Welcome, welcome! How do you like the new digs? I'll be changing things around here and there as I get to it, but please, make yourself at home.
I'm a little bit late with this recipe; the baby shower and visiting with my sister took up much of my time this week. Better late than never!
These have nothing to do with the mailbox. I picked them this afternoon after work. Also after buying some at the grocery store, since despite all of my ditch-stalking as I drove for work, I hadn't found any. Until right after I paid for some, of course. These ones that I picked are much nicer than the store ones.
This has more to do with the mailbox! Jen, The Wool Fairy, and I did a swap this week. She's right here in Nova Scotia, and has a blog here, and an Etsy shop, here. She makes these adorable wool vegetables, which Phillip loves. The 'salad' (lettuce leaves in the bowl) are today's favourite. I love Jen's presentation, too - especially the stamp on the berry box. Brilliant! Thanks, Jen!
Does this fabric look familiar? The very talented Austen, who had that fantastic project in Canadian Living, made the bag from this material, and was sweet and kind enough to offer to send me some when I gushed over how great I think it is! I can't wait to whip up one of those bags. She's also just started a brand new craft blog, Make & Do, over at Canadian Living. It's definitely worth checking out, especially since there's a giveaway going on over there right now. (I shouldn't even tell you, since I really want that book, but in the interest of being kind, I will.)
I don't often post other people's photos, but a) it's too dark and gloomy to take one of my own tonight, and b) I haven't actually made this yet. The photo is from here. I came across the recipe in The Naturally Scented Home, a book which I was completely pleasantly surprised by. It's definitely worth borrowing from the library, for the information and recipes for herbs and spices for both culinary and beauty purposes. I was especially excited for this one, because it calls for cardamom, my spice du jour. It seems like a wintry, cold-weather kind of recipe, but even though it's April, it fits today perfectly since it's been pouring rain for a few days and I feel soggy around the edges.
The baby shower for my sister last night was lovely. Lots of our family were able to be here, including piles of kids, so it was relaxed and fun and so very, very nice to see everyone. A few times, I just kind of sat back and was delighted to have our house full of people we love, all together to celebrate a brand new little person about to arrive in the world. There is nothing more exciting than that.
Hello, lemon! I think you just might end up in some lemon bars for tomorrow night's baby shower. If I have enough time, that is. If not, maybe I'll use one of these suggestions.
In the course of a search for a perfect little jar for solid perfume (which I did not find), I did find this fantastic little marmalade crock at Grandma's Collectables, a funny little shop near Weymouth with just about everything antique-y and collectable and old that you could imagine. I'm a little bit giddy over it. Next time I go, I want much more time and my camera.
I also found these jars. I know, I know. Why on earth would I need more glass jars? Because these ones have the glass centre piece in the top, along with the metal ring. Fantastic! I have semi-specific plans for these ones, once they've been washed up and moved from the top of the washer.
And I found this cute little biscuit cutter, too.
To use some of my cardamom, I wanted to make something where it would be the main flavour. So I made these cookies. I wasn't expecting the lemony taste that cardamom has. All of the spiciness and warmth, yes, but not that citrus-y tang. It makes sense since it's in the ginger family, and the recipe is pretty good. Not amazing or earth shattering, but definitely decent.
Lastly, we're working away on the kitchen! Adam's sanding the ceiling as I type. The "before" is above, and is now happily covered with new gyproc so that all potential lead is sealed in. It's crackfilled and will be painted tomorrow. A new floor will be installed next week (!), and then we're going to paint the trim and fix all of those little silly things that should have been done long ago. I am SO excited. And then we'll paint the porch, and redo the bathrooms and the spare bedroom...
This bread is hands-down the best bread I have ever eaten. Seriously. And I made it! (I'm as surprised as you.) It's chewy and crusty and airy and perfect. Oh, so crusty! And of course, it's a great vehicle for butter - my first requirement for good bread.1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting
We found out yesterday that we have a niece on the way! My sister is coming to visit next week, and we're hosting a shower, so it was kind of fun to find out that it's a girl before the big event. My Frenchy's senses were tingling when I drove by today (I'm only half-joking) so I popped in for a minute to see what there was to find. I bought this super-fun set of candlesticks, which I think I will put pink candles in and line up on the table.
How exciting! I picked up this table at the Superstore yesterday. I'd had my eye on it for awhile, but since the regular price was $129 and I didn't want to pay that much, I waited. And it paid off - yesterday, I paid $40 for it. Now I can sew downstairs while Phillip is sleeping, without having to unearth all of my sewing things from the corners of the house.
