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Thursday 31 March 2011

Peas n' Carrots

Waking up --- wide awake!  I haven't had this happen to me in a while but it did this morning, around 5am after a dream that felt very real. Don't know if it the fact that in my dream my husband and I divorced, I remarried and I think the guy wanted me to have more children...ya like that was going to happen...told him that in my dream too. Maybe it was the thought of having another child that woke up me the way I did. Wait till I tell my hubby about this dream....good thing he has a good sense of humor, I know he will get a good chuckle at my expense. In the words of Forrest Gump; We're like Peas n' Carrots, we go together. The new husband in my dream looked like Dr. Drew not sure why! I have only seen him on TV a few times, and I never thought of him as good looking, not that he isn't but never gave it a thought. Strange how our minds work. So I wonder what does this dream really mean....or was it nothing more than just a dream.



Corinne~

Monday 28 March 2011

Time With Family & New Recipes

With this job that my husband is doing we don't see him very much as he is working weekends....so he is home on Sunday's for the evening. Basically he his home to do laundry for the week and then off again. I will be glad when this bridge is DONE!

Yesterday I decided to try a couple of new recipes for supper...they were a hit. As I was prepping for supper I said to my youngest...why don't you see if we have everything to make those cupcakes you wanted to try. We were missing a couple of ingredients so I sent her off to town to pick them up. Meagan suddenly was on Dessert duty! With my new kitchen layout there was plenty of room for the two of us together without stepping on each other. Michael and Brittany were also home so we had a wonderful sit down meal as a family...first one since after Christmas where we were all together.

On the menu was Lazy Perogy Casserole, BBQ Slow Cooker Meatballs, Shake n' Bake Chicken, Corn & Garden Salad. Dessert was Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow from Martha Stewart's recipe collection. Very sinful, if you love Chocolate......you will love these cupcakes.  Click HERE to go to the recipe.

SLOW COOKER BBQ MEATBALLS

2 lbs of meatballs (made from your favorite recipe browned or frozen)
1 cup each of finely diced onions, carrots & celery
1 can (213 ml or 7.5 oz) Tomato Sauce
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup each brown sugar and water
1 pkg of Club House Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning Mix

Add meatballs to slow cooker.  Add vegetables to slow cooker.  Combine tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, water and  Seasoning Mix together.  Pour over meatballs and vegetables.

Cover, cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.


LAZY PEROGY CASSEROLE

15 lasagna noodles (not oven ready)
2 cups cottage cheese (I used Ricotta Cheese) 
1 egg 
1/4 tsp onion salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cups mashed potatoes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion salt
dash of pepper (I used fresh ground pepper)
butter for sauteing the onions
1 cup chopped onions sauteed
Note:  I fried up 1 lb chopped bacon and another onion to use on the bottom of the pan an on top of the last row of lasagna noodles.


Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package. 
Spread half of bacon/onion mixture on the bottom of your 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  Lay a layer of noodles over the mixture.
Mix cottage cheese, egg, 1/4 tsp onion salt together.  Spread over noodles.  Cover with another layer of noodles.
Mix mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, 1/4 tsp onion salt, pepper and sauteed onions together.  Spread over noodles.  Cover with another layer of noodles.
Cover top layer of noodles with remainder of bacon/onion mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes in 350 F oven.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Serve with Sour Cream and grated cheddar cheese.


It was nice to have my entire family together. 



Corinne~

Sunday 27 March 2011

Running Late

Yesterday I went out to help my dear friend Karen celebrate her 29th Birthday - once again.  As it seems to happen every time I plan to leave by a certain time something goes wrong.....it all started after I filled up with gas.  I decided I should get my vehicle washed.  So I bought a car wash, a drink, a couple of BINGO scratch n' win tickets (I won $3) and got in line for the car wash, well by the time I realized how long it would be in this line within 3 minutes of pulling in, I decided I will come back another day after all I have 30 days to use the car wash coupon.  This is when I realized I was stuck here as I had 2 or 3 vehicles behind me and they have it set up once you are in line you are in line there is no place to pull out.  So there I sat for close to 1 hr waiting for my turn in the wash bay.  I have groceries in the back as well so I ran the air conditioning to keep the vehicle cool as the sun coming through the windows was quite warm.

Once at home as I was going to jump in the shower my Aunt from Vernon phones....so I tell her I will call her back when I am done in the shower....at the same time I notice an email from a person that was inquiring about my family tree...turns out this person is my 2nd cousin and lives 1.5 hrs from me.  So I decide to quickly phone my Aunt in Kamloops to tell her I had heard back from this person. I had one of the quickest phone conversations with my Aunt as we usually have a wonderfully long visit on the phone......so while in the shower I hear the phone ringing and it my other Aunt from Vernon....I call her back and we have a wonderful visit on the phone.  So buy now I am really running late.....so I get ready as quickly as I can....call Karen let her know I am on my way.....here I am thinking I am going to be holding things up as I thought we were to eat around 6pm......good thing others ended up being late and Karen pushed supper back to around 8pm.  My whole intention was to get to her house a couple hours ahead of everyone else so we could have some time to visit, which in the end we had the time for a nice visit.

