Corinne's Place

Vegan Pot Pie

2011-11-17T06:01:00.000-06:00

Pie Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup ice water (approx.)

Filling

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 unit onion, diced
2 small Yukon Gold potatoes (about 320 g), peeled and diced
2 unit carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups plain soy beverage
4 unit meatless chicken breast portions (about 450 g), chopped
1 cup frozen peas

Pie Dough

Place flour, baking powder and salt in food processor; process until combined. Add oil; pulse on and off until combined. Pulsing on and off, gradually add ice water through feed tube until soft dough forms. Form into a ball. Flatten into disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 30 minutes.

Filling

Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, carrots, garlic, sage, thyme, salt and pepper; cook for 2 minutes longer. Stir in flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually stir in soy beverage and ½ cup (125 mL) water, stirring constantly. Add meatless chicken breasts and peas; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cook for 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to 11 x 7-inch (2 L) glass baking dish. Cool slightly.
Meanwhile, on lightly floured surface, roll out pie dough to scant 13 x 8 inch (33 x 20 cm) rectangle. Place over filling, pinching to form decorative border around edge. Cut out 1 inch (2.5 cm) circular vent in centre. Bake in centre of oven until golden brown on top, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Corinne~

Grilled Chicken Grenades

2011-11-16T06:10:00.000-06:00

4 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili pepper powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 unit boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 500 g
1 package sliced Havarti cheese 170 g
1 package sodium-reduced bacon 500 g
1/2 cup drained pickled jalapeño slices
2 tablespoons apple jelly
2 tablespoons hot pepper jelly

In small bowl, stir together paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, chipotle powder, oregano, thyme and garlic powder. Measure out ¼ cup (50 mL) to use in grenades. Store remaining in tightly covered jar.
Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil.
Cut chicken breasts lengthwise into thin slices, about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. Set aside. Cut cheese slices into strips the same width as bacon slices. Lightly dust another baking sheet with 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the spice rub. Place half of bacon slices on baking sheet, side by side. Top each bacon slice with a chicken strip and a cheese strip. Place one jalapeño ring at one end of each; roll into pinwheels. Secure each with a toothpick. Redust baking sheet with another 2 tbsp (25 mL) spice rub and repeat with remaining bacon, chicken, cheese and jalapeño rings.
Stand grenades up on foil-lined baking sheet (not on their sides). Bake in centre of oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in 1 cup (250 mL) glass measuring cup, combine two jellies; microwave on HIGH for 20 to 30 seconds or until melted. Remove grenades from oven and brush with jelly mixture. Either return to oven for 10 minutes longer or transfer to barbecue preheated to medium heat to crisp for 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve warm.

Corinne~

Recipe To Riches

2011-11-12T10:58:00.000-06:00

The Food Network has a new show called Recipe to Riches. This show gives one Canadian a chance to win $250,000. Each week there is a different food category and one winner is chosen from that episode and that winner takes home $25,000. After all the finalists are chosen it is up to Canada to vote for the Grand Prize Winner of $250,000. Not only do they win the $25,000 their recipe is featured as a new product for Loblaw Grocery stores across Canada. If first heard of this show two weeks ago when my daughter and her boyfriend were talking about Chicken Grenades on facebook. My first thought was shooting dead chickens out of a potato gun, so I figured I best ask what Chicken Grenades were. My daughter and her boyfriend told me about these tasty morsels and how good they were, which made me want to try them. They were also confident that they could re-create them as they made notes as they watched the show.

So the next time I was in SuperStore I picked up a box of Chicken Grenades and all I can say is YUMMY!! If you like spicy you'll enjoy these.

Earlier in the day I was reading the latest copy of President's Choice Insider Report that is packed with lots of ideas for entertaining and noticed that there was a website for a recipe in the report. So after checking out the Presidents Choice website I found the recipes from the show Recipe To Riches.

Week 1 winner is Luscious Lemon Pudding Cake created by Glo McNeill --- her recipe can be found HERE

Week 2 winner is Peach Bliss created by Jacqui Keseluk --- here recipe can be found HERE

Week 3 winner is Chicken Grendes created by John Grass --- his recipe can be found HERE

Week 4 winner is Hazelnut Stew With Sweet Potato Bannock created by Melaney Gleeson-Lyall --- her recipe can be found HERE

I have my PVR set to record all new episodes of the show so I don't miss any more of the episodes. There are only 4 more left.

Corinne~

Up Close with a Coyote

2011-11-08T06:19:00.001-06:00

On our trip back home from Meadow Lake we came across what I believe is the same Coyote that we seen a couple of days earlier. He was in the same area and the markings were very close to being the same. Once again I was provided the opportunity to get some really nice close shots of this beautiful guy.

I love how this photo below catches him in the start of a what looks like a pounce.

Was so lucky to catch this beautiful close up of him. He was not afraid of me that is for sure, more curious than anything. Especially with every noise he heard from the camera focusing.

Corinne~

Flying G Alpacas

2011-11-07T06:00:00.025-06:00

A friend of mine raises Alpacas. On my recent trip to Meadow Lake, she invited me out for supper and a visit. I was thrilled as I really wanted to see her place and her Alpacas. So with camera in tow I was off for a visit.

Their hair is so soft and warm when you put your hands inside their coats. The colors are beautiful. The sun was setting fast so I was limited on light. Definitely want to go for another visit with better light and get some more pictures. They sure move around fast but beautiful animals.

So upon my departure I left with 6 skeins of Lopi yarn - 70% Alpaca 30% Merino in different colors to make myself and my two girls a pair of mittens for the winter.

For more information on Flying G Aplacas click HERE

Corinne~

Meadow Lake Pulp Mill

2011-11-06T06:50:00.001-06:00

On our recent trip as we got closer to Meadow Lake the sky was darker and darker with rain, the sun was setting and it provided for a great opportunity to get some shots of the mill as we were coming into town.

I love the darkness of the trees in the foreground and the contrast of the exhaust against the sky with setting sun on the horizon.

Corinne~

Coyote

2011-11-05T07:45:00.012-06:00

We ran across this beautiful Coyote between Green Lake and Meadow Lake. So glad that we stopped so I could get some photos.

Checking both ways for traffic before crossing the highway!

Safe to cross!

I really like his coloring with the black and white on his back. Enjoyed watching him watch us.

Corinne~

White Tail Deer

2011-11-04T11:43:00.001-06:00

Last week I had the opportunity to travel up to Meadow Lake for work for 3 days. The timing was both good and bad....the bad was I was fighting off a bad cold and probably should have stayed at home and the good is that it was a few days after the photography workshop I took the weekend before going to Meadow Lake. I was excited about the drive up as there is usually a variety of wildlife along the way. As it turned out we did see some wildlife which provided opportunities for me to get some good photographs.

Was very lucky to get some great shots of some White Tail Deer that didn't run off to the bush as soon as we stopped along the edge of the road.

When I captured this photo of the 2 yearlings grazing I didn't realize I had the front deer in the frame until after I snapped this photo. I do like the perspective it gives.

This one of the two deer is one of my favorite shots of the trip. I like how the light is soft and lightly blurred in the foreground and how I caught the back deer as he was grazing just inside the tree line.

Corinne~

French Toast Muffins

2011-10-29T06:39:00.000-06:00

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups1% milk

1/3 cupsugar

1 tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 tspground cinnamon

10 slices Multi Grain Bread, cubed

1 cup frozen Mixed Fruit (strawberry, raspberry & blackberry)

2 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until well combined. Add cubed bread and toss gently until the egg mixture is absorbed. Add berries and toss gently to combine.

Divide muffin mixture evenly into a greased muffin tin and drizzle with maple syrup. Bake in the centre of a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 25 min.

Cool completely then wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a resealable plastic bag or container to freeze.

To reheat frozen muffins, remove plastic wrap and place in microwave on defrost for 1 min. If desired, drizzle warm muffins with a little more maple syrup before serving.

Corinne~

Biscotti

2011-10-28T10:35:00.000-06:00

Did you know? Biscotti (pronounced bee-SKAWT-tee) are popular Italian cookies that have been baked twice — first as a loaf, and then a second time sliced — until they are crisp.

Fibre 1~ Power Biscotti

2 cups FIBRE 1 Original cereal, crushed
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup large flaked or quick- cooking oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup finely chopped apricots
2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Combine crushed cereal with flour, sugar, oats, almonds, apricots and baking powder in a large bowl.

In another bowl, combine eggs, oil and extracts. Mix well. Stir into Fibre 1* mixture until well blended (dough will be dry and crumbly).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a log about 8-inches (20 cm) long and 3-inches (7.5 cm) wide. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from baking sheet; cool 10 minutes on cooling rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Cut each log into 1/2- inch (1 cm) slices. Place on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Turn biscotti over and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Cool 5 minutes; remove from baking sheet. Cool completely on cooling rack.

Corinne~

Sittin Tilda with Candy ~ Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long

2011-10-25T05:28:00.025-06:00

Wow here it is already the 25th of October.....OMG there is only 60 days left till Christmas Day. Where has this year gone too? Since it is the 25th of the month it's once again time for the Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long Blog Hop.

For all my Magnolia needs I head on over to Diana's shop Magnolia-licious. If you don't see something you are looking for just pop Diana a quick email and she will do her best to help you out. Diana has the best selection of everything Magnolia in North America - serving both Canada and the United States.

Once again I am participating in 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 just happened to stop by and you want to follow the Blog Hop head on over to the Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long blog by clicking HERE to start at the beginning. The other participants in the blog hop are very talented and I am sure you will enjoy what they have to share with everyone.

Now on to my latest Christmas Card. I got this cute little Sitting Tilda with Candy in an image swap.... Following along with the style of the previous Christmas cards, this card is made with the brown lunch bag as the base and built up from there. I chose to go with Pink and Green for the colors of the card.

I haven't had chance to add a verse to the inside of the card just yet.

A close up of Tilda colored with Copics.

The image was colored up a while back and I can't find the paper I wrote the Copic numbers down on.

The roses and rose buds are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed seeing my latest Christmas card. Now it is time to keep on hopping along, from here you head on over to see what the talented Glenda has to share with you.

Corinne~

Photography Bucket List

2011-10-21T08:53:00.004-06:00

TGIF........

This weekend TGIF means something more than just the weekend is here....it means that tomorrow I get to attend a photography workshop that I have been anxiously awaiting since August. Greg Johnson, Saskatchewan's own Tornado Hunter/Storm Chaser/Photographer is coming to town to put on a photography workshop. I have owned my Digital SLR for 3 years now and still struggle with all the settings. I force myself to shoot in Manual Mode or AV Mode so that I can try and learn what I am actually doing and why but most of my pictures have been by sheer luck more than anything. I don't fully understand the settings and why I am using them. What I do know is from reading books, magazines or on line articles. So having someone provide the opportunity to learn hands on....is exactly what I need.

Check out Greg's website Tornado Hunter by clicking HERE His photos are amazing and so inspiring.

I love photography, especially landscape photography. I am always looking for photo opportunities when I am out and about.

There are a few things are on my list to photograph. Some that I can do right from home others I will need to travel for.

My Photography Bucket List

Northern Lights
Lightening
Polar Bears
Nistowiak Falls in Winter (have shot these once already, but want to return to shoot them again after my photography workshop with Greg)
Nistowiak Falls in Summer
Water falls at Wells Grey Provincial Park in BC
Winter scenes
Many of the beautiful places right here in Saskatchewan
Canada Goose with new babies
Grizzly Bears in BC
Bald Eagle in trees or even in a nest....
Beautiful sunsets
Beautiful sunrises
Canadian Animals in the Wild - this is on going
Animals in the wild in Africa ie: Zebra, Giraffe, Elephants, Hippos etc. (Basically an African Safari)
and a tropical location
Castles

These are a few of photography bucket list items...some of them correspond to my Bucket List.

Corinne~

Crafing Heaven

2011-10-20T13:46:00.000-06:00

Michaels recently opened here in Prince Albert. I have been waiting for many years for them to come to PA...it is like my dream come true for crafting stores. So Tuesday after work I made my way to the Cornerstone shopping area and walked through those doors for the first time. It was like the bright light was calling my name telling me my time has come and the doors opened and I was in crafting heaven.

I spent two hours walking the aisles of the store, spending most of my time in the scrapbooking section. Oh how nice it will be to be able to pick this and that when I need it, instead of waiting to make a trip to Saskatoon. One of the best finds for me was that Michaels now carry COPICS....yes that is right they have Copic Sketch Markers. The selection is limited as they are trying them for 6 months to see how well they go over. The sad things is most of the staff that I have spoke with the last couple of days don't realize what wonderful markers these little gems are. So once I tell them how nice they are to color with and that you can color not only stamped images but you can color your ribbon and lace to match the theme they become even more eager to know more. I have told these ladies to go on line and just google Copic markers and offered to bring in a couple of my colored stamped images that they can use on display so that people have an idea of what Copic markers are all about...there is a method to my madness in this matter....I want to see them carry the full line or at the very least a much fuller line and the refills for the Copic markers.

