Face Time

I don't have much of a "beauty" regime but thought

I'd share a few of my favourite things ...

I need all the help I can get at this age 😎

For many years (starting in my late teens) I used a wonderful

facial cleanser from a company called Allouette.

The product had aloe vera in it and I loved it.

However, over time (quite a long time and into my 30s) I developed

an allergy to aloe vera.

My eye lids would swell up and get chaffed and it took a while to 

realize that the aloe vera was the problem.

To this day I need to be careful not to buy certain products and shampoos

that contain aloe.

After experimenting with some expensive hypoallergenic skin care

products I discovered this locally made skin care line

Cocoon Apothecary

and have been loving it ever since.

It's made with totally natural ingredients and can be purchased retail,

not through a consultant at a home party!

Also comes in small travel size containers - bonus!

I'm pretty lazy when it comes to any sort of regime (especially at bedtime),

but I use these products almost every day.

My make-up is bare minimum and hasn't changed much since high school - eek!

I rarely ever (probably no more than 5 times in my life) use overall base make up,

but I do like to give my eyes and cheeks a little help!

Marcelle eye shadow quad, Covergirl eye enhancers, Loreal mascara,

and Loreal felt tip liquid eye liner are my go to.

For the cheeks - a quick dab of Marcelle Cream Blush does the trick.

My lips need some help too and for that I make my own lip balm.

I posted about it here.

When I want to be a little "fancier" I like to use a dab or two

of lipstick as well.

This process takes me literally only about 3-5 minutes a day!

That's about it for this old gal.

Some time I should bite the bullet and have a make-up consultation at a 

beauty shop and see if I could change my old habits for some new ideas?

Perhaps they've developed an "airbrush look" technique by now!

Have you ever had your make-up done professionally and how did you like it?

My next "beauty" hurtle will be to make a decision about my hair.

To Dye or Not To Dye - That is the Question??

Till next time..... trying to keep it real.

Soggy May Days

In April I posted an "April Winter" post.

It seems that May has begun with a similar theme although

so far it's not snow.

It's just buckets of rain!!!!

Well, the good that has come of all this soggyness is that I hauled out my

sewing machine again and with determination, continued

working on that quilt!

I really had to keep my wits about me with this project!

It was a bit like a puzzle to put together once all the blocks were pieced.

As of an hour ago - IT IS PIECED and ASSEMBLED!!!!

So, I'm just a tiny bit thankful for these past few rainy days.

A chance to keep working on the quilt before I forgot how to read the complicated instructions.

I think I'm going to love it once it's bordered and quilted.

Till next time ........ longing for sunny skies and cleaning up all the loose threads.

Family Easter Traditions

Easter is a time for reflecting and remembering the

greatest sacrifice of all!

As a small child I remember my father calling us all

(8 children + my mom) into our living room.

There he read to us from the Bible, the Easter Story,

followed by having us all kneel as he said a very long prayer

(or at least it seemed very long to us at the time).

My parents would spend long hours at church where they

practiced confession, fasting, holy communion and prayer.

Us little ones usually stayed at home with one or two of our older siblings

during those services.

Even though I don't recall too much about those times I had a strong sense

that Easter was a sobering time as Christ's crucifixion and resurrection were

observed with much humility and honour.

Special food was prepared for Easter Sunday and the "Easter Bunny"

came to fill up our winter hats and toques with chocolate and small gifts.

Over the years we have made new traditions and added some new

foods to the Easter table.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Easter Dinner is usually a roasted "Bone In" ham with buttery scalloped potatoes, coleslaw, mixed vegetables, homemade mustard, fresh baked bread, and lots of desserts!

Onion skin dyed eggs were and still are a family tradition.

My mother's table usually included a red kidney bean salad with sliced hard boiled eggs on top. It was always served in a green glass bowl.

My Mom would often serve her freshly made donuts (fetkucha) that were served with the season's fresh maple syrup. Always a wonderful treat. Another favourite was Mom's yeast coffee cakes, sprinkled with cinnamon and coarse sugar. Several of my siblings still make these each year.

The last few years I have adopted a Russian Mennonite tradition of baking Paska Easter Bread. It is so delicious and has a very good chance of remaining our wee family's tradition for years to come, especially when we've added a Swiss Mennonite twist by dunking this delicious bread into maple syrup.