Of course I was running late....missed the florists (should have gone when I was grocery shopping) forgot to grab my camera bag which was on the counter waiting for me to grab it (didn`t realize it until I was pulling into Birch Hills now I am 40 minutes from home so I am not running back for it.

Oh by the way Karen LOVED her birthday card.  I was pretty sure she would.....she loved it so much she showed to every guest that arrived and told them Corinne made this.....I was so proud of my work but even more proud and happy that I had touched Karen`s heart in such a special way.  Hand made gifts are such wonderful gifts that come from the heart and give a bit of yourself with each one.

When ever Karen and I get together we like to try a new drink....a while back it was the Cotton Candy Cosmo and last night it was the Porn Star.  Here are the recipes in case you would like to try them....I highly recommend either one.

Cotton Candy Cosmo

1/2 oz Sour Puss Rasberry Liqueur
1 1/2 oz Green Apple Vodka
1 oz Cranberry Juice
Pink Cotton Candy

Put the cotton candy in the martini glass. Put the rest of the ingredients in a shaker and shake well.  Pour cocktail over the cotton candy, it dissolves instantly so present the glass before pouring.  Garnish with a cherry.

PornStar Cocktail

1/2 oz Sour Puss Rasberry Liqueur
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
4 - 6 oz 7-up or Sprite
Pour Sourpuss and Curacao into a shaker glass with ice. Add 7-up or Sprite, stir, strain, and serve in a highball glass.  (We used Martini glasses and crushed ice in the glass)


The next drink we want to try is the Dirty Hooker Cocktail.... We are always looking for a new drink to try out...so if you know of any let me know in the comments section.

Dirty Hooker Cocktail

1/2 oz Sour Puss Raspberry Liqueur
1/2 oz Bols Creme de Bananes
1 oz Pineapple Juice

Pour in equal parts into a shot glass, stir and serve.


Enjoy the drinks if you ever decide to try them....highly recommend each one of them.


Corinne~

Saturday 26 March 2011

Happy Happy Birthday!

This past Monday my dear friend Karen celebrated her 29th birthday again....for some reason that girl doesn't seem to get any older with each birthday.  So this evening she is having a gathering of a few friends at her brother's place for a BBQ and drinks.  I am the type of person that can't go empty handed and I had the time on Friday afternoon to make a card for Karen......me being the perfectionist that I am it took me 3+ hours to make this card, okay that included the time it took me to gather my materials for the card.

This is my first attempt at making a twisted Easel Card....definitely going to make more cards using this style.  If you would like to try this style of card yourself and not sure where to start...Pam over at Expressions With Heart has a great tutorial, click HERE.  Pictures of each step, which she explains very well too.  Easy Peasy!

For my card I used Tilda With Balloon from the Magnolia You're So Special Collection. I colored her with Copic markers. The DP is digital paper that I printed off a while back and the cardstock is ColorMates. The silver glitter paper is something I picked up at the Dollar Store. Satin ribbon is from my stash, the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the green branches were punched with Martha Stewart punch. My balloon was cut with the small balloon die from from Whimsy Stamps. When I seen these dies I had to have them to go with Tilda with Balloon. The sentiment is a fee stamp I received a while back, I thought is was the perfect sentiment for Karen.



Close up of Tilda!

 

Copics used are:
Skin - E000, E00, E02 & R20
Hair - E25, E31, E35 & E55
Dress, Socks & Hair Bow - BV000, BV02, BV04 & BV07
Balloon - RV00, RV10 & RV21
Boots - E25, E35, E29 & E59


I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Just Magnolia - Week 99 Eyes Down
its time to play Bingo 
I used Gems (Pearls), Flowers and Ribbon for a diagonal straight line.

Friday Sketchers - Sketch #147

On my way through town to Karen's I am going to stop at the florist.....hopefully they have both a purple and white rose that I can put with her card.


Corinne~

Friday 25 March 2011

Vintage Tilda - Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long Blog Hop

Where has March gone?  Hard to believe that it is the 25th of the month already and that means it is time for the Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long Blog Hop.  If you arrived here from Cordine's blog then you are on the right track.  If you happened to arrive here on your own, click HERE to go to the start of the blog hop where you will find a list of all the participants, you don't want to miss any of the fab projects.

Diana over at Magnolia-licious has a great selection of stamps and everything Magnolia. Oh and the service is wonderful too.  If you don't see what you are looking for just drop Diana an email, she will help you the best she can.  Diana also carries the Mini Magnolia Line of stamps...they are so adorable too.  The Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long is a part of the MAGNOLIA-licious Yahoo group, for more information on the group or if you are interested in joining click HERE


Once again I used a brown lunch bag for the base of my card...I really like the idea of making cards with these, not only are you sending a card but you put a small gift of photos, stamped images or even a letter with your card in the back pouch...duel purpose.