Yes I think I landed in heaven.....or another comparison is like a kid in a candy story - look out!!

Corinne~

Little Oasis On the Prairie ~ Part VI

2011-10-19T15:49:00.000-06:00

Well this past weekend I purchased a used aquarium, which also came with 4 rather large gold fish. So once I got them settled back into the aquarium in the new home it was time to start draining the pond. First thing I did was bring in my water lily and other aquatic plants I want to try my hand at over wintering. I am hoping I can over winter all of them that I brought but but mainly my fingers are crossed for my water lily. So once they were in and put to bed in a fridge in the basement, it was time to catch the fish. Well this can be a challenge when you don't have a proper net.....okay I thought I had one from years back, but needless to say it was no where to be found. Good thing the fish in the pond were fairly dormant, made it easier for me to catch them. So the were transferred to a large tub of pond water and brought in the house to slowly adjust the temperature of the water to room temperature. 24 hrs later they were moved to their new home in the aquarium.

So out of the total of 12 fish that I bought for the pond this spring - 4 Shubkins, 2 Fantails and 6 gold fish only 6 survived. 1 of the 4 Shubkins survived, 1 Fantail and 4 goldfish survived. Most died within a few days of them coming home except for 2 of the gold fish - they died a couple of months later. So for next spring I now have 10 fish for the pond. I might pick up another Shubkin and Fantail before spring. Oh and all 5 snails that I put into the pond survived and no baby snails that I could see either.

So now I am awaiting spring so I can set up the pond again and enjoy my morning coffee on the deck listening to the sound of the water. With a few modifications the pond will be up in running as soon as the weather is nice enough.

Corinne~

Martin Short

2011-10-17T12:21:00.000-06:00

Sunday evening was date night for my husband and I. We went out for supper to Zorba's Family Restaurant. The food is really good there and the service from our experience has always been good. After supper we headed over to the E.A. Rawlinson Center for the Performing Arts to see Martin Short. Our son won tickets at work on Friday and wasn't able to attend the performance so he gave them to his dad and I.

What a wonderful Canadian performer. This man has gone along ways with his career. He performed many of his impersonations that he has done over the years. He portrayed Ed Grimley, Giminy Glick and Franck the Wedding Planner to name a few. He also did his impression of Katherine Hepburn, Liz Taylor, Richard Burton and even Betty Davis. He had the audience in stitches throughout his 1 and half hour performance.

He even performed a couple of songs including this one you can see on YouTube - "goodbye al qaeda's rose" performed not that long ago on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Martin ended the evenings performance with a tribute to a few other Canadians that made their way to the United States with their acting skills and have become famous entertainers such as Donald Sutherland & his son Keifer, Howie Mandel, Keanu Reeves and Eugene Levy to name a few.

Then ended with

Oh! Canada, We Stand On Guard For Thee

A wonderful performance given by a very very talented Canadian - Martin Short. If you love Comedy and you ever have the chance to see him perform live, you should go.

Corinne~

Spicy Beef With Shrimp and Bok Choy

2011-10-13T15:33:00.002-06:00

1/4 cup(s) rice wine
1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoon cornstarch
4 teaspoon canola oil
3/4 pounds sirloin steak
1/4 teaspoon red pepper crushed
10 large raw shrimp
1 pounds bok choy

1. Whisk rice wine, oyster sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add beef and crushed red pepper to taste; cook, stirring, until the beef begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add shrimp and continue to cook, stirring, until the shrimp is opaque and pink, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Transfer the beef, shrimp and any juices to a plate.

4.Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat in the same pan. Add bok choy and cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture.

5. Return the beef-shrimp mixture to the pan and cook, stirring, until heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 1 minute.

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 204, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 384mg, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Total Fat: 8g, Carbs: 6g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Protein: 22g

Corinne~

Kindness of Others

2011-10-12T12:12:00.001-06:00

Yesterday morning my daughter's two house dogs and yard dog escaped out of her backyard. They made fast time in a couple of minutes. The guy that was there from Rotor-Rooter felt so bad that they had escaped, he said he felt a bit responsible for the escape. We all reassured him that it wasn't his fault that the large dog had figured our how to open the gate and they were off.

First place my daughter called was the local SPCA, gave them descriptions of the dogs and they said they would call if they showed up. We checked all the places we could think that they might go but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

I called the vet clinic to see if anyone had called them as Rabies tag has the clinic name and number and the unique ID number to trace the dog if they are found by someone.

A few different calls had gone into the SPCA with sightings of the dogs, the SPCA in turn would call my daughter to give the location to the sighting. She was always behind them. Then she got a call from a friend that seen them by the 7-Eleven. Once again they were ahead of my daughter by about 20 minutes, she decided to start looking around the area when the SPCA called to tell her Abby had been brought in and to come right away. As my daughter was walking back to her truck her phone rang again. This time it was the vet clinic to let her know that her other little guy Charlie had been found 2 doors down from them at the groomers, maybe he wanted a shampoo and set. Turns out not only did they have Charlie, Boss the outside dog was there too. So within a matter of about 20 minutes apart she had all 3 dogs back home again.

The lady that found Abby, waited at the SPCA with Abby to meet us. She was so happy that when she brought Abby in to the SPCA to hear that someone was looking for her. The lady waited to meet us and assure us that Abby has been safe and was so happy to reunite her with her family.

Thanks to the kindness & honesty of others all 3 dogs were brought home safely. Our biggest fear was that someone had picked them up and keep them, which happens far too often in our community.

It always does my heart good when you see the kindness of others in action. It was a happy ending for all.

Corinne~

2011-10-11T05:15:00.003-06:00

I wish I had found this link about a week earlier. This would have made a wonderful center piece for our Thanksgiving table.

This center piece piece would also be beautiful for Fall weddings.

How to make Thanksgiving Table Decorations click HERE to watch the video.

Corinne~

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-10-10T17:15:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving

to all my Canadian family, friends and followers

We have long-standing traditions to celebrate the bountiful harvest of the year.

It is a time to reflect on the many things we have to be thankful for in our lives.

Our family celebrated Thanksgiving Supper on Sunday evening. We had a feast with lots of left overs...yeah I don't have to cook for a couple of days! We did miss our son Michael, he was unable to join us because of work. But a place was made for him and sent in with his sister. This year we had our daughter's boyfriend Trent join us, he is very much a part of our family. We had invited his dad and sister to join us as well, as they were going to be alone for Thanksgiving, well plans changed and they ended up staying home with some of their family. Guess we'll have to meet Trent's family another time. We met his brother at Easter.

My husband did tell me that my stuffing I made this year was probably the best I have ever made and he said he had always really like my stuffing....so I guess you could say I perfected my recipe even more this time round.

The cabbage rolls that Brittany and I made on Saturday evening were delicious too. We rolled enough that I have for Christmas already...which means we only have to have a perogie bee one of these weekends before Christmas. Brittany is a natural when it comes to rolling cabbage rolls, I am sure it is the Ukrainian in her. hehehe She doesn't mind helping out because she knows that means she gets some to take home. It goes the same with perogies and spring rolls...the girls don't mind helping if they get some of the end result to take home. That is the deal I made with them, if you expect to take some home, you have to help with production.

Oh! and the Golden Caramel Cheesecake Bars were a HIT! Already requested for Christmas or any time I feel like making cheesecake.

Corinne~

Golden Caramel Cheesecake Bars

2011-10-07T13:35:00.001-06:00

For all occasions my kids have certain requests for dessert from pies, to tarts, to cakes including cheese cake. So for thanksgiving my youngest daughter asked for pumpkin cheese cake. So what I decided to do was a bit of a compromise....I would do pumpkin pies and a cheese cake separately. For the pumpkin pie, I cheated and bought the pies but the cheesecake I am making and I decided on these delicious Golden Caramel Cheesecake Bars.

Golden Caramel Cheesecake Bars

24 Golden Oreo Cookies, divided

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

25 Kraft Caramels

1 Tbsp. water

2 pkg. (250 g each) Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese, softened

1 jar (198 g) Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme

1 egg

HEAT oven to 350°F.
LINE 9-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Process 14 cookies in food processor until finely crushed; mix with butter. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 min. or until golden brown. Cool 10 min.
MEANWHILE, microwave caramels and water in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until caramels are completely melted, stirring every 30 sec. Coarsely chop remaining cookies.
BEAT cream cheese and marshmallow creme in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add egg; mix well. Stir in chopped cookies; pour over crust. Drop spoonfuls of caramel over batter; swirl gently with knife.
BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting into bars.

Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Make Ahead - Bars can be stored in refrigerator overnight before serving.

Corinne~

On The Road

2011-10-06T06:07:00.006-06:00

Every now and then I get the opportunity to travel with my work. I always enjoy these trips out of the office, makes for a nice change. So today finds me in the booming metropolis of Hudson Bay......okay booming probably not, metropolis - definitely not. Hudson Bay is a small town in Saskatchewan that in all my years I have never visited so I am glad for the opportunity.

This is different for me as it is usually my husband who is on the road, this time he is staying home. Like we switched places

Last week I was up in the Big River area for our Joint Industry/Government Workshop/Field Tour. That was very interesting to see the blow down areas from the August 1st wind storm that went through the area. My husband and I were up in the area when the storm hit. We were very lucky that where we were staying was on the very tail end of it no damage except for 1 tree down in the entire resort. A resort about 15 miles north was not so lucky.

At the end of the month I am back on the road again, heading up to Meadow Lake for 3 days.

I certainly can't complain as I have had some wonderful opportunities with work for travel some definitely more memorable than others, like my 3 day trip to Stony Rapids - probably the highlight of my career to date.

Corinne~

Jalapeno Chicken Breasts - Slow Cooker Recipe

2011-10-05T06:24:00.003-06:00

A slow cooker is one of my favorite appliances, especially during the fall, winter and spring. I can put on homemade soup, chili, or another recipe in the morning and when I get home supper is made, with the exception of a salad or veggie in some instances. A favorite of my family is BBQ Pulled Pork, using a Club House seasoning pkg for BBQ Pulled Pork. Here is a new recipe that I am definitely going to try very soon. Jalapeno and chicken...what a great combination.

Jalapeno Chicken Breasts

6 Bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned

1           Tablespoon chili powder
1 1/8     Teaspoon salt
1/2        Cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2           Tablespoons lemon juice
1/3        Cup sliced pickled jalapeño chile pepper, drained
1           Tablespoon cornstarch
1           Tablespoon cold water

1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufch¿¿tel), softened and cut into cubes
2 Slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled (optional)**

** Turkey bacon can be used instead.

Sprinkle chicken with chili powder and salt. Arrange chicken, bone sides down, in a 4 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour broth and lemon juice around chicken. Top with drained jalapeño pepper.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Transfer chicken and jalapeño pepper to a serving platter, reserving cooking liquid. Cover chicken and keep warm.

If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. For sauce, in a small bowl, combine cornstarch and the water; stir into cooking liquid. Add cream cheese, whisking until combined. Cover and cook about 15 minutes more or until thickened. Serve chicken with sauce. Sprinkle with bacon if desired.

Serve with Mexican rice or mashed potatoes, choice of vegetable and/or salad.

Corinne~

Zucchini with Farmers Sausage

2011-10-04T06:14:00.005-06:00

I wanted to share with you my latest recipe creation so to speak.

A couple of weeks ago my sister-in-law was up for the weekend and she brought us some tomatoes and a zucchini. Right away my family asked me to make the zucchini up with farmers sausage like I did a couple of years back. Well I went to looking for my recipe and could not find it any where. Even when I searched in Google I couldn't find what I was looking for. So I was on my own for this one. First task was to try and remember what all the ingredients were....

Zucchini
Farmers Sausage
Onion
Potato(I tried shredded hasbrowns)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Garlic Plus Spice (just enough for flavor)

To begin I cut the zucchini in half, peeled it and took out the seeds, then sliced it into slices add them to a frying pan with a bit of butter, salt & pepper. Then I sliced up the farmers sausage added that to a frying pan with a bit of butter so the meat doesn't stick and fried the zucchini. Chopped the onion and fried it in butter added the hashbrowns to the mix and continued to fry. Once the zucchini was done I added the fried farmers sausage to the mix, then added the onion and hasbrowns once they were cooked. Once everything was mixed together I added a salt & pepper to taste along with some Garlic plus.

Served with a salad, everyone enjoyed our Zucchini with Farmers Sausage.

Next time I will use diced hashbrowns.

