Paint Party Friday - Anemone Save the Date

Welcome to Paint Party Friday!  I am showing an Anemone Save the Date card I made.  The anemone flower is done in alcohol markers.  We were trying out different designs to use for a wedding invitation suite for daughter L's planned wedding next year.  L has already chosen her favourites for a wedding invitation suite but I thought I would show some of the designs we are not using in my PPF posts. 

Rain's Thursday Art Date - Gates and Fences

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art Date's 'Gates and Fences' theme.  I chose to do one of my favourite types of gates with a fence attached.  I have always loved that curving wood top on the gate.  Apparently it is hard to get wood to bend/curve like that.  This is an ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in alcohol inks on poster paper cut to size.

And here we are at the end of April!

Mind vs Body

 Do you feel this way sometimes?

Riddle

 Any guesses on this fun riddle?

I have left the answer in the comments.

Thoughtful Gifts

Daughter L received these beautiful gifts from a special girlfriend for her upcoming birthday. I thought the wine bottle was so pretty. Her girlfriend designed and printed the 'Bride' sweatshirt as L plans to get married next year.

Two Things

 

Name 2 things which are always within reach beside your bed.  Mine are my smart phone and my eyeglasses.

I'll bet your answers are a bit different and interesting!

Spaghetti with Italian Sausage

 I had some hot Italian sausages and decided to make them with spaghetti.  The dish was so flavourful. First boil some spaghetti in salted water until nearly al dente.  Next, remove the skins from 5 sausages.  It is optional to use hot or mild sausages.  Crumble the sausage meat into a saucepan and brown it.  Add a bottle of your favourite spaghetti sauce and simmer covered for 15 minutes.  Mix in the boiled spaghetti and simmer covered for an additional 5 mins.  Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Paint Party Friday - Horse at the Barn

 Welcome to Paint Party Friday!  This piece is called 'Horse at the Barn', a photo taken by my sister-in-law who owns a horse farm.  It is an ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") on orange poster paper cut to size.  

Rain's Thursday Art Date - Futuristic

Well we woke up to snow yesterday morning, the tulips and daffodils were partially covered with snow.  It didn't last long though.  Spring is like that.

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art Date's 'Futuristic' theme!  This is Quincy the Robot Artist, who I found on Amazon.  He is an educational toy.  My piece is an ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in alcohol ink markers on poster board cut to size.  This review explains a bit about how the futuristic robot teaches little ones how to draw.

Mailchimp email subscriptions instead of Feedburner

I got an email from Google's Feedburner to say they will no longer be supporting email subscriptions to my blog starting in July. Lissa mentioned this upcoming change in her blog recently and I realized I had to make some changes. 

So I have started using Mailchimp email subscription service instead. There are only a handful of people who subscribe to my blog by email but I thought I would keep the option available. They will receive the blog posts emailed to them from Mailchimp now instead of from Feedburner. On the right side of the blog you can subscribe by email too. And I learned something new because I had to!  All of this did require some testing. Hopefully this is a seamless transition.

 

 A sure sign of spring, I noticed this forsythia bush on my walk last week.  It blooms for only a short while, much like cherry blossoms.

And here is a magnolia in bloom, again just for a short while.

Baked Eggs in Peppers

 This is such a pretty low-carb breakfast dish.  It was inspired by Denise's recent recipe using tomatoes.

Cut 3 bell peppers in half lengthwise.  Remove the seeds.   Fill each half with an egg, don't worry if a bit of the white spills out.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper.  Add some shredded cheese and crumbled bacon bits.  Bake at 350F for about 25 mins until the eggs are cooked to your preference.

My family didn't seem to love this dish, but I enjoyed it.  Eggs on vegetables  may be off putting for some.

Birthday Cupcakes

 Son K celebrated his birthday last week.  Daughter L baked him a cake and some lovely cupcakes and got him a present (some workout dumbbells) as pictured above.  My kids love their birthdays, even as adults.