My card features Tilda With Vintage Roses (which is currently out of stock and on re-order).  I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink to stamp her on Cryogen White (available from Paper Temptress), this is one of my favorite card stocks for coloring images.  This paper has a beautiful shimmer to it that shows through your coloring mediums.  Hope you can see the shimmer the photo, it really adds a beautiful touch to your images and cards.

At the last minute I added a strip of White Satin Ribbon to the side of the card by the pearls, it really adds a nice touch to the card.  The diamonds are cut with my Spellbinders Nestabilities Dies then outlined with Crystal stickles.


The tag on the inside of the card is from a sheet that I picked up at our local scrapbook store.....the verse is from The Night Before Christmas!  The diamond is cut using my Spellbinders Nestabilities Die.  I haven't had chance to add a sentiment to the inside of the card, I am thinking I may just write it in myself at Christmas time, giving it a more personal touch.


The roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts with petals edged with Crystal Stickles.  They really sparkle nicely on the card.  You can never have too much sparkle.  The roses I used are 25mm, 20mm and 10mm.  I used MS Pine Branch punch for the greenery behind the roses.

I colored my image with Copics as follows:
     Skin:  E000, E00, E01, R20
     Hair:  E25, E35, E50
     Dress:  R35, R37, R39, R59, C00, C1, C3, C5
     Tilda's Tights:  RV000, RV10, C1
     Roses:  R81, R83, R85, G85, G94

.......now it's time to hop on over to see what the very talented Danielle has to show you.  I am sure it will be fabulous.

I am also entering my card into the following challenges:
A Spoon Full of Sugar - Ribbon, Pearls/Rhinestones and Flowers
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Its A Mom Thing (or Just Be Girlie)
The Shabby Tea Room - BINGO (Gems (Pearls), Glitter/Glimmer (Stickles) & Ribbon (Satin Ribbon strip)


Thanks so much for stopping by!
Have a wonderful day!





Corinne~

Thursday 17 March 2011

Where is the Time Going

I would have thought I would have had more time to color and make some cards with burning days off from work but feels like I just get up and have coffee and the day is over......Have been busy catching up with other things around the house....taking my daughter to the dentist to have her wisdom teeth removed....dog sitting on top it all.

We had the final inspection for the EnerGuide Program on Monday...so now we wait and see what the differences are and how much of a rebate we get back.  Hoping that the province continues to keep this program up and running.....a nice incentive for people that have to do some household repairs to make their home more energy efficient.  I have heard that there is a possibility that they will extend the program in the provincial budget this year.  As it stands now the program ends March 31, 2011. 

I have also been spending time processing digital images taken at the Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race in February.  I shot my images in both high resolution JPEG and RAW formation....good thing as I had a number of them that ended up over exposed.  I wish I had purchased my new camera lens at least 2 months in advance not 2 weeks as I would have had a better feel for the lens.

Hoping that I can get back to my card making soon....I do have a few images colored up just need to assemble them into cards.  Still planning to keep up with my Christmas Card a month.....will have February's and March's to show you soon.

To get a better feel for my new camera lens I am thinking about embarking on a 30 Day Challenge that I plan to start on Monday March 21st.  Where I take at least a photo a day....I am working out the particulars of how I want to do this....keep posted to see the photos.

Corinne~

Tuesday 8 March 2011

Spring Is Coming

Even though it doesn't feel like it, Spring is coming.  It will be here before we know it.....our mornings are frigidly cold and by afternoons the temperature has warmed up considerably.  This morning I realized that I am no longer driving and arriving at work in the dark.  Yippee!! It is so nice to be able to drive to work in day light and come home in daylight.  I would say this is a sign that spring is coming.....seems to be taking its sweet ole time but never the less it is coming.  I am looking forward to being able to get out for walks with my camera and capture some of the signs of spring as they happen........the crocus's in bloom and the pussy willows and the birds as they arrive back from their vacation down south.


Corinne~

Friday 4 March 2011

So Far Behind

I am so far behind in catching up with my emails....with my house work...with my stamping....so far behind that I am starting to think I am first.....

Wow a week away with limited time on the computer things sure can pile up....Wednesday I was with my daughter at the dentist...she has two wisdom teeth pulled and in two weeks get the other two pulled out.  Poor girl was absolutely terrified to go to the dentist.....she did really well. My 19 yr old turned into a 9 yr old the minute we walked into the dentist office....don't think she will be as nervous in two weeks.  So Wednesday afternoon/evening/night and Thursday was movie time for us.....

My other daughter has been having nightmares almost nightly so I was on dream catcher duty this week....finished up her dream catcher last night....so tonight the test will start and see if the dream catcher will make a difference.  I hope for her it does as she doesn't want to go to sleep at night because she doesn't want to dream.  

Tonight my daughters and I are gathering for Chinese supper.....and evening with my two girls....couldn't end the week any better than that.

Corinne~