Corinne~

Gift From My Daughter

2011-10-03T07:48:00.004-06:00

Two weeks ago we were having some of my in-laws over for the weekend for a quading trip in the forest. So Friday night our daughters came out so they could visit with everyone. Well when they arrived Brittany comes in with a beautiful phalaenopis orchid with two full stocks of flowers and the color, oh my it is absolutely beautiful. What a wonderful surprise.

Here are a few pictures of my orchid gift from my daughter.

click on the photos to see a larger image

My collection of orchids is growing. I know have 5 of them. They are very easy to care for and have bloomed again and again for me. I like that the blooms last for weeks not days. These pictures were taken nearly two weeks after my daughter gave me the orchid and they are still as vibrant and fresh looking as they day she gave it to me.

Corinne~

Pleats and Folds

2011-10-02T14:53:00.003-06:00

After watching Zoe from Make It Crafty's video tutorial Folds/Pleats Simplified with Copic Markers. I decided to dive in and try this technique myself. After 3 tries I am pleased with my results. Oh! I know it will take more practice to get as good as Zoe but none the less I am pleased with my results.

If you are interested in learning how to color pleats and folds so that your images don't look so flat, you'll want to check out Zoe's video tutorial on Folds/Pleats Simplified with Copic Markers by clicking HERE

Attempt 1

The pleats and folds are starting to take shape, but still look a little flat to me.

Attempt 2

My pleats and folds seem to be getting more defined. I can see some dimension in the image but still not happy with it.

Attempt 3

I am very happy with the results on my 3rd attempt. I feel the pleats and folds stand out nicely taking the flatness out of the image.

Copic Colors Used
Skin: E000, E01 & R20
Hair: E25, E31 & E50
Bow: BG02, BG05 & BG07
Dress: BG02, BG05, BG07 & BG9
Socks: C1, C3 & C5
Shoes: E25, E29, E35, E53 & E55
Balloon: R37, R39 & R59

I love the richness of the colors that I used on Tilda's dress, hair bow and balloon. I will have to go back and work on attempt 1 & 2 some more to get them to a level I am happy with. It was good practice to work on multiple copies of the stamped images that are the same image.

I still have lots to learn but am pleased so far with the results I am getting. Definitely will be watching Zoe's video for Folds/Pleats Simplified a few more times before moving on to what I call the advanced version of Creases/Folds.

Corinne~

Packing A Healthy Lunch

2011-09-30T14:02:00.000-06:00

Today I was reading my email newsletter Losing It with Jillian Michaels. There is always an interesting article about someones success, a healthy recipe, tips and sometime exercises. Today she posted an awesome recipe for Italian Pork Pita Pockets, that sound so delicious. Being that I am trying harder and harder to pack my own lunch for work, all part of the trying to live a healthier lifestyle, which lately hasn't been going very well. Oh well I am not going to get down on myself, it is just time to start over again. I am a huge fan of the Clean Eating Magazine which has wonderful articles and recipes. The magazine even has a two week menu for you to follow as well. I have tried a few different recipes from the Clean Eating Magazine and they have been a hit with my family. The nice thing about preparing our meals and lunches, we know exactly what we are eating unlike fast food and pre-packaged meals, no hidden ingredients.

I am going to have to give these Pita Pockets a try.....maybe this weekend.

Italian Pork Pita Pockets

1 large red onion, cut into 8 wedges and separated
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
8 boneless pork loin chops, 2 oz. each
2 green bell peppers, each pepper cut into 8 lengthwise strips
2 portobello mushrooms, cut into 8 slices and separated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fennel seed
8 100% whole wheat pitas, cut into halves
4 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese, 1 oz. slices, cut in half

Heat oven to broil.
Coat a large baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange pork chops and vegetables in a single layer on baking pan.
In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and fennel seed. Brush mixture on both sides of pork chops.
Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat for about 6 to 10 minutes, or until pork is browned and vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from oven and divide pork and vegetables among pita pocket breads.
Add 1 slice of cheese to each sandwich and enjoy!

Makes 8 sandwiches (4 servings).

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins

Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 240
Total Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 75 mg
Sodium: 280 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 21 g
Protein: 21 g
Corinne~

A Present For Tilda

2011-09-25T08:33:00.014-06:00

Here it is the 25th of September, only 3 months until Christmas Day! I better get started making my Christmas Lists and my Christmas Card list. Today I'd like to share with you one of my latest Christmas Cards that I made back in early June. So grab yourself a coffee, tea or what ever you prefer and enjoy the posting...it is a bit long.

For this card I once again used a brown lunch bag for the base of my card, I really like this style of card, allows me to add in our family Christmas letter into the back pocket. I can even pop in a couple of photos or a gift card into the pocket too.

For the front of my card I used Santa Hands Out Presents, Old Bench and Winter Forest and dark brown card stock. All images are colored in Copics (sorry I don't have the numbers I used as I colored this a couple of months back). I flocked the fur trim on Santa's suit and filled in his glasses with Diamond Glaze.

Here is a close up of Santa sitting on the bench with a parcel in his hands for Tilda. Here you can see how the Diamond Glaze on his glass look like glass lenses.

On the inside of my card I used Secret Tilda, colored in copics (sorry I don't have the numbers I used as I colored this a couple of months back). I edged the lace on her outfit with Stickles in Diamond. I used a digital desgin paper that I found on line, dk brown card stock and white cardstock that I can either stamp or hand write a Christmas Greeting on.

Here is a close up of Secret Tilda. Secret Tilda is one of my favorite Tilda's, it is so hard to pick an absolute favorite as they are all so darn cute.

For all your Magnolia stamp needs head over to see Diana at Magnolia-licious. The service is wonderful and if you don't see a Magnolia image that you are looking for in stock drop Diana a quick email, she will do her best to help you out.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. Have a wonderful day!

Corinne~

Kai In The Snow

2011-09-24T21:46:00.003-06:00

In keeping up with my Christmas Cards I want to share with you Kai In The Snow. Kai In The Snow is a digital image from Mo's Digital Pencil. This is one of my favorite digital images from Mo. Kai reminds me of my son when he was a little boy. He had a blue snow suit similar to the one Kai wears.

At this time the inside of the card is left blank. I am looking for the right verse/greeting to go with the image on the front.

Kai is printed on Neenah Cardstock and colored in Copics. The base of my card is a brown paper lunch bag. All my Christmas Cards so far are made with the lunch bag as the base...can add our letter into the back pocket. The design paper is from my stash. I picked up the foam snowflakes at the dollar store last Christmas. I added iridescent glitter to the snowflakes to make them pop. I used FlowerSoft for the falling snowflakes and the snow that Kai is sitting in.

Just a quick close up of the snowflakes to show you how they sparkle like the real thing. I love how fresh fallen snow glistens like diamonds in the snow.

Corinne~

Canning

2011-09-24T10:56:00.000-06:00

The day has finally arrived.....for me to make up a batch of Sandwich Spread. I haven't made this sandwich spread for many years. I got this recipe from a old family friend of my dad's after I had tasted hers. I am kind of rethinking the idea of having a garden. I hope to still make up a batch of relish this year as well and if time allows I would love to make up a batch of salsa. Wednesday I will pick up my cabbages to blanch for cabbage rolls, then will have the kids out to help make cabbage rolls. So off to make sandwich spread on this beautiful fall day, hope to get it done before the football game starts. Our Saskatchewan Roughriders vs the BC Lions in Saskatchewan. We need a win today.

GO RIDERS GO

Corinne~

Homemade Pita Chips

2011-09-22T06:45:00.000-06:00

1 bag of large pitas (usually holds 8-10) - the kind that can be used for sandwich pockets
extra virgin olive oil - for brushing the pita tops
dried herbs - I like mixed Italian or Oregano
cayenne pepper or paprika - sweet or spicy is up to you
garlic powder
Preheat the oven to broil and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Cut pitas in half cross-wise, and then split halves so that there is a rough side and a baked side. Keep the rough side up to absorb the olive oil.

Cut pita halves into 3-4 wedges per half.

Place wedges on foil-lined cookie sheets and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic, herbs and cayenne or paprika.

Place the cookie sheet in the oven with the door ajar. This doesn’t take very long, just a couple of minutes. You need to watch them …they burn quickly.

Corinne~

Mexican Quinoa

2011-09-21T06:12:00.011-06:00

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups black beans
1 cup corn, thawed
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, slivered
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño, diced
4 corn tortillas
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 – 1 chipotle chilie in adobo sauce (The dish will be HOT if you use 1)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 avocado, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, tomato, red onion and pickled jalapeño.
Slice corn tortillas into thin strips. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and add tortilla strips. Spray again. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Bake for 10-15 minute, until crispy. (Check often to make sure the tortillas don’t burn – I was using homemade tortillas and they took closer to 15 minutes. I’m guessing store bought may not take as long.)

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine lime juice, chipotle Chile, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, honey or agave nectar, cumin and sea salt. Process until mixture is smooth. Toss with quinoa mixture.
Plate quinoa and top with avocado and tortilla strips. (If making ahead, wait to put avocado and tortilla strips on at the last minute. Store leftover tortilla strips in an air tight bag, and return to oven to crisp if desired prior to serving.)

Preparation time: 30 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

For more recipes using Quinoa check out Cooking Quinoa by clicking HERE be sure to sign up for the free newsletter too.

Corinne~

Peach & Raspberry Terrine with Mascarpone Drizzle

2011-09-20T08:08:00.002-06:00

1 390g pound cake, sliced in thirds horizontally
3 cups Europe’s Best Raspberries, thawed
½ cup sugar, divided
1 475g tub of mascarpone cheese, divided
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Europe’s Best Sun Ripe Peaches, thawed
3 tbsp milk

Line an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving enough to hang over sides.

Combine raspberries and 1 tbsp sugar in bowl. In separate bowl, mix 1 ½ cups cheese, milk and remaining sugar. Arrange peaches in bottom of prepared pan. Top with 1/3 of raspberry mixture, 1/3 of cheese mixture and 1 layer of cake. Continue layers ending with cake. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours.

Drizzle: combine remaining mascarpone cheese with 3 tbsp milk. Add additional milk if necessary to achieve a liquid texture. To serve, invert Terrine onto platter and remove wrap. Slice and garnish with drizzle.

Serve immediately.

Corinne~

Stuffed Shells

2011-09-19T11:57:00.000-06:00

3 cups tomatoes, chopped
12 ounces roasted red peppers
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
3 cups corn kernels
16 ounces whole wheat large pasta shells
12 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
3 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons chives, chopped fine
1 large egg, beaten (or 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds + 2 tablespoons water)
3 ounces mozzarella cheese

In a large saucepan, combine tomatoes, roasted red peppers, rosemary, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, sea salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat and then reduce to medium low and cook for 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. (Until cool enough to handle.) Transfer to a blender. Add parsley and process until smooth.
Meanwhile, preheat a broiler. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil spray and add corn. Toss to coat. Cook eight to ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Rinse with cool water and drain. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, goat cheese, chives, egg and half of the corn. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spread a cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Fill shells with mixture. Place in pan and top with remaining sauce, corn and mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Allow to cool prior to serving.

For more recipes from Wendy check out her website at http://cleaneating.info/ My family has always enjoyed my high calorie recipe for Stuffed Shells, it is so nice to have found someone that has modified a recipe without sacrificing taste. I wanted to share this recipe with anyone that would like to try a healthier version to a pasta favorite.

Corinne~

Where Oh Where....

2011-09-15T10:28:00.000-06:00

   ....Has summer gone???
             Didn't it just start???

It sure feels like summer just started a couple of weeks ago and here we are at the close of it. The leaves on the trees are starting to change color - one of the first signs that autumn is approaching. Another sure sign of autumn fast approaching is that harvest is underway, gardens are bearing abundance of produce, the days are getting shorter and the evenings are getting cooler. Yes summer is drawing to a close whether I am ready for it or not. Soon it will be time to pull my pond plants, move the fish inside and drain the water off for another year.

Hope to can some relish, sandwich spread and salsa this year. I haven't canned anything in many years. I have cabbage to blanch and get ready for cabbage rolls and perogies to make, all signs that autumn is approaching.

Another sure sign was the heavy frost we got the other night... -5 Celsius boy was it chilly in the morning when you are used the + temperatures of summer.

Changes are happening all around us, preparing for the start of a new season.

Where Oh Where
         .........Has summer gone???

Corinne~

French Toast with Praline Topping

2011-09-10T13:39:00.001-06:00

Loaf of French Bread
Cream Cheese (either block of regular or flavored spread)
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 dash salt

Butter an 9 x 13 baking pan. Slice the french bread, cover bottom of baking pan with french bread. Cover each slice of the french bread with Philadelphia cream cheese, then place another slice of french bread on top of each bottom piece. Beat eggs, vanilla, Maple Syrup cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together, pour on top of the bread. Cover baking pan and set in fridge over night for baking the next morning.