Last night, I whipped up this tote from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing. It took me less than an hour, and I like it! The main fabric is those Frenchy's curtains, and the other two were picked up at La Shoppe Vert. I made the straps longer than the pattern called for, since I wanted to be able to wear it on my shoulder, and next time, I'll add in a lining, as well.
Go pick up the current issue of Canadian Living! There's a fantastic pattern in there for these simple "His and Hers Travel Mates". Don't you adore that fabric combination? And the boxy shape? I do!
Oh, and wait! Whose name is at the top of the page? Austen Gilliland. Wait a minute, didn't she win some soap from me a few weeks ago? Yes, indeed!
Her name's at the beginning of the magazine, too. I feel like I know a celebrity. It's a great pattern, Austen, and I can't wait to make one! Or two, or three.
After breakfast yesterday, I asked Phillip what he would like to do more than anything else in the world.
I also made these scones again yesterday. Yum. Quick and easy. Oh, and I used my new mixer! It works like a dream.
Yes, there are two on this plate, both of which I promptly ate.
I am enjoying A Homemade Life, a birthday gift to myself, very much. It's by Molly from Orangette, and it's a cookbook of sorts. There are plenty of recipes, and each is accompanied by a well-written mini essay on a particular event related to the recipe. I love that it's in (pardon the pun) bite-sized pieces, and I can sit and read one or two and feel satisfied, or if I'm comfy and the tea is good, several. It's definitely worth picking up, and this is one I wouldn't recommend getting from the library, since you'll want to go back and make the recipes again and again.
I found this little sewing case at Value Village this week in Halifax for 99 cents. I couldn't pass it up, especially because of its resemblance to this fantastic place. Don't the blue metal and the font scream 'Brunswick'? There were only two spools of thread worth saving from the things inside, but the case will certainly come in handy.
Look what I bought with some soapmaking money! I think the picture that was chosen for the cover was a dreadful selection. Shells on lampshades? Really, Martha. I'm disappointed. But the rest of the book is excellent, and I have some more things added to my list of crafty projects. Like I need more things on my lists. Good grief.
This is 'La Shoppe Vert'. It's in Concession, near Saulnierville, and there are walls and walls of fabric, sewing and quilting doodads, and some very old groceries.
Ingrid and I went on Sunday afternoon, and we both found some fabric for crafty projects. How happy does she look, clutching her fabric and Blackberry? (The Blackberry was an integral part of me finding fabric to match the curtain material I found at Frenchy's last week, since I didn't think to take it with me. She just looked up my post, and voila, I found some to match! Brilliant.)
La Shoppe Vert is in an old building, and these are the original smoke detectors.
This is down in the basement, where there used to be a bowling alley. Well, it's kind of still there, only under boxes and dust and such.
This is the material I didn't buy so that I would have an excuse to go back.
We had a fantastic lunch at Chez Christophe, where I had never been before. I had fricot, which I had never had before. They have a thing for glass jars, too.
And dessert was apple crisp with ice cream. Yum.
I've been sticking pictures and postcards and past months of this calendar up on the pantry wall. And I haven't gotten tired of it yet! Probably because it's always changing.
See the Bird's Custard Powder can? The owner of La Shoppe Vert gave it to me. I think it's from 1982 or so.
And these are the fantastic new shoes I found at Frenchy's! They're greener than they appear, and are so very comfortable. So comfortable in fact, that I wore them home. Phew! That was a long one. Thanks for tuning in!
I posted this picture on my other blog a few days ago, but thought I would ask you guys, too - what can I make with cardamom? Any ideas, other than chai tea?
My necklaces have been not-so-stylishly stored on hideous plastic dollar store hooks until today. I liked that they were visible and accessible, but the hooks had to go.
So I was really excited to pick up these fun hooks at Wicker Emporium, on sale for $3 each. They look much nicer, and the necklaces won't get whacked by the door when Phillip opens it excitedly, like they did before.
Can you tell that it's raining? Today's pictures are rather dark and drab and slightly blurred, but I'm too impatient to wait until tomorrow to share. I found a couple of very fun things today at Frenchy's when I scooted in for all of two minutes today. That orange thing is a felted wool pot handle cover, and it's perfect for our cast iron pan, which we use just about every day. I've been meaning to make one for about three years, so I thought that I should probably fork out the 25 cents and use this one. It's in the wash, yipee!
And check out this fabric! It's a couple of old curtains, and I love the pattern. I think I'll try making something from this book with it.
Happy weekend!