Another little tradition I've adopted is making a Polish Butter Lamb. My Mom ordered these from our neighbour for each of our wedding tables - a bygone Amish Mennonite tradition.

My sister and brother-in-law have hosted the Leis Family Easter dinner on Good Friday for many years. A delicious Easter Ham, bbq'd farmer's sausage, scalloped potatoes, pineapple rings, sweet corn, and a broccoli casserole is always served. The "pot-luck" salads and desserts are amazing and delicious.

Angela's adorable stuffed egg bunnies!

Our immediate family dinner was on Easter Sunday

and we had the joy of having them here for the very first Easter since 

they have moved back to Ontario!!

Daffodils were picked,

"eegs" were hunted and gleefully found - even during the meal blessing!

So much fun ....

Till next time ........ eating lots of left-overs and feeling blessed!

Whoopie Pies

Apparently Whoopie Pies are considered an Amish Mennonite dessert/cookie/cake

and recipes for them appear in many Mennonite cookbooks.

I don't recall my mom ever making these but they truly are delicious.

I was inspired to make some for our Easter gathering and for

an upcoming curling banquet - they sort of look like curling rocks, right?

Here is the recipe I used:

(It comes from the "Stack Your Dishes" recipe book published

by Conrad Grebel University College)

Whoopie Pies

Makes approx. 35 whoopie pies

1 Cup shortening

2 Cups sugar

2 eggs

1 Cup sour milk - I used Buttermilk

2 tsp. vanilla

4 Cups All-purpose Flour

1 Cup Cocoa Powder

2 tsp. salt

1 Cup hot water mixed with 2 tsp. Baking Soda

Blend the shortening, sugar and eggs. Add the milk and vanilla. Mix together the flour, cocoa and salt and blend into the wet ingredients. Dissolve baking soda in the hot water and add to the creamed mixture - beating till smooth. Chill the batter for a few hours (I chilled mine for 1 hour). Drop by tablespoonful (or use a cookie dough scoop for consistent size) onto greased or parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 400F for 8 to 10 minutes. They puff up nicely into soft muffin top shapes. Cool completely.

Traditional Filling:

1 1/2 Cups shortening

6 Cups icing sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

Milk to moisten

My Filling:

I couldn't bring myself to make a filling with that much shortening and icing sugar so I found this recipe that worked great and tastes wonderful:

2 egg whites (I used pasteurized liquid egg whites since raw egg whites are not recommended for small children)

I will be using this for my Paska Spread as well.

2 Tbsp. vanilla

4 Tbsp. All-purpose flour

4 Tbsp. milk (I used light coffee cream)

4 Cups icing sugar - divided

1 1/2 Cups butter - softened

Beat egg whites till stiff. Mix in the vanilla, flour, milk, and 2 Cups of the icing sugar. Cream for 2 minutes. Add the butter and remaining 2 Cups of icing sugar. Beat until fluffy. When cakes are completely cool, spoon or pipe filling onto half the cakes, cover with the remaining cakes to make a "sandwich". They freeze well.

Today I also buckled down and finally baked the Easter bread (Paska).

I used Lovella's recipe from The Mennonite Girls Can Cook.

I think it's famous!!!

Post update - here are the finished "rocks" (I don't think anyone recognized
them as curling rocks - sigh...) I could use some decorating tips!

Till next time ........ preparing my heart for Easter.

April Winter

A sudden unwelcomed blast of Winter in April

has me thinking warm thoughts of just a few weeks ago in the sunny South!

The robins are confused and may even be thinking of heading back there?

I know those thoughts have crossed my mind ...

The bunnies are nibbling at the tulips, the frozen pine tree branches

are groaning in the never-ending wind, my tan is fading fast,

and the "outside" work is at a stand still.

Not these bunnies :)

Spring will come - right?

Never mind, this gives me a chance to catch up where I left off

at the beginning of March and get back at a project or two that puts me

in my happy place.

This quilt obsessed me in January and February

and once I finally

got up enough nerve to start it - it was time to head South.

I may get the piecing done yet this Spring

(it is Spring isn't it?)

however, the assembly and quilting will have to wait.