***Praline Topping***
1 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients for Praline Topping in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Note: I served this a homemade strawberry syrup to complement the strawberry cream cheese that I used for the filing.

This breakfast can be served with fried sausages, bacon or ham.

Thanks Aunty for this recipe....I tweaked the Praline Topping and Strawberry Sryup

Corinne~

Bobby Curtola

2011-09-09T12:00:00.002-06:00

Just over a week and half ago my son calls me up and asks, "You like Bobby Curtola, right?" to which I reply yes. He then asks me, "You met him once didn't you?" to which I again reply yes back in 2004 when he came to meet with our Executive Director for a meeting...hey I spoke to him on the telephone a few times too. The first time he called our office, he actually sang Corinna, Corinna to me just because my name was Corinne. Yes I am much younger than he thought I was when we met. Bobby was a hit back in the 1960's and I was born in the mid 60's. I always said I grew up in the wrong era....the music from the 50's and 60's were always my favorites growing up.

So anyways back to what I was getting at...my son gave me two tickets to see Bobby Curtola in concert here in PA. Now the decision -- who do I take.....so I asked my husband out on a date....and he accepted. Your probably wondering why I was shocked he accepted, well I wasn't sure if he would be interested in seeing Bobby Curtola as I wasn't sure if he like his music. So last night we had our date night....this was another celebration for anniversary. The concert was excellent. The band The Sensational Hot Rods - a 50's tribute band were fa-nominal, a lot of talent on stage last night. A big thank you to our son for getting us tickets to see an amazing Canadian Artist perform live.

So after the concert Bobby announced before his last performance that he would be signing autographs. I was 3rd in line to get his autograph again. Of course my husband was quick to get me in line to meet Bobby....and then Al disappears to have a beer and I didn't get a picture with Bobby, which is what I had wanted. But I did get to talk to him and he did remember meeting me when he was here for a meeting with my old boss. So it was wonderful...like catching up with an old friend.

Corinne~

Good Morning Sausage And Egg Casserole

2011-09-08T10:29:00.001-06:00

1 pound pork breakfast sausages, casings removed
8 slices hearty white bread*, cubed
1 cup mild Cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 2/3 cups milk

Lightly butter a 12x9x2-inch baking casserole.

In a skillet, cook the sausage meat over medium heat, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it loses its color, about 15 minutes.

Mix bread cubes, sausage and cheese in the large bowl, toss gently. Transfer mixture to casserole. Season with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, combine eggs and dry mustard, then pour in milk to blend. Pour mixture over casserole contents. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Uncover and gently toss mixture to re-coat the bread on top with the egg mixture. Season with a little salt and pepper and top with extra grated cheese if you like.

Bake until congealed, bubbling and golden yellow on top, about 45 minutes. Serve hot.

* Not sourdough but not off the shelf bread either, too soft; should be a bread from a bakery or grocery store bakery like a baguette or country loaf.

Corinne~

Bacon and Egg Casserole

2011-09-07T06:31:00.011-06:00

Bag of frozen hash browns
1 dozen eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 pound bacon
1 cup grated cheese
salt and pepper

Fry bacon and break into small pieces (I diced up the bacon prior to cooking). Thaw hash browns in microwave and cook about 6 to 8 minutes on high.

Transfer hash browns to an 8 X 11 inch baking dish sprayed with pam mix in cooked bacon. Break eggs into a bowl, and beat. Add milk, salt, and pepper.

Pour this mixture over hash browns and bake in preheated 375 F. oven.

Cook for 20 minutes. Top with grated cheese, return to oven and cook until set 15 - 20 more minutes.

Corinne~

Family Reunion

2011-09-06T13:29:00.000-06:00

Over the Labour Day long weekend we hosted a family reunion of sorts at our place. Everything went off really well. We had 23 people at our place throughout the weekend. The weather cooperated in the fact that it didn't rain and we were able to sit out by the fire in the evening and enjoy the company of each other.

We got to meet 4 of our nephews, 2 that we met when they were little boys and 2 that we haven't met until this weekend.

The Sheremata Family

missing a few members some that had to work and some that were unable to come up for the weekend.

Our nephew Keith and his wonderful family.

Our niece Jenn and her wonderful family.

Brittany with Abby! Abby just got out of the vet hospital on Friday and Saturday she was running around playing like nothing was wrong. We are so happy she is healthy again.

Stoking the fire!

We are hoping this is the start of an annual event where we can all get together for a weekend of visiting. Next year we are hoping that everyone can be in attendance. The last time we were able to take group photo was back in 1988 when we got married.

Next year we will have to get more individual family photos as well as a big group picture.

Corinne~

The Stars Are A-lining

2011-08-31T08:21:00.000-06:00

Things are going well for my family. It is so nice when the stars aline so to speak. All my kids have good jobs that enable them to support themselves. They are all living on their own, my house is so quiet when it is just me and the dog.

My son and a friend of his had been looking for a place to live where they could share the rent but just weren't having much luck and maybe it is a good thing as they also found out that they are not the best suited to live together..... So yesterday evening we went with our son to check out a basement suite. It is in a really nice neighborhood in town and in an old character home too. The kitchen and dining area are small but perfect for a bachelor...living room, bedroom and bathroom are really nice size. So after looking at the place and negotiating the rent, we walked away with my son telling the guy he would get back to him by the morning to confirm but was pretty sure he would take it. After talking to his dad and I he decided yes he'll take it...he won't get anything better with everything included except phone....laundry is even included.

So today my son and his dad are moving his stuff in to get him settled. The owner has both a cat and dog that hang around and my son being the animal lover said not a problem.....really nice owners. As it turns out the guy happened to mention he has a restaurant out at Christopher Lake...the light bulb light up the bells went off in my head and I blurted out that is where I recognize you from. Back in 2008 when Al and I were cleaning out my dad's place at Northside we went up to Christopher Lake for supper. We spotted this new restaurant that had just opened, the food was fabulous. The owner/chef went around an met with the patrons and talked with everyone. In conversation he had told me that his mom had owned Central Perc up by the court house but closed it after they opened at the lake and it was her baking that they served. Oh my it was delicious. Mike isn't bound by anything other than a month by month agreement so if he and a friend decide to share a place sometime in the future all he has to do is give a month's notice. It is a perfect suite for a young single guy.

Life is good today!

Corinne~

A little Rain

2011-08-30T10:41:00.001-06:00

I guess with the sunshine, sooner or later a little rain must come. This morning as I was driving into work I noticed that the sky in the northwest was heavy and black. Shortly after arriving at home the skies moved in and opened up with some thunder and lightening and of course rain. Tomorrow and Thursday's forecast isn't too bad but then Friday and Saturday the weather man is calling for rain and cloud...no sun....crossing my fingers that the forecast changes by then and we have beautiful sunny skis with warm temperatures.....with all our company it will be a really really full house.....if it rains. Sunday and Monday are supposed to be nice...I am hoping for sunny skis all weekend...well from Thursday till Monday for sure. Sitting around a campfire is much more fun if it isn't raining. Lawn games such as ladder golf, horseshoes and Beer Frisbee not so much fun in the rain either.....

So as my grandmother used to say when she wanted sunshine.....

Rain Rain Go Away

Come again another day!

Corinne~

Busy as Bees

2011-08-28T15:27:00.001-06:00

This past week my hubby has been a very busy worker bee. Al cleaned out what was part of Brittany's old room in the basement and what was a family room. A truck load to the dump (almost like an episode of Hoarders), walls came down, walls went up, carpet down, beds, end tables and lamps set up...looks like a huge hotel room right now... Al along with the help of Trent, Brittany's boyfriend got the north stud wall built, insulated and gyproced, will finish the east wall later. This is going to be our theater room, we're going to be able to put on big ass TV in there. So with family coming for the weekend it sparked us to get working on the theater room sooner than anticipated but a good thing.

We are having an invasion of family for the long weekend. It is going to be like a mini family reunion on Al's side of the family - sure to be a lot of fun, lots of re-connecting. If all our kids can make it out sometime during the weekend and if Al`s niece and her family come (we`ll get to meet her little guy too), we'll have up to 23 people here this weekend. This is the number that I am planning for. We'll have Al`s two nephew`s from Fort MacMurray along with Keith`s boys and his girlfriend and her two children. Al's sister and her husband and their two children and their families. A house it will be.....

It will be nice to meet Keith`s boys, the eldest two are men now.....we haven`t seen his two eldest since 1994 or 1995 and we haven`t met his youngest who I think is 16. I am looking forward to getting to know Kelly`s better and to meet her two children. So this weekend we'll get to meet four great-nephews, two that we haven't seen since since they were little and two that we haven't met yet - one is 16 yrs ols and the other is 1 yr old.

It will be wonderful to reconnect with family.....lots of catching up to do in a little bit of time.... maybe this will be the start of a yearly family reunion.

So today we picked up some light bulbs, new dimmer switch for the living and room and few other things....just a few more things and we`re done getting ready....might have to take Friday off next week to finish up and small things left needing doing.

Life is good......looking forward to wonderful weekend with family. Who knows maybe we'll make this annual event.

We`ve been busy little bees but will be all worth it in the end....

Corinne~

Brian & Trudy - Get Hitched!!

2011-08-26T07:51:00.006-06:00

I have to say I really enjoyed taking the pictures for Brian & Trudy on their special day. There was no pressure and the wedding party as huge as it was were very cooperative too... It is a small gathering of friends and family and a bit of step back into the 1800's as Trudy would tell you with a bit of modern times added.

Here are a few of the photos from that day.....you might want to grab a coffee, sit back and enjoy!

A moment in time between....

Father and Son!

The Hitchin' Post

A wedding alter that suited the theme of the Wild Wild West

Gettin' Ready!!

Trudy did all the beading on her leggings as well as on the legging of for the outfits for the two little girls.

A friend of hers made the moccasins.

Pastor Rick preparing

Saskatchewan's Most Wanted

Dead or Alive!

The Wedding Cake!

The Guys gathering at the front of the house just before the ceremony is to start!

The Men in Black!

The Best Men lined up!

The Groom

The cutest little cowboy!

Two little Princesses!

The Bride makes her entrance.

The song Trudy chose to come down the isle to was absolutely beautiful. It reminded me of a spiritual song you would hear at a Pow Wow!

Trudy's eldest Grandson gave her away in place of her father who us unable to travel for her wedding.

Waiting to give the Bride Away!

Pastor Rick and Pastor Ruth

The Rings

Click on the photo to see a larger image

Signing the "Registrar"

The new

Mr. & Mrs. B

Wishing the newly weds the very best that life has to offer!

May you have many years of happiness together

and your memory quilt sewn together with love!

Corinne~

Rehearsal BBQ

2011-08-25T06:03:00.000-06:00

This weekend we attended the wedding of our friends Brian & Trudy! Friday night we were invited to the rehearsal BBQ and rehearsal. It was actually a good idea for us to attend as it gave me a better idea of how it would be set up so that I could figure out the best places to stand to get good shots. As the evening started out my husband came up with the idea that it would be so nice for them to have their wedding on video. So he decided he would be the video-ographer. They couldn't have asked for a better day weather wise. It wasn't too hot and it wasn't cold and there was no rain...perfect day for a beautiful wedding.

Here are a few shots from the rehearsal and the wedding.

Rehearsal

Photo props in the back corner.

The wooden baskets were filled with apples and corn.

The bridesmaids had a bit of fun at the lovely bride's expense when they presented her with her rehearsal veil & bouquet. lol

That is just a few of the photos form the rehearsal on Friday evening......

Corinne~

My Girls~

2011-08-21T09:31:00.058-06:00

On Tuesday evening my girls came out to spend that night with me do laundry and have supper together. Meagan asked if we would have time to do some pictures...so once we finished all the prep work for supper, Brittany had laundry going they got ready and I got the camera set up and off we went out to the field to get some pictures of the two of them together.

Here are a few shots from the evening. You might want to grab something to drink as there are quite a few pictures to see.

I really like the golden glow that the setting sun gave these pictures!

Peeking around from behind the bales!

Looking off into the sunset!!

One of my favorite shots of the evening!!

As we were heading back to the house, Meagan had the idea to try something different so she set up the shots for me. She wanted to try some shots of them laying on the road and getting the pictures taken from the ground up.

These pictures of Brittany were taken by Meagan! It was more of what she was looking for...so next time I take her pictures we can achieve what it is she was wanting.

Brittany had the idea of giving Meagan a piggy back ride!

Another unique pose for the final photos of the evening!

I love the colors of the sky in these photo!

I always enjoy taking pictures of the girls...this is the first time I have photographed Brittany since last summer. She never was much for having her picture taken but is getting more into it. I told her that I would love to a sitting with her and Trent one of these days.

Meagan loves to model for me.....a great way to hone my photography skills. Meagan also has an interest in photography and is full of ideas.

