CookBook Fetish

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Deborah

How Many Cookbooks Is Too Many?

I can’t be the only one with a fondness for collecting cookbooks. Over the years, I have amassed a bundle, enough to start my own bookstore even. One side of the store would feature cookbooks, the other would be devoted to the fictional works of Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum and Clive Cussler (those would be my hubby’s fav authors).

Pretty much at least half the cookbooks I own I purchased myself or were given to me as gifts, but the remaining half were handed down from my Grandmother after she moved to a nursing … Read more...

Elefantito

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Deborah

‘Elefantito‘ is Spanish for ‘Little Elephant’, and this adorable, knitted pachyderm will steal your heart and demand space on your bedside table, take centre stage in your living room, or become a cuddly inspiration on your desk.

I have just finished making this gray woolen softee for the daughter of a client. She is just shy of 2 years old, petite and cute as button and I found myself making it for her after I came across the pattern for it on Ravelry.

All told, I think it took me about 7 hours start to finish (over … Read more...

Next Weeks Menu

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Deborah

For this weekend’s jaunt to the Homestead, I am packing my rubber boots, slicker, rain hat, umbrella, snow shovel, de-icing medium, ice pick and Noah’s Ark that I personally recovered from Mount Ararat…..then it is on to gathering up the critters two by two….

Ok….that may be a stretch on Noah’s Ark, but seriously, the weather has been so dreadful I feel like I have been transplanted to Jolly ‘Ol England this past week. Here’s to hoping the sun makes an appearance soon, my poor garden seedlings are starving for some sunshine!!

Meanwhile, here is next week’s menu, leaning heavily … Read more...

Rain Day

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Deborah

Rainy Day…Rainy Week…Rainy Month of April

Today I am taking a Rain Day,

as I have lots of stuff to do…

But I will be back tomorrow.

Meanwhile…Can You Guess What Kind Of Bird This Is?

Anatomy of A Sock

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Deborah

Yup, this is another blog post about toe smotherers….first, let me preface this by saying that I have not, nor will I ever become a lover of socks, more like…I may actually tolerate them from this point forward now that I have completed 2 knitting torture projects.

Torture project # 1 if you recall was for my daughter. She loves socks, loves them so much she always has to have a gift box full of them under the Christmas tree every year. So it made sense that my first foray into attempting to knit a pair would go to her. … Read more...

Turkey, Carrot and Orange Beet Soup

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Deborah

Don’t let the list of odd ingredients fool you, the flavours of this hearty soup meld beautifully and the addition of the orange beets are a great way to get a serious boost of fiber, potassium and calcium into your diet. Beets are a low-energy dense food, meaning they have a low calorie content for its serving size, and the fiber makes you feel fuller longer as well as aiding in digestion.

Ok…enough of the blah blah blah health benefits of eating beets – just try the recipe out, you will love it!

Turkey, Carrot and Orange Beet Soup

Ingredients… Read more...

Knitted Market Bag

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Deborah

This is one of those projects where size doesn’t matter…or gauge either. It can be knit on any size needles, but obviously, bigger is better to get a nice, large-holed, stretchy lace effect. Combined with sturdy cotton yarn, this market bag will last a long time, replacing the unnecessary and wasteful plastic shopping bags and is washable to boot!

I used up some remaining balls (3) of Bernat’s Handicrafter Cotton in an Apricot/Sand colour and it gives the finished product a nice, self-striping pattern. I used 5.5 mm (U.S. # 9) straight needles for the bag and 4.5 mm (U.S.# … Read more...

Next Week’s Menu

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Deborah

I liked having the menu done early last week, so I will carry it forward to be posted every Friday vs Monday to showcase the following week’s menu….makes it easier for me to plan and shop beforehand too.

This coming weekend is supposed to be damp, so aside from working Saturday, I think Sunday will just be a lounge around in pajamas all day with my knitting ~ and some hot chocolate featuring Bailey’s for a boost….sounds like a good day to me!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Here is next week’s meal inspiration for you….

Recipe Links

Home-Made Pizza Dough… Read more...

Spring Cleaning Your Closet

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Deborah

The sun now rises one hour earlier and the birds are singing at the top of their little lungs, announcing the arrival of Spring and wanting to get on to nest building activities.

We humans have our own rituals every Spring….and one of them is to clean out the closets and get ready for a brand new seasonal wardrobe. But first you have to get rid of the clutter in those closets that is taking up your valuable real estate.

Here are my Top 10 Reasons To Clean Out Your Closet This Spring!

1. You need to make room for … Read more...

The Best of March

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Deborah

The weather in Southern Ontario was anything but stellar for March. I even heard rumours of lynch mobs ready to string up Wiarton Willie for lying about the early arrival of Spring. The weather was for the most part cold, windy and wet, with the sun making rare appearances now and then, teasing us with it yellow glow of tepid warmth.

Here is hoping that April finally sees us getting into the traditional, warm, sunny Spring weather we deserve…. although it seems to be taking a page from the book of March for the first few days so far.

As … Read more...