Daffodils

I snapped this photo a week ago, happy to see my daffodils blooming happily!  I have started weeding.  We have to reseed some grass, husband M tried some new grass seed called Vigoro which failed miserably over the winter.  We will go back to the regular brand. 

Toronto is in a lockdown right now until at least May 20th.  Covid here is worse than it has ever been.  Life feels kind of hopeless right now, when will it ever end.  More vaccines are coming into Canada, so hopefully that will help.

 

Breaded chicken breast

 Boneless skinless chicken breasts were on sale at the grocery store so I decided to make breaded chicken breasts.  First I butterflied the chicken breasts, seasoned them with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano and some red pepper flakes.  Then I set up a breading station.  One bowl contained flour, the next bowl contained some whisked egg wash ( a couple of eggs with a bit of milk), the final bowl contained some panko bread crumbs.  First dip a breast in flour to coat, then moisten the breast in the egg dip, finally cover with the breadcrumbs.  After breading the chicken breasts, I sauteed them in canola oil 6 minutes on one side, 5 minutes on the other.  They were perfect!

Paint Party Friday - Raven

 I am sharing a Raven with you for Paint Party Friday.  It is based on a photo I saw at the Canadian Wildlife Federation site. Here are some interesting facts on the Common Raven,  'it is an important inhabitant of our ecosystems, helping nutrient cycling by consuming carrion and controlling prey populations.'

Rain's Thursday Art Date - Coils

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art Date's 'Coils' theme.  I saw a video of someone making Turkish churros spirals, a  delicious dessert.  It is what came to mind when I thought of  'coils'.  This is my ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in permanent markers on poster paper cut to size, showing churros spirals.

Sausage Cheddar Chive Scones

 

Denise posted a recipe for Bacon Cheddar Scallion scones.  I tried it substituting sausage and chives.  They were so good!

2c flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp sugar

4 tbs cold butter cubed

1c diced cheddar cheese

1 tsp dried chives

5 breakfast sausages cut into small pieces

3/4 c + 2 tbs cream

preheat oven to 475 F

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl mix flour, salt, baking powder, sugar.  Add butter, blend with fingers until crumbly.

Stir in cheese, chive, sausages. Stir in cream.  Form a 7 inch disk 3/4" thick.  Cut into 8 wedges.

Bake 22-24 mins until golden brown.

I have a hot older oven so I often use a lower temperature for less time. I have learned to check on the baking at intervals, better to catch items before they  burn.

Using up leftover ham

Last week,  I made this chopped ham almond salad based on a recipe by The Southern Lady.  It was delicious on crackers and made a wonderful filling appetizer.  It also uses 2 cups of ham which is a bonus when you are trying to use up leftover baked ham from Easter.  I substituted dehydrated minced onion (instead of red onion) and chives (instead of garlic powder) in my recipe.

2 c chopped ham

2 hardboiled eggs chopped

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/2c chopped toasted almonds

1/2 c mayonnaise

1 tsp dried chives

1 tsp dehydrated minced onion

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together and serve on crackers. 

Ham with Vegetable Casserole

 

After Easter, I was left with a lot of ham we needed to use creatively.  I found this ham casserole recipe and substituted cauliflower for the potatoes. 

2 c cauliflower florets

1 large carrot sliced

2 celery ribs chopped

water to boil vegetables

2 c cubed ham

1 green pepper chopped

1 onion chopped

7 tbs butter divided

1/4 tbs butter set aside for topping

3 tbs flour

1 1/2 c milk

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/2c breadcrumbs (I used panko)

1/2 tomato sliced

In a saucepan bring cauliflower, carrots, celery to a boil.  Cook for 15 mins and drain.

In a skillet saute 3 tbs butter, onions, green pepper.  When softened mix ham in.

Add the vegetables.

Transfer to a baking dish lined with parchment paper.