Corinne~

Quinoa

2011-08-20T07:58:00.025-06:00

I have heard so many good things about Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) that I decided I had to try it out. Quinoa is an ancient grain from South America that is considered a complete protein. It can be used in any recipe in which you would use rice and can be served hot or cold and apparently it is easy to cook too. So I set out searching some recipes and this is one that I found and I must say it sounds really tasty. This is on my menu for next week.

This light and wholesome grain may be prepared quickly and easily with this basic method.

2 cups water & 1 cup quinoa

Place quinoa and water in a 1-½ quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes).

You will know that the quinoa is done when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Makes 3 cups.

For additional flavor, substitute chicken broth or vegetable stock for the water.

Crispy Quinoa Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
1 large egg (or 1 T ground flax seed mixed with 3 T water)
2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 T tahini
1 1/2 T white wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup sweet potato, grated
5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup chopped almonds
2 ounces crumbled feta (optional)
1/4 cup diced onions
1 tablespoon cilantro
3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil or oil of choice

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
1 large roasted red pepper
1/2 cup almonds
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp balsamic or red wine vinegar

In a large bowl combine egg (or egg replacement), flour, tahini and vinegar. Add in Quinoa, sweet potatoes, spinach, almonds, feta, onions, cilantro, garlic and salt. Stir until well combined and form into patties.

Heat coconut oil over medium low heat. Cook patties for five minutes to eight minutes or until the edges start to brown and a crispy crust has formed. Flip and cook five more minutes.

Meanwhile, combine roasted red pepper, almonds, garlic and vinegar in a food processor. Process until smooth.

Corinne~

1st Wedding Shoot

2011-08-19T06:36:00.019-06:00

Tomorrow I embark on my first wedding shoot, can you hear my knees knocking together. Yes you could say I am a bit nervous about it. A wedding is a big event in ones life and the photos are another big part of it and I don't want to disappoint the bride and groom. The one thing I love about digital photography is I can preview the shot before everyone moves and if I need to re-take it...I can....a bit of a savior if you ask me and you can take hundreds of photos and not have to pay an arm and leg to develop them.

A friend of ours is getting hitched as he would put it and they have asked me to take their wedding photos. I am so glad that this is an informal affair, less pressure for my first time shooting a wedding. They are getting married in their back yard....the theme of the wedding is Wild West/Pioneer Days with a little bit of Red Neck Down Home Hillbilly thrown in.

I have done 2 photos sessions with my daughter and was very happy with the out come of the pictures. She loves helping me hone my photography skills....to see pictures from those shoots click HERE for the summer shoot and HERE for the fall shoot. Her friends have all complemented on how nice her pictures turn out and are interested in having me take photos for them...maybe one day.

Now photographing weddings isn't something that I want to be doing on a regular basis. Nature photography is my style of choice when it comes to photography....

So cross your fingers and toes that all turns out well. I will let you know how it goes and post a few pictures from the day. Should be a good time....good thing my duties as photographer are over before the Social starts.....hehehe

I am looking forward to the challenge of taking their wedding photos, a little bit nervous too.

Corinne~

Quading - Big River Area

2011-08-18T06:01:00.005-06:00

Over the August long weekend my husband and I along with our nephew, his wife and their two girls set out to discover some more of the trails in the Big River Area. We had a fabulous day to ride...the sun was shining and the temperature was nice...maybe a bit on the hot side but in the forest you didn't feel the effects of the sun due to the canopy cover. Here are a few pictures from our ride.

This is the first major mud hole we up to....Jeff led the way and just made it through with a bit of work...We ended up getting hung up when we slipped off the ledge.

The mud is flying!!!

Tammy's turn to get stuck....she was the only one that attempted this mud hole. In her defense she thought Jeff and gone through it ahead of her, what she didn't notice was the trail that went around this one.

After getting the winch hooked up to Tammy's Quad, Jeff ended up in the mud hole!

She's out and we're back on the trail!

Jeff climbing up the hill....he went down to see if we could get onto the lake shore

We had a great day of riding with our family. The girls had an absolute blast as did the rest of us. We are looking forward to hitting the trails again with our nephew and his family. I am also looking forward to getting my own Quad next year (crossing my fingers that it works out for next spring). Al and I do take turns driving...and I wasn't the one that got stuck! hehehe

Corinne~

Dragon Flies

2011-08-17T06:22:00.001-06:00

I am always looking for unique photo opportunities. The more photos I take the more I sharpen my skills. I am somewhat like a detective, when I look at a flower, a cloud, wildlife or anything for that fact I am looking for a photo opportunity. You could say I am looking beyond what I am looking at. So as Al and I were sitting in the shade enjoying a wobbly pop or two I noticed a huge Dragon Fly sitting on a branch of a might Spruce tree...pure beauty. Dragon Flies are one of my favorite flying insects. So I sat there watching him, not moving at all...was he even alive I thought. So I got up, grabbed my camera and commenced to taking some photos. I didn't want to disturb this guy and the sun wasn't being a friend to the camera but I did manage to get a few good shots of this magnificent blue Dragon Fly.

Shortly after I got these shots he fluttered off.

Corinne~

Humming Bird

2011-08-16T06:13:00.001-06:00

My camera is always close at hand. This year I set out a couple of goals for my self, photography wise that is. One was to catch the frequent visitor to my humming bird feeder. This little guy has gotten so close to my head that I can hear his wings fluttering. It is like he buzzes our heads as to say Thank You for the sweet nectar.

Approaching the feeder!

Coming in for the landing!

Sipping the Sweet Nectar!

I hope to be able to catch a few more photos of this little guy before he heads south for the winter.

Corinne~

Along The Trail

2011-08-15T06:57:00.001-06:00

When ever Al and I go out on the quad always take my camera along. You never know what you might see...a deer, a bear, some beautiful flowers, a meadow, birds or any other creature large or small that calls the wilderness home. Here are a few pictures of some of the things we seen along the trails we rode on in Big River/Cowan Lake area.

First things first, the trails up in the Big River area are wonderful to ride on and very well marked too.

This is just one of the many signs we seen on our rides.

We found a wonderful patch of Blueberries where we stopped for a few minutes and picked a couple of handfuls to keep us sustained for the duration of our ride.

These Orange Butterflies were abundant this day. Most flowers we seen had them on feasting on the nectar of the flowers.

I did see a couple of deer but they darted off to the safety of the forest too quickly for me to catch them on the camera. I did manage a track or two to photograph.

Somebody forgot their pants in the forest!!

We crossed a few bridges with some nice scenery too.

On our way back to the cabin we stopped at this river and went for a quick swim. The water was very refreshing after our long ride.

Corinne~

Friday Night Lights

2011-08-14T12:03:00.051-06:00

Friday evening after the lawn was cut, the clippings raked in piles and loaded on the trailer we decide to sit on the deck, have a drink before we hauled the dead grass to the pile in the pasture. Needless to say we never made it off the deck until much later. We sat and talked....about all sorts of things, Al told me about his week at work and all the bears he seen 2 or 3 each day.

As were sitting there, Al had bought this beer called Melon Head brewed by Paddock Wood Brewing in Saskatoon. Instructions on the box say to take the beer out reseal the lid and tear on the lines and you will have a watermelon hat....anyways instead of doing that we just tore up the box...so as I was sitting there I decide to light a strip on fire (to see if it burnt in many colors) cut some kindling and we built a table top fire much like the propane fire bowls you can buy. The fire crackled and snapped like a large roaring fire. It was nice to sit by the fire and enjoy the clear night and full moon. The coating on the box burned in different colors...so pretty....very much like a "Magic Campfire"

Our daughter Meagan came out to send the evening with us. We sat waiting for the " Perseid
Meteor Shower" to start, the only down fall was the full moon was so bright. I did get to see 4 of Perseid's Meteors and then I waited and waited and nothing the moon was at the top of the sky and hindered the viewing of the Perseid Meteors, as the last two were very faint to see. I had the best laid plans to get up before dawn to see the shower but needless to say I slept through it. Oh well maybe next August will be better for the viewing of Perseid's Meteor Shower.

What are meteor showers?

An increase in the number of meteors at a particular time of year is called a meteor shower.

Comets shed the debris that becomes most meteor showers. As comets orbit the Sun, they shed an icy, dusty debris stream along the comet's orbit. If Earth travels through this stream, we will see a meteor shower. Depending on where Earth and the stream meet, meteors appear to fall from a particular place in the sky, maybe within the neighborhood of a constellation.

Meteor showers are named by the constellation from which meteors appear to fall, a spot in the sky astronomers call the radiant. For instance, the radiant for the Leonid meteor shower is located in the constellation Leo. The Perseid meteor shower is so named because meteors appear to fall from a point in the constellation Perseus.

quoted from 2011 Meteor Showers StarDate Online website

The next Meteor Shower is Draconids Meteor Shower on the night of Saturday October 8th...the moon may somewhat hinder the viewing of this shower as well as will be nearly full.

It was enjoyable time sitting out and watching the "Friday Night Lights" - table top campfire and the Perseid Meteor Shower (what we seen of it) on our deck.

Corinne~

Meagan - Autumn 2010

2011-08-13T09:26:00.033-06:00

In the fall of 2010 when Meagan was home from University for a weekend, she wanted me to take some photos. I love the colors of fall so I was all for the challenge. This would be the first time I ever did a photo shoot of any type. Here are a few photos from that shoot.

These were taken in the field in front of our house.

Meagan and Rocco!!

Once were finished taking pictures around the yard we headed into town. Our first location in town was under the Central Avenue Bridge. This is becoming a very popular spot to have pictures taken.

The graffiti added a nice back drop to some of the photos!

We then headed to the river bank with lots of trees to use as props. With lots of fallen leaves the options were endless. The colors of autumn are so beautiful.

Well that is a peak at that photo session. For a first time focusing on portraits I think I did fairly good. Might have to do another session with Meagan again this fall. I would like to try some winter photos with her too.

Corinne~

Mushrooms

2011-08-12T06:05:00.014-06:00

On our first quad ride on the trails around Big River/Cowan Lake I was amazed at all the mushrooms around. The forest floor was covered in mosses, mushrooms, fallen tree branches, flowers and berries.

These next three reminded me of a Hibiscus bloom. So elegant looking.

I liked how these three brown mushrooms looked clustered in amongst the dead Jack Pine branches.

Love the contrast of the greens, browns and orange colors.

A couple of my favorite pictures!

Orange Fungi growing on a dead tree branch. I couldn't believe how bright and beautiful these were. I have only ever seen the dried fungi that grows on trees and dead branches that looks all grey and dull and dried up. So is this what that fungi looks like before it turns grey and dull and dries up.

This red mushroom was huge.....I am thinking about 6 inches in diameter.

I was amazed at the variety of mushrooms/fungi that we seen that day on our quad ride. I moss that laid on the forest floor was so soft and cushiony. It was a beautiful day to go riding and we thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of nature that Mother Nature shared with us that day.

In everything that the Lord touches there is beauty, sometimes we just have to look a little deeper to find it.

Corinne~

Out of Touch

2011-08-11T09:05:00.000-06:00

I feel like I have been so out of touch lately....just not enough hours in a day to get everything completed. I have been wanting to make up some cards; work on the quilts I started for my kids 3 years ago using up their grandpa's clothes - Grandpa Memory Quilts and get some of my frames filled up and back on the wall in the living room. Summer is flying by...hard to believe we are nearly at the middle of August. Didn't summer just start??? Once fall is here I plan to dig out my quilting and work on the quilts. I figure if I spend a weekend on each one I should be able to get the tops finished and then another weekend and I should be able to get the backs on them. Will pick up my stamping and card making again come September. Still have a few more Christmas cards to make. I did manage to make a couple more Christmas cards on a rainy weekend...just haven't had chance to get them photographed to show you all. Card photos coming soon.

We haven't had much time for summer holidays this year. My husband is supervising a new crew and there is no one that can fill in for him when he is gone at this time so we'll wait till layoff season and maybe take some more time. I am really glad that we had a few days out in Kamloops in April, was nice to get away from home and spend time with family. We did manage to get away over the August long weekend with our floating stat holiday at work and the stat we were away for 5 days. Will post some photos from our quad trips soon.

This week I have my daughter's two dogs staying with us. At the last minute she decided not to take them camping with them. Charlie is a sweet heart but Abby on the other hand can be a handful...she is a sweet little dog....just really hyper. If my yard was fenced I wouldn't worry about leaving her outside all day but I just can't risk her getting run over. Don't know if she would chase vehicles but after having one dog run over don't want to go through again.

Until next time have a wonderful day......
Live each day with out regret, Love deeply and forgive quickly!

Corinne~

Drive-In Memories

2011-07-21T10:56:00.000-06:00

Procrastination doesn't pay that is for sure. Not that long ago as I was driving past our old drive-in, I thought it would be a great location to take some pictures.

