijic

and even managed to have an 

afternoon siesta!!!

Tonala Market

On Sunday we travelled by taxi to the famous

Tonala Market near Guadalajara.

A delightful, bustling and colourful market.

We noticed there were few Gringos but

many Mexican family shoppers.

Known for it's lovely hand blown glassware,

 handicrafts, pottery, ceramics and household items,
it didn't disappoint!

Notice the breads that were shaped like

turtles and alligators, the delicious churro sticks,

and the huge stuffed jalapeño peppers

that we had for our lunch!

These "cooling the tongue" drinks tasted

wonderful as we ate those jalapeño popper whoppers!

It was a full and fun day.

Our evening was spent relaxing and watching the

Super Bowl while snacking on

delicious homemade American food - hot dogs of course!

So many of our most memorable experiences included
good home cooked food and fellowship.

More on that later ............

Have a WONDERFUL VALENTINE'S DAY/WEEK!!

Heart shaped arrangement at the Chapala Market

Till next time ........... more memories of Ajijic, Mexico.

Winter Get-Away in Ajijic

We had a wonderful time in Mexico!

2 short weeks ago we

left the Great White North

with minus 27 Celsius temps

for the balmy plus 24 Celsius get-away.

We stayed with our "snowbird" friends

who have been wintering there

for the past few years.

They have a lovely rented condo

in the Mexican town called Ajijic

(pronounced Ah-hee-heek)

on Lake Chapala.

This is an inland area surrounded by
the rugged Sierra Madre mountain range
on the edge of the fresh water Lake Chapala.

Ajijic is located just 30 minutes
from the huge city of Guadalajara.
The high elevation (5,046 feet above sea level) here provides
a very stable and pleasant humid free climate. 

When we weren't out for long walks,
discovering the sights, sounds and

tastes, we found that

the condo's great mirador (balcony)

was the perfect spot to soak up the warm hot sunshine

and relax!

Our gracious hosts Barry and Margo

We did a lot of walking on the
rustic cobblestone streets.

and stopped to admire the beautiful plants
and flowers.
Such a refreshing change from our snow
covered and frozen gardens back home.....

The Cacti were amazing...
growing wild on the surrounding mountain sides
and deliberately in the gardens and gloriettas 
(Mexican style round-a-bouts).  
I was so intrigued by these cool plants!

Ajijic is known for it's low cost of living
and world class medical care.
No wonder the snowbirds choose this
as their Winter Get-Away!!


The local food, restaurants,
and markets were second to none.

More on that next time .......... stay tuned.

Disclaimer - my handy "point and shoot" camera went on the fritz (not to mention my computer problems - ugh) so I had to resort to my cell phone camera - please accept my apologies for the quality and sometimes visible finger on some of these photos.