Make cheese sauce.  Melt remaining butter, stir in flour until smooth.  Gradually whisk in milk, salt, pepper.  Stir constantly until thickened, about 2 mins.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Add sliced tomato.

Pour over ham mix and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.  Dot with small bits of butter (1/4 tbs).

Bake at 375F for 25-30 mins until browned.

Challah Bread

Daughter L made this delicious challah bread at Eastertime using this recipe.  She is so good, easily braiding 6 strands together.

Vaccinated

 Husband M and I got our first Pfizer shots last Saturday at a local community centre.  I had logged on that morning and saw some appointments available for the 60plus age group and signed us up immediately.  It was a good day.  We were even able to book appointments for our 2nd shots in late July.

At the vaccination site, a young female doctor introduced herself to me asked if I had any allergies.  She asked what I had been up to this little while.  She told me she had been doing a lot of baking and cooking, that she had discovered yeast!  I told her it was the same for me.  She asked what kind of breads I had been baking.  I told her I enjoyed the cinnamon rolls.  She asked if I had any good recipes.  She had heard of Sally's Baking Addiction and King Arthur sites when I mentioned them.  Before long she had professionally vaccinated me and I was on my way to an area to wait for 15 minutes until I could leave.  Husband M said his doctor didn't talk to him that much but seemed very good.

Daughter L was so happy for us she whipped up some celebratory cupcakes.  Did you notice the 2 'syringe' cupcake decorations?

Paint Party Friday - Pineapple

 Welcome to Paint Party Friday!  Thanks to Eva and Kristin for hosting.  I did a Pineapple inspired ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in alcohol ink markers and PITT artist pens. 

Rain's Thursday Art Date - Evening

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art Date's 'Evening' theme!  I did a sunset ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") using Sharpie oil paint markers on poster paper cut to size. 

Easy Victoria Sponge cake

 Daughter L baked us this lovely Victoria Sponge cake based on a Mary Berry recipe.  

My breakfast pita bread pizzas

 I made these breakfast pizzas this past Good Friday.  Catholics are to abstain from eating meat on that day.  We sometimes forget but remembered this time.  

Mix up a packet of hollandaise sauce, I have learned to stir constantly for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens.  Spread the sauce over the pita bread, then sprinkle handfuls of shredded cheese, then bits of scrambled eggs over top.  I also sprinkled some onion powder on for extra flavour.  It bakes up in about 10 minutes at 350F in the oven.

Easter Monday 2021

Wishing you a wonderful Easter Monday!

 

4 Bean pickle soup

 Hope  you are having a wonderful Easter, as well as can be during Covid.

I had a large jar of pickled 4 bean salad pickle that I had bought at Costco awhile back.  I found a recipe for dill pickle soup and decided to alter it using some of my pickled 4 bean salad.  It was quite tasty if you like pickles.  Here is my recipe:

1 900ml box of soup stock 

1 c water

1/2 cauliflower cut into florets

2 small carrots chopped

3 small potatoes peeled and cut into chunks

1 bell pepper cut into chunks

2 c 4 bean pickle including some of the pickle juice

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

In a large pot add broth, water, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, bell pepper, butter. Bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.  Add the pickles and their juice, paprika, red pepper seeds, black pepper, celery salt.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

1/2 tsp paprika

pinch of red pepper seeds

1/2 c unsalted butter

My April 2021 Calendar Page

 Sharing my April 2021 Calendar page with you today.  The quote says:

"April hath put a spring of youth in everything."

- William Shakespeare, "Sonnet XCVIII"

Paint Party Friday - Guatape

 Welcome to Paint Party Friday!  This scene came up on my laptop screensaver of Guatape, Columbia and I did is as an ACEO(2 1/2" x 3 1/2")  in alcohol ink markers. The Rock of Gautape is a famous granite rock that visitors can climb.

Rain's Thursday Art Date - Doorways and Alleys

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art Date!  Here is my 'Doorways and Alleys' ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in permanent markers for you today.