I have memories that date back about 41 years ago of that place...I remember going there as a little girl with my uncle and his girlfriend at the time and then many times after when I was a teenager. Yes I even took my turn of getting into the drive-in in the truck of a car, it wasn't that we couldn't pay for the entrance fee it was the thrill of sneaking...you know more money for beer while we watched the movies. I can remember when I was in grade 11 the date of the summer and I went to the drive but we didn't park inside the gates a few time...there was spaces at the back wall where about 6 vehicles could park and pick up the movie radio frequency....again the trill of not getting caught...don't think I ever seen the cops drive by the back where we along with a few others were parked...would see them drive through the parking lot making sure everyone was not causing any trouble. Then when my husband and I had children we frequented the drive-in nearly every weekend with the kids in their pajamas, pops in the cooler and a bowl of popcorn. My youngest daughter, Meagan was 8 days old the first time she went to the drive-in.

As I would drive by seeing this piece of my past standing regally in the grass a lone I would always be taken back to my old memories and I started thinking I have to remember to grab my camera and come get some photos of this piece of our history/past.

Well this morning I found out that I had lost my chance to ever photo graph the place I spent many a summer night with friends. The Pines Drive-In was demolished on Wednesday, all that remains is a pile of rubble. I had a twinge in my heart when I seen that photo and read the story on the front page of the herald. It was a sad day for me and my family when they announced that the drive-in would close permanently. We always looked forward to the drive-in each summer.

Yes an opportunity is now lost to capture some photos of this place filled with so many memories of my childhood and teen years. Procrastination doesn't pay.....I kept putting it off thinking it would be there the next time I drove by there, well I have been proven wrong. Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today, as the opportunity might not be there tomorrow.

Corinne~

Step By Step

2011-07-13T08:47:00.000-06:00

I feel very proud of myself this morning.....for the second morning in a row now I have reached for that glass of water before having anything else, actually even before my feet hit the floor. For me drinking water is a great feat at any time of day, I avoided it like the plaque. We all know it is recommended that we drink 8 glasses of water everyday, not me. I would have coffee, juice, tea or pop that is how I was getting my liquids and if I did have any water a couple of gulps and that was about it. Not a very healthy approach that is for sure. I have been reading the Vice Busting Diet - A 12 Week Plan To Break Your Worst Food Habits While Changing Your Life Forever, by Julia Havey. It was like this woman and lived life before she made the changes in hers that she need to take.

The realization that I have come to is this, I didn't put on this weight over night and it isn't going to come off over night. So with that said I can't get discouraged when the pounds are not dropping or the inches shrinking as fast as I would like them to. I have to keep at it one day at a time, one step at a time, one change at a time.

Yesterday I noticed a difference in myself. I felt like I had more energy and not once did I have a craving for pop, my #1 Diet Vice. Was it in my mind or did the amount of water I drank yesterday have something to do with it, starting with that first glass when I woke up. I have decided to start a journal, so that I can actually recognize my bad food habits and get real with them as some would say. Like they say admittance is the first step to recovery. To admit that I have a bad habit (with food & exercise) I need to recognize it and admit to it before I can change it.

I guess you could say I am in my 2nd day of the start to a new life style, one step at a time. Today my goal is to get my 8 glasses of water or at least closer than the 3 glasses I had yesterday.

Corinne~

Re-Claiming My Life

2011-07-12T13:53:00.001-06:00

No matter what we do or how hard we try life does not slow down...it keeps moving forwards taking us with it regardless if we want to go or not. As the minutes turn into hours and the hours into days and the days to months before we know another year has slipped by us. The last 3 years have done just that for me, slipped by me...here I am three years later and not a lot of what I wanted to do or change has happened with the exception of our new kitchen and dining room.

I have decided it is time for me to re-claim my life and start doing the things I really want to do or dream about doing...things in my personal life like changing my lifestyle to a healthier one, so I am able to do some of the things I can only dream about. I had a good start to this before my dad passed away 3 years ago, but it took me 2 1/2 years to realize that I was sitting spinning my tires. So I am taking steps to claim my life and setting a path to start living life the way I had always thought I would. It is going to take a lot of will power and determination. Instead of jumping in with both feet and meeting failure head on, I am going to start by breaking one bad habit at a time. This way it won't be so over whelming and I think my chances of success will be greater. First bad habit I am setting out to break is to drink my 8 glasses of water every day and reduce my intake of pop. Not switching over to that diet crap either....it isn't that much better for you than the regular pop. My first step this week is not to have any more pop until maybe Saturday evening when we are having a couple of drinks. I haven't had a glass of pop since yesterday and have reached for the water today instead. I had read that it is a good idea to have a glass of water as soon as you wake up before you do anything...so I am putting a glass of water on my bedside table and before my feet hit the floor in the morning I am having my glass of water.

I know there are going to be days where I fall back to the old routines that got me to where I am today but I won't let that deter me....I need to do this for me, not for my husband or my children or anyone else for that matter, but for ME! My husband and children are supporting me on my decision to change my life style. This time I am planning to succeed, not see where it takes me. I know I have a long road ahead of me but I want to see my children succeed at their lives and one day hopefully there will be grandchildren to spend time with and I want to be around for those things.

So today I am taking the first step towards reclaiming my life.

Corinne~

Apple Berry Banana Smoothie

2011-07-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

3 ounces apple juice
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 small banana
1 scoop Vanilla Whey protein powder
1 cup ice cubes

Pour ingredients into blender and blend on high until mixture is completely smooth and frothy.

Pour into tall glass and enjoy!

Makes 1 serving.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins

Corinne~

Seared Turkey & White Bean Burgers

2011-07-07T07:00:00.004-06:00

1/2 cup canned small white beans (cannellini are also fine), rinsed and drained
(note: I used white navy beans and they worked fine)
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. finely diced red bell pepper
3 Tbs. plain dried breadcrumbs
1-1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg
1 Tbs. thinly sliced chives
1/2 lb. ground turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices (1/2 inch thick) good country bread (like ciabatta), toasted

Combine the white beans, 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, and the garlic in a large bowl. Using a fork, lightly smash the beans and mix with the oil and garlic until blended. Add the red pepper, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, egg, and chives. Mix until blended. Crumble the ground turkey and add it to the bowl, along with 1/2 tsp. salt and a generous sprinkling of pepper. Gently mix with a fork or your hands until just blended; don’t overmix or the burgers will be tough. Fill a medium bowl with water, moisten your hands, and shape the meat into four patties about 3 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the burgers until the bottoms are browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the burgers and continue cooking until they’re firm to the touch and register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, another 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately on the toasted bread.

Corinne~

Gardner Lake

2011-07-06T08:15:00.005-06:00

Sunday evening as Al and I are watching a movie, my cousin calls me on her cell.....tells me to grab my camera and get to the slough and to HURRY....so I jump up, grab my camera and race off to the slough. I am thinking something big is happening as Brenda tells me hurry, you don't want to miss this. So I am thinking well its fairly calm so I don't think the road is going but you never know, maybe there is an large animal or two like deer, elk or moose in the water or someone is off the road in the water (that wouldn't really be a first). Well I get there and here she is with her fiance, son and his friend in a boat on the slough, which is also known as Gardner Lake on the RM map. So I grabbed a few photos of them out on the boat and then when they came to the roads edge, the boys and Brenda jumped out so her dad and I could go for a ride. Here are a few picture of our boat ride around Gardner Lake. (ps: the motor wouldn't start so we had to paddle)

Trying to get the motor started....think it flooded

Was trying for a silhouette photo

Coming to shore (edge of what is left of the road)

Here you can see my uncle standing along the road edge. You can see how the road is washing/eroding away with every day that there is any kind of wind out of the north. The south shore is now starting to go too...there are a couple of sink holes on that shore. With the occasional wind out of the south it has been eating away at that edge now too.

I took this photo from about 1/3 of the way out towards the middle of the lake. If you click on the photo to enlarge it you can see the barricade posts to keep people from the edge of the road.

For as long as I can remember that slough has had water in it not as much as we have this year but it has always been full with the exception of a couple of really dry summers it had finally dried up, but didn't take too long to fill back up again. I never thought I would be out in a boat on the slough, had thought it would be neat to get a canoe out on the water.

All that was missing was the fish and our fishing rods.

Corinne~

Half Way To Christmas

2011-06-25T12:08:00.000-06:00

The sky is blue the sun is shining and what enters my thoughts this morning......We are half way to Christmas. I have less than 6 months to get my Christmas cards made, lists to make for stocking stuffers (goal is to be finished those by the end of October) have an extra person to add to the stocking stuffer list this year too, yes this is a good thing, baking to plan, Christmas Dinner to plan and gift tags to make (my kids said they would love it if I made special gift tags this year along with my cards)......oh boy the time is going to fly by fast.

So this morning after sorting my laundry and getting that going I dug out the Rubbermaid tub containing the materials for the special quilts that I started 3 years ago for my kids. These quilts are in memory of their grandpa and it just got to hard for me to even think about back then, so I packed them away until I was ready to work on them again. With the kids all on their own I am ready to tackle this project I started back in July 2008 shortly after my dad's passing. I don't have to worry as much about them walking in on me working on the project and scrambling to put it away. I took all my dad's clothes that were in good condition, removed buttons and zippers and began ripping them apart at the seems so that I could cut them into quilt squares for Grandpa Quilts. My children always found comfort when they needed it in their grandpa along with a lot of love and support so what better way to give them a bit of their grandpa to be with them not only in their hearts but to give them comfort on days when they are sad, lonely, sick or just in need of feeling close to grandpa but with the gift of a Grandpa Quilt along with their Christmas PJ's on Christmas Eve.

So with 6 months and counting....time to make Grandpa Quilts, gift tags and cards, make lists for stocking stuffers so I can grab things when I find them on sale......so much to do so little time left....but most importantly I can't forget to enjoy our Summer as it is only here for a short while.

Corinne~

Take Time

2011-06-23T10:13:00.000-06:00

This morning as I looked out the window to the south I was taken back by the beauty of the fog laying in the field. I tried a couple of quick snapshots but wasn't happy with them, so I settled on catching a couple of shots of the dew drops on my sedge grass in my planter. I am hoping that once I view them I will be as happy with them on the computer screen as I was on the camera screen.

As we driving down the driveway I noticed the number of spider webs that had been spun over night. I also noted that this seems to be a re-occurring thing with fog in the morning. Oh how I wish I had been traveling by myself this morning to work, as I would of ran back home to grab the camera, another time. All the way down the road I was taken in by the beauty of these magnificent webs that were spun during the night. There were some very busy spiders last night. There were large webs and small webs, webs that spanned over more than one plant creating giant works of silky art.

So from my drive to work taught me one thing.....the next time I awake on a foggy morning like today's grab my camera as I am leaving the house as I am sure there will many silky webs to photograph.

Mother Nature is so generous with her art work.....so much beauty in this world of ours.....we just need time to stop and notice. As my grandmother always told me....be sure to take time to smell the roses along the way as you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Corinne~

Finished Planting

2011-06-17T09:43:00.000-06:00

Last night I finished up planting all my annuals into pots for the patio. I even finished planting all my pond plants too....the pond is now officially full. By the time I was finished planting everything it was too dark to take any pictures. Need to re-work a few of the rocks on the sides for the falls and place the "Parrot's Beak" and a couple of "Bacopas" around the water fall. Moved the Calla Lily's to sit in front of the pond for now. Al hung up my last two flowering baskets. Just have to hang the basket of strawberries and move the one humming bird feeder to the front of the house.

It is a wonderful feeling knowing I am done planting up my pots. Most of the plants are on the smaller deck in in the area around the pond, makes for a nice place to relax with coffee in the morning or a drink in the evening.

We are in for a wet rainy weekend, once the weather is nice and sunny again. I will post some photos of my flowering baskets and of course more photos of our Little Oasis On The Prairie.

Corinne~

Stanley Cup Final - Game 7

2011-06-16T08:22:00.000-06:00

Last night was Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final in Vancouver where the Boston Bruins vs Vancouver Canucks. Not long into the first period Boston scores a goal and tradition in the past has shown that the team to score the first goal wins the Stanley Cup, this year was no different and the tradition continues. I by no means follow hockey through the season or care to watch it on TV. The only game that I ever have any interest in is the final game of the Stanley Cup and even then I don't watch it in its entirety. When Boston got their second goal my prediction was 5:0 Boston, turns out I was 1 goal off in my prediction. The Boston Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 39 years, defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4-0.