Anyone who knows me, knows I love trees.

The fabrics for this are absolutely

beautiful and I have the perfect place to

display it - one day ...

The best part about being home is this little person.

She's our love bug and sunshine and we missed her and her mommy and daddy

SO much!

We had some FaceTime with her while

we were in Florida and her daddy

sent us these pictures.

We just saw close-ups of her sweet smile

and teeth and sounds of M-Wah kisses.

This made my heart ache - what a little love.

Glory be - the sun is shining and the snow is melting on the South Side of the House.

It's all good.

Till next time ... I am so thankful for opportunities to travel, to love a grandchild, to spend time crafting, and a warm home to enjoy - never mind the weather.

Those images of Syrian children on the news these last few days has made me so sad. All I can do is pray that the horror will end!

Glamping Breaky II

We have been enjoying our vacation in Florida!

Another great breakfast is pancakes,

especially with some fresh maple syrup we brought from home.

These cakes are so fluffy and yummy.

My sister Evelyn gave this recipe to me some time ago

and it's our favourite.

She calls it their cottage pancake recipe.

I mixed the dry ingredients at home so that only the 

egg, oil and milk needs adding to prepare.

Pancakes at the Cook’s Cottage

1¼ Cup sour milk (if no sour milk, substitute by putting a cap of vinegar into measured milk and let stand for 5 minutes).

1 Egg

2 Tbsp. oil

In separate bowl:

1 Cup Flour

1 Tbsp. Sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Mix well – add the sour milk and beat.  Let stand till thickened.

Pour onto well oiled hot pan or griddle.   This recipe makes approx. 7 pancakes.

Our little piece of heaven here at one 

of our favourite Florida State Parks.
Morning walks before breakfast couldn't be more pleasant!

Grayton Beach State Park

More about this to come ....

Till next time .... 

Favourite "Glamping" Breaky

Last Spring when we glamped our way westward,

stopping to visit some dear friends in Iowa,

they generously gifted us a huge bag of homemade granola for the road.

It must have been several batches.

Trese and Dale

This recipe has become a favourite and a must have when we 

go on the road with our little RV.

Trese’s Granola

4 cups old fashioned oatmeal

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup coconut

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon vanilla or almond extract, as desired

¾ cup raisins

¾ cup dried cranberries

Set the oven for 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 1 jellyroll pan, (with sides).  Mix the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Whisk the corn syrup and vegetable oil and the vanilla or almond extract well. Add this to the oatmeal mixture and stir thoroughly with a large spoon.

Pour mixture onto greased jelly roll pan and even out the mixture on the pan.

Bake for 15 minutes for 4 cycles, stirring well between each 15 minute cycle. The granola is done when it has a medium brown color throughout. Place into a large bowl to cool. Stir in the raisins/cranberries and enjoy.

Trese says:

* I make 3 of these at a time, so I always have an extra gallon sized bag of granola to share with those I love.

So glad we received this love gift.

Strawberries are in season where we are right now and this,

with a dollop of delicious organic yogurt

is the perfect way to start every day ...

Till next time ..... hope strawberries will be in season soon where you are too!

Museum Quilts

A recent visit to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates

in Ft. Myers Florida

was a chance to look back into history

about the time that my mom and dad were born - 1916

These beautiful estates with wide porches and immaculate gardens

felt like an oasis from the busy city streets all around them.

We peeked into the windows and listened to the walking audio tutorial

as we wondered around the grounds and gardens.

That's us peeking into the Ford family's Dining Room! Cuppa tea anyone?

The farmer was intrigued by the brilliant inventions of these two men

and stopped to read all the information boards and watch the videos and studies.

I was more interested, it seemed, peeking into the bedrooms with the quilts and antique furnishings.

My favourite one, "Tree of Life"

pattern.

So beautiful in the red and white fabrics!

Another favourite - Red and White Four Hearts Quilt!!!

It was such a lovely day to stroll through some amazing history.

So glad we went.

Me and Mina Miller Edison - she hailed from Akron, Ohio (Menno roots perhaps lol?)

If you ever get the chance, you should see this great museum.

Until next time ....... enjoying some sun and fun.