This and That & Things In Between

Hi! How are you?!  Where the heck have you been?!!
I have been looking for you everywhere.

I know, I know… I said I was going to be posting *regularly*…but in my defense, there are just too many things happening around here that are keeping me from sitting down to this medium.

This will be a fairly short post, just snapshots of what is happening in the Southern Homestead…

Bob the loom is naked.  It is time to plan the next project now that my table runner is complete although it will be heading to the Northern Homestead as the … Read more...

The Power of Kale

I did it.
I tried something new in the way of food.

I am usually pretty good in the food department.  Comes from loving to eat I guess, but there are some things in this world that I had not tried yet and Kale was one of them.

I discarded it as a ‘healthy-therefore-it-must-taste-awful’ vegetable.  But I admit when I am wrong and today is one of those days.

Kale isn’t just a healthy vegetable – it is a Super-Duper Healthy Vegetable that has the power to lower cholesterol better than Doctor prescribed medicines (if you want, you can read … Read more...

The First Full Day Of Spring

Is finally, thankfully here.  The sun is up, the sky is clear, but as I stick my nose out the door to check the air, it breaks the magical Spring spell that make up my thoughts.

It is %$#&@ COLD!

The lengthy, cold winter just doesn’t seem to want to go away, regardless of the date on the calendar.  The weather forecast is for another storm tonight, bringing rain, freezing rain and snow as the temperatures drop overnight.  I really didn’t need to hear that this morning.

As I sit with my tea looking out the front window, I surveyed … Read more...

Cake In A Mug

I had a craving the other day.  A chocolate craving.  I didn’t feel like raiding the bag of mini chipits in the fridge, so I went hunting on-line for something chocolatey and gooey that I could make from said mini chipits.

That was when I stumbled on this thing called Cake in a Mug.

Really? Cake in a Mug? Ready to eat in under 2 minutes?

I was sold.

There are actually plenty of recipes to choose from and I am beside myself that I haven’t found this type of crazy dessert sooner.  So I reviewed a few and decided … Read more...

Bathroom On A Truck

This post is an update on our bathroom reno.  Technically, there really isn’t anything to *update* other than we are in possession of our building permit and have one wall framed.

It isn’t for the lack of time or effort that we haven’t moved that quickly.  We were waiting for the permit and my plumber to come back from vacation.  Now that he has returned from some sunny, hot place that I am jealous of, he can get to work busting open the basement floor to install new connections for the commode and sink.  Afterwards, with the subsequent inspection and … Read more...

Patience is a Virtue

I wish you could just head to the store and buy as much patience as was needed for any given project or situation.  It would be a heck of a lot easier than trying to muster up your own patience…especially when one doesn’t have very much to begin with.

I have boatloads of patience in my chosen career, but apparently it doesn’t transfer over to my extra-curricular activities.  Take this new hobby of mine ~ weaving.  Like with anything new, you are all gaga over it and want to see things made before your eyes instantly.

But weaving (like knitting) … Read more...

WIP’s & FO’s

Have you missed me?  I know I have missed sitting down here writing out my thoughts but life just seems to be getting in the way of my writing these days.  I will try to become a little more regular…emphasis being on the word ‘try’.

Now I am sure you are asking.. “What the hell are WIP’s and FO’s?”.  Well,  WIP’s are “Work-In-Progress” and FO’s are “Finished Objects”.  Acronyms of the fiber/craft world and I am sure many other pursuits either hobby related or career related.

I have a lot of both going on right now.  Actually, I think there … Read more...

Rajas con Crema

The other day I hosted a luncheon with some real estate associates and the theme was Mexican (what else?!).  One of the side dishes featured was Rajas con Crema (Rajas is pronounced “Ra-Has”) which translates to “Strips with Cream”, a luscious Mexican side dish that doesn’t look very appetizing, but the flavour more than makes up for it.

I first tasted this dish in Mexico when I attended a one day cooking class with a Mexican Chef at The Little Mexican Cooking School in Puerto Morelos a few years ago.  It was a fantastic experience where I came away with … Read more...

Old Man Winter…

Can go blow.

Today is March 5th and the first day of Spring is 15 days off but apparently the ol’ grump is determined to hang around as long as possible, making us all in his path absolutely miserable.

old man winterI was heading to bed last night and looked out the front window to see large, fat snowflakes falling silently in the glow of the street lamp.  Early on in winter, I would have been happy to see the serene moment….not now though.  I cursed loudly and grumbled my way up to bed.

This morning I awoke to Mr. Cardinal singing … Read more...