Congratulations Boston Bruins

Boston was the stronger team on the ice that is for sure....not sure where Vancouver left their A Game last night but it wasn't with them on the ice (said by a few people I know)....did things deflate for them when Boston scored their first goal, hard to say. As a Canadian I was hoping that the Vancouver Canucks would win Game 7 and bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada. The Stanley Cup hasn't been in Canada since 1993 when the Montreal Canadians won the Stanley Cup

This morning on the news all the talk was about the Riots in Vancouver. Loosing a hockey game is no reason to start a Riot is it? Well in my mind it isn't a reason, and neither is winning a game a reason to start a riot. There are many news articles on last nights riots as well as many photographs from the nights events. If you are interested in reading an article with photos from the National Post click HERE How I feel about what happened can't even be put into words....a few that do come to mind are "Stunned" "Unbelievable" "Disappointed in my fellow Canadians that took part" "Ashamed" "Embarrassed" and "Disgusted" to state a few. I would think that many of the Canuck fans that par-took in the riots are asking themselves "What was I thinking" this morning or at the very least when they have reached sobriety or the adrenaline rush has left them.

These riots are a reflection on how a handful of fans felt after the game not how a majority of the Canucks fans felt after the game. The good out way the bad but you'll never hear about the good in situations like this.

Corinne~

Little Oasis On The Prairie ~ Part V

2011-06-15T07:48:00.001-06:00

This past weekend my hubby and I traveled to Flin Flon, Manitoba for the weekend to celebrate a very good friend of ours 60th Birthday. Our plan was to be able to kill 2 bird with 1 stone as the saying goes....1 to celebrate Ted's 60th Birthday and 2 get some granite and limestone rocks for our patio pond. My hubby had very little faith that we would find any flat granite rocks....well guess what he did find some. So last night we washed off the stones (shortly before the rain started) place a couple of the granite on one side and couple of the limestone on the other side, sat back and looked and decided that that limestone just didn't cut it. I went in to cook supper come to see what was happening and Al had all the granite stones around the edge of the pond....wow it looked nice. There was a small hole here and there but I could live with them till our next trip to Flin Flon. When I come out to let Al know supper was ready he had taken the rocks from around the edge and made a water fall under the old hand pump.....WOW is all I could say at first then I was able to spit it out.....You made me my "Waterfall" it is beautiful!

The sound of the water is so much softer now with it falling off the rocks. It is so nice and soothing. I am looking forward to enjoying my morning coffee out by the pond this weekend.

There's gold in them there rocks, fools gold that is! Pyrite!

(Al picked up a couple of granite rocks with some quartz and Pyrite in them)

Our plan for Thursday is to re-construct the water fall to hide the board the rocks are sitting on. I am re-planting my Calla Lilies and we have to move the rocks to get at the plants. I am thinking that I am going to move the both the Calla Lilies somewhere along the edge of the pond. My plan is now to build the waterfall around some small planted pots of bog loving plants. I have to decide on my plants now and get them by Thursday so we can finish the water fall area up. I love how the rocks hide the white hose to the pump. I find now that I barely notice it in the water.

Corinne~

Meagan.........

2011-06-14T07:37:00.002-06:00

Yesterday my youngest daughter decided to come out to the farm for the night. So we decided to do some pictures around the yard. Once Meagan decided what to wear after a couple of changes we were off....equipped not only with my camera but a can of Off...the mosquito's were out and about too.

After the photo shoot Meagan took to playing around with a few shots. I really like how she took all the color out except for her

Meagan and Brody

The pictures taken in the dandelion's are my favorites. I love how I was able to capture some of the seeds blowing as Meagan blew on the bloom of seeds.

The dandelion's seeds floating in the air makes me think that something "Magical" is in the air

Another of my favorites....

Corinne~

Little Oasis On The Prairie ~ Part IV

2011-06-11T07:00:00.010-06:00

Just a couple of quick pictures that I took the other night. I was trying to catch the gold fish in the pond. They sure add a nice splash of color to the pond.

I got the fish to the surface of the pond to attempt some pictures of them by fluttering my fingers in the pond. Seemed to work caught three of them in the pictures.

Because my pond is planted I don't need to feed the fish on a daily basis. What I have been doing because I am just establishing the pond and ecosystem within it I am feeding the fish every other day. I am working on getting them to come to the surface to me by fluttering a couple of my fingers in the water and so far it seems to be working as I do that for a minute or so and they start heading up to me to see what is happening. This way when I feed I see exactly how much they are eating and no extra food stays in the pond.

All my purchased plants are in the pond....just need to dig the cattails and some reeds, plant them then I will call it done. Oh and I am going to get some duck weed from the sloughs around our area too. I noticed that my little floating plants the "Water Butterfly" are starting to propagate already, so excited. I still want to pick up a container of "Fairy Moss" for the pond as well....it is another floating type plant that looks like a fine green lacy moss on the water top that I do believe changes color in the fall.

Corinne~

Around the Yard

2011-06-10T07:43:00.001-06:00

Yesterday evening as my hubby was mowing our lawn, all the container plants were watered I grabbed my camera and headed outside. Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers, I love the smell of them as you walk by a lilac bush. So over to my small lilac bush I headed to catch some shots of the flowers and hoping for a butterfly or two or even a bubble bee. Suddenly my little eye spied a bee drinking the sweet nectar from the lilac blossoms. So up with the camera, focus and he flies away......so disappointed as he was huge would have made a great shot...oh well...next time.

My great grandmother had the most beautiful deep dark purple lilacs at her place. Well over the years the weeds and grasses have choked them out. As a child I remember riding my bike down to the old homestead and picking these regal colored beauties for my grandma, and each year there seemed to be fewer and fewer of them.

I did get lucky enough to catch a beautiful butterfly in my lens. After the first shot when I stepped to get a more head on photo off he fluttered gracefully.

So as I was sitting on the trailer patiently waiting for the butterfly to return I was looking off into the pasture at my grandparents old Model T car (I think that is what it was). I am going to venture into the pasture another day to get some closer shots but here is a peak at what I was looking at last evening.

I have been eying up this old car for sometime now, thinking I have to get over there and snap some photos of this piece of my families history.

Corinne~

Patio Planters

2011-06-09T06:01:00.051-06:00

This year we are in the midst of doing some landscaping in our yard. Hubby rented a bobcat for a weekend, leveled out the driveway....yeah no more ruts to drive in....as well as filled in some dips in the yard. We still have the parging to do on the house, but at least that is doable with the yard leveled. With all this happening I don't have my perennial garden at the front of the house at this time so all my efforts have been focused on the pond and patio planters. I thought I would share a few photos of the planters on my deck.

This hanging basket is my favorite. So lush and full of buds. Garden of Dreams a local green house has the most beautiful baskets.

I picked up my darker pink Fuchsia basket at a different greenhouse in town and what a difference in appearance. The flowers are beautiful in color but the basket is very sparse compared to the one from Garden of Dreams.

If you can't tell Fuchsia's are one of my favorite summer time flowers.

Planters on the deck railing with solar lights. I think the birds on these lights look very realistic.

The Cardinal is my favorite!

Tried to catch the globe as the LED lights changed colors. You can see a hint of the red.....which actually glows a really nice deep dark red.

I have a 2 plants in the bicycle planter that I picked up the other day plus two square planters that I have to get pictures of yet.

We also decided that we would forgo planting a garden this year with other projects on the go. We felt it best not to spend the $$$ to buy seeds and plants and then let it get taken over by weeds.

Corinne~

Little Oasis On The Prairie ~ Part III

2011-06-08T08:02:00.001-06:00

Monday after work a quick stop at Wal-mart for some aquarium gravel proved to be a bit more costly as I picked up a few more plants for the deck, a bicycle planter and another set of solar lights for at my pond. Then I was off to Petland and picked up 6 Comet Goldfish for my pond...well by the time I got home 30 minutes later one of the fish had died. So I set the bag of goldfish in the pond to acclimatize to the pond water temp. Earlier that day I hit the garden center for a couple more pond plants. So while the fish were acclimatizing I re-potted a couple of my pond plants and placed them into the pond, all except for my water iris which needs to sit on a brick or something as it can't be completely submerged under the water.

Last night as evening was changing to night and I still had a bit of light I snapped off these few pictures. Wow the plants sure make a difference in the look of the pond.

If you click on the above photo for a larger version....see if you can find the gold fish.

The plant sitting on the ledge in the bag is my water Iris. Debating on picking up another one of these for that corner. Have a couple of ideas in mind what do there just not sure which way to go yet.

I love the antique look of the bike planter I have sitting off to the side of the pond.

I really like how the rope lights light up the water and give a nice soft glow to everything.

The 5 Solar Dragon Flies twinkle randomly. They remind me of little fireflies at night. My plan is once I have my cattails in the pond in that corner I will have the dragon flies peeking our of the rushes.

The more time I spend out at my pond, the more I am not sure if my Angel spitter suits the area. With the antique water pump and now the bicycle planter that looks like an antique bicycle I think I will have to set the spitter up in its own bowl.

Corinne~

Little Oasis On The Prairie ~ Part I I

2011-06-06T09:27:00.004-06:00

Friday after work was spent picking up pond plants from this greenhouse then this one. I picked up 6 plants for our pond - 1 water lily, 1 Oxygenator - Mare's Tale, 2 Marginal plants - Pitcher Plant and Corkscrew Rush and a couple of different floating plants...Water Hyacinth and container of small plants that look like a 4 leaf clover...think they are referred to as a water butterfly. Unfortunately I had to keep these plants in the house over the weekend as there was a risk of frost all weekend and it worked better as Al was working on things for the pond and the plants might have been in the way.

Marginal Plants

Corkscrew Rush....I really like the uniqueness to this plant

Pitcher Plant....love the colors

Floating Plants

Submerged Plants

So after discussions about how we were going to build a waterfall for the pond to hide the pump we concluded that we don't have the space to do a waterfall that way we would like. Suddenly the light bulb comes on above my hubby and he says we'll turn that old hand water pump into a fountain. So off he went Saturday morning to convert this pump into a fountain. My grandma's dream has finally come true....this pump was in my grandma's flower garden for many years...she had it placed strategically above the bird bath that she had in the garden. I can remember her telling my grandpa that he should rig up the garden hose to the pump somehow so that it would like water was being pumped out.

Here is the finished product in the pond.....I really like how it looks....a little bit of my grandmother's spirit went into our pond.

A close up of my Garden Angel......

So we concluded our work on the pond Saturday with the addition of some rocks to the bottom of the pond. The rope lights that Al added to the underneath ledge look really nice at night...they reflect into the water giving a nice glow. Not sure where the spitter's final spot will be on the edge yet....that corner is where I plan to plant some bull rushes. We have a slough in our field where I will dig a few plants for that corner.

Tonight I will put my plants in the pond...and pick up a few gold fish to add to the habitat.

Corinne~

Reflections

2011-06-01T08:14:00.002-06:00

Wow where are the days going....they seem to be going by faster and faster. One could say we live a faster life style as adults than we did as children, at least that is how it seems to me. June 1st we are half way through the year pretty much....feels like it was only a month or so back that we started into 2011 and here we are half way through.

Last night after work I spent some time sitting on my deck by my pond. How nice it will be once I have plants and flowers blooming in the pond. The sound of the water is so soothing. It was a nice time to sit and reflect on things where I have been in my life and where I am currently and where I want to be. Much like the words to Christina Aguilera's song "Reflections"

Who is the girl I see staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show who I am inside?

Yes time has a way of changing us all....sometimes our outter self matches our inner self and sometime they don't match at all.

Today I remember my Aunt Gladys, well she was actually my great aunt. She was a dear lady that I was lucky enough to get to know during my childhood. As a child every Saturday my grandparents went to town, we delivered eggs then did the grocery shopping and ended the day with a short visit with my Aunt Gladys. Aunt Gladys was my grandpa's youngest sister. Today is also Aunt Gladys' birthday, she was born 108 years ago today in the Malta. It was my Aunt Gladys that sparked my interest in family history. Occasionally I would spend my Saturday's with my Aunt Gladys...we talked about family history. She told me many stories over those times....I asked her if she would write down these things as I would never remember them in the future. It must of been the older me telling the younger me to make sure she writes down this history. My Aunt Gladys also made the best "shortbread cookies" around. To this day I have yet to find a shortbread cookie that comes close to hers. How I wish I had gotten her recipe for her shortbread.

I know that Aunt Gladys is watching over me....so today I wish my Aunt a very happy birthday in paradise.

Corinne~

Little Oasis On The Prairie ~ Part I

2011-05-31T11:34:00.052-06:00

With most of our inside renovations being completed we have been focusing more on the outside of the house. For the Victoria Day long weekend we decided to tackle some of the outside tasks. Al rented a bobcat to level out our driveway and yard. So nice not to have the ruts in our driveway that have been their for years. I dug out my few perennials that were in the front of the house, mainly peonies and a columbine. What a root mass one of the peony plants had...we had to end up digging it out and moving it with the bobcat. Because our old pond was being filled in as we haven't had it running for a few years now, I set out researching container ponds for our patio. Got some ideas and started making a list of what I would need.

Al and I have enjoyed going into town on Sunday's for breakfast. So after breakfast we decided to check out the greenhouses and a few garage sales. I was not only scoping out what I needed for a container pond but also plants for my patio planters. Wow some of these containers I was looking at are sure expensive for the size of them....my container pond was getting smaller and smaller with each place we checked out things.......well we hit John's Garden Centre last on our trek. Their supply of pond pants was fairly low as they were expecting a shipment in the next week. Well I hit the jackpot with the lady in that area...she was very knowledgeable. After discussions with her Al suggested that he build me a pond for on the deck that would be larger than the container that I was looking at for $89 and in the end would cost $0 as he had enough stuff left over from when we built the deck as well as some liner from the old pond...so we set out to designing what we wanted. Al set out calculating the weight of the pond filled with water at different dimensions together we came up with a design that we liked and on Sunday he set out to build me a pond.

Step 1 Building & Installation of the Pond

The triangular piece of plywood at the back is where we will mount the pump and filter. We are planning on building a water fall to hide the pump and filter.

The Finished Product - Step One

It took a little bit of time to get both the pump and spitter working the way we wanted. The pump hadn't been used for a few years, Al was a bit worried that he may have to buy a new one...but we lucked out once we realized that it was the clamp that held the hose on the pump that sucks the water up out of the pond was cracked....a quick fix and it was up and running. For the Angel Spitter it was was a case of setting the pump in the correct place as the deep it was the less the spitter pumped out.

A close up of our little guest.......

.....love how he looks soooo real!

Al sitting back, happy with his creation and relieved that everything is working.

Yesterday I spent the later part of the afternoon checking out the greenhouses that carry pond plants. I came with a few ideas of what I want in the pond for plants and on Thursday or Friday I will pick up some plants and add them to my pond. A pond just isn't a pond unless there are fish.....so a couple of gold fish will be added to our "Little Oasis On The Prairie"

We are planning a quick trip to Flin Flon in a couple of weeks and I plan to pick a few shale rocks and maybe some limestone rocks to put on the top edge of the pond and I have found what I want to put on the sides of the pond...will look like layers of flat rocks but without the weight of the rocks...looks really natural too. That siding will come in time as it is not an inexpensive project...good thing I don't need a lot or it might break the bank. hehehe

Stay tuned for more photos as we add to our the Oasis.

Corinne~

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:35:00.001-06:00

I couldn't have asked for a better "Mother's Day" this year. Friday night and Saturday was spent at our daughter's house doing reno's -- painting walls in the kitchen and living room....tearing out old living room floor, putting in sub floor getting it all ready for the lamenent.

Friday afternoon my dear hubby bought us a new toy.....a Polaris Sportsman Touring 500 HO Quad.....oh what a nice machine it is. It has a 2-up seat with lots of room so that the passenger doesn't feel restricted in any way. So Sunday afternoon we geared up off riding we went. First we headed to One Stop Convenience to fill up...good thing we ended up burning 1/2 a tank of fuel. We had a wonderful ride on the trails around our place. We seen 8 white tail deer in total, a heard of Buffalo cows and calves - no not wild buffalo but farm raised, a red tail hawk and a number of geese when we went to check out the road that is washed out. Seen a lot of the devastation from the 2008 Tornado that went through our area....we seen areas that you wouldn't see unless you were snowmobiling or quading. We got a little muddy and found that a winch is a good thing to have.....had to use it twice....

Ended the evening with supper with my kids and hubby....Chinese one of my favorites. My son bought me a beautiful orchid too....it is full of blooms so beautiful. Will try to get a picture in day or so to post for you all to see.

It was a wonderful day.....

Corinne~

Pancake Soufflé Muffins with Strawberry-Maple Syrup

2011-04-27T08:55:00.000-06:00

Nonstick cooking spray
10-1/2 oz. (2-1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
4-1/2 oz. (1 cup plus 2 Tbs.) cake flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
6 T bs. granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3-1/3 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling

Strawberry syrup
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup quartered, hulled ripe strawberries

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Liberally spray two 12-cup muffin pans with the cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large, clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed to firm (but not dry) peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the mixer on medium-high speed until thick, ribbony, and lemon-yellow, about 6 minutes. Add the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla; mix on medium-low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Add one-third of the buttermilk and mix to combine. Alternate adding the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, ending with the buttermilk and mixing until just combined.

With a large rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter, leaving some streaks.
Scoop about 1/2 cup of the batter into each muffin cup — you can fill the cups to the rims.

Bake, rotating the pans after 10 minutes, until browned on top and puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out dry, 20 to 25 minutes total.

Make the syrup While the muffins are baking, bring the maple syrup to a boil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Put the strawberries in a medium serving bowl. Pour the syrup over the berries and set aside in a warm spot.

With an offset spatula, pop the muffins out of the cups and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve with the syrup.

You can make the batter up to 2 hours ahead through the step of folding in the beaten egg whites. Refrigerate it, covered, in its bowl. Do not portion it into muffin tins until you're ready to bake.

You can freeze any leftover muffins in a Ziploc freezer bag for up to 2 weeks.

Serves 12

Yields 24 muffins

Corinne~

Life Is Good!

2011-04-26T08:36:00.001-06:00

Easter has come and gone for another year. Where does the time go, in a few days we'll be moving into the 5th month of the year....feels like we should be only entering into the 3rd month. Holds true don't blink you might miss it.

Our family had a wonderful Easter weekend. We started with a visit to my daughters on Thursday after work for a couple of drinks with her, her new boyfriend our other daughter and her friends as they all got ready for "Spring Fling".

Spring is a time for new beginnings....my son M started his job at Canadian Tire last week. Was getting very frustrating for him...applying for job after job and nothing. Now that he has found a job the interview requests are coming from every where. My eldest daughter B is moving on with her life...out with the old and in with the new. She has found herself a very nice boyfriend, one that treats her like she deserves to be treated...like a Princess. So nice to see her so happy in her life. First time I have seen her this happy in a very long time. My youngest daughter M is back home...hubby is moving her stuff home from Saskatoon this weekend. M had a job interview last week and is in the running for the job...from what she was told by an acquaintance that works there M is the top candidate so heres hoping she gets the job. It is part time but at least it is work and if it works out hopefully she can find another part time job to pick up the slack. Yes life is good....that song has been playing in my head since last week.

Good Friday the hubby and I just spent around home not doing too much of anything. Saturday B came out to our place for the night with her two fur babies - Charlie & Abby. My house went to the dogs for the weekend. Easter Sunday we had a wonderful family supper, B's boyfriend arrived early afternoon after a visit with his dad and family.

Life is good!

Corinne~

Reindeer Tilda ~ Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long

2011-04-25T05:33:00.044-06:00

Wow can't believe that is the 25th of the month once again. It is once again time for the Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long Blog Hop. 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.

If you arrived here from Cordine's blog, then you are on the right track. If you just stumbled onto my blog you will want to click HERE to go the start of the blog hop so you don't miss out on any of the fabulous projects we have to share with you.

For this card I once again used a brown lunch bag for the base of my card. For my card I used two different Tilda images from the Merry Christmas Collection 2010, I used Reindeer Tilda and Snowy Hug, I don't see Reindeer Tilda in stock but Snowy Hug is currently in stock over at Magnolia-licious. I also used Log and Winter Pine Trees (not sure of the name).

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.

Now onto to my card....

Tilda is masked to be sitting on the log. I popped her up on foam dimensional tape so that she sitting in front of the pine trees.

I kept the greeting on the inside simple. I used MS Doily Punch to get the blue lace over silver glitter paper. I trimed the edges Snowy & Tilda`s hat with liquid applique along with the trim on Tilda`s coat then coated thim in Crystal Stickles. I used Polar Flower Soft for the snow on the ground.

Close up of both Tilda`s. Reindeer Tilda`s antlers are flocked with a light brown flocking.

I had colored both these imges up a while back and lost the scrap piece of paper that had my copic colors listed on it...going from memory here are the colors I remember:

Skin: E000, E00, E02 & R20

Blues: B91, B93, B95 & B97

Log: E25, E29, E35 & E50

Pinks: R81, R83 & R85

Now it is time to hop on over to Danielle`s blog to see what she is has to show you today. I am sure it will be fabulous.

Corinne~

R.I.P Lucy

2011-04-10T19:43:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning we lost one of our fur babies, Lucy! Lucy came to live with us three years ago after she was rescued. To read Lucy's Story click HERE you will have to scroll down the page a bit.

Lucy passed at home with Al and I in the early hours of the morning. Our house feels empty with out her. Her last few days weren't the best for her as her body was shutting down. She had a lot of the symptoms Pancreatic Cancer which is a hard condition to diagnose until the late stages of the disease. Without being seen by the Vet and having some tests a true diagnosis can't be made.

Lucy was an amazing dog....right up until the end she never let us know she was in pain. She didn't want to leave us as we watched her fight death on Friday night. She would move from Al and I all evening letting us both know that she loved us.

It was very hard to watch a dog that was vibrant until just a few days ago....slip away so fast. I am grateful that she isn't suffering anymore and very grateful for the short time we had her in our lives. She will be dearly missed by our entire family.

Rest In Peace Lucy

My Sweet Pea!

Corinne~

Signs of Spring

2011-04-05T08:42:00.000-06:00

You know spring is here when you see the Canada Geese return from their vacation in the balmy south. Sunday afternoon as I was heading into town to pick up my daughter just a little ways from our drive way were two Canada Geese standing on the edge of the road.....then further down the road by the slough were three more Canada Geese. I am sure they are wondering where the open water is and what is with all this white stuff. It was a wonderful site and very uplifting. Our snow is disappearing fairly fast...faster than I thought it would. Yes I do feel like spring is here. I love that I am waking up to the rising sun and going home before its fully set.

Each night our temperature drops enough that the puddles are frozen over.....the last two days as I am walking out to the car I notice opportunities for some neat photos but alas I haven't had the time to run back in and grab my camera. Yesterday morning it was the formation of the ice on the puddles....such neat shapes and colors and this morning it was a frost ring on the frozen mud...looked as though something round had been lifted out of the mud leaving this amazing ice crystal formation behind. So maybe if I get to bed earlier tonight I can get up earlier and have some time to go out with the camera before I have to leave for work.

Another sign of spring that brings music to my ears is the notes from the birds singing away in the mornings. Haven't spotted any blue birds yet...but have some Junco's in my yard. After a long winter spring seems to arriving with new signs daily.

Corinne~

Easter Traditions

2011-04-03T00:50:00.000-06:00

So I have searching the web for some ideas for a different Easter Supper menu than turkey and the fixings..... tossing a few ideas around. If my youngest liked seafood...think I would do a seafood feast but that will have to be for another time.

I think this year I am going to try my hand at making the Ukrainian Easter Bread. Ukrainian Easter bread or paska (which means Easter) is a slightly sweet egg bread that can be decorated with religious symbols. Traditionally it's taken to church on Easter morning in a special basket with other foods to be blessed. We don't belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox or Ukrainian Catholic Church, so we will be skipping that part of the tradition.

I like to try and keep my husband's heritage alive the best I can. I also do this with my families ethnic background - both Norwegian and English. It is good for the kids to know about their heritage, it is something they can be proud of.

A quite peculiar national trait in Norway is solving crimes during Easter. Publishers churn out series of books known as "Easter-Thrillers" or Påskekrimmen. Even the milk cartons change to have murder stories on their sides! So maybe a muder mystry game is an idea of something to do over the Easter weekend or a good crime story movie.

Nothing saying we can't start our own traditions as well....something that our family likes to do together and maybe something we may only do at Easter time too.

Corinne~

Out Like A Lamb

2011-04-01T09:04:00.000-06:00

Well the old saying stands true.....if March comes in like a Lion it will go out like a Lamb. On March 1st there seemed to be some debate on if March came in like a Lion or a Lamb...the temperatures were milder than they had been but we were getting snow storms....for me it was like a Lion. True to the old saying March went out like a lamb. We had temperatures of +8 Celsius and higher in some areas....I do think we might have been the hot spot in the province. My son told me that mid-afternoon the temperature at our place hit +11. I knew it had to have been warm all day at home as I barely made it up my little drive way...even the main drive way was a challenge with all the slush....but I must say my Santa Fe pulled through no problem. Wouldn't have wanted to try that drive way with a small car.....wouldn't have made it half way down.

I think it is safe to say that Spring has arrived! Lets hope this isn't Mother Nature's idea of an April Fool's Joke..... the forecast for the weekend is nice...so hoping that I can get out for a walk with my camera in hand and catch some signs of spring. I am still working on the details for my photography challenge. I am thinking of setting up a 52 week photo challenge and a few smaller challenges for the different seasons.

Enjoy your weekend! Hoping everyone has beautiful weather and is able to get outside and enjoy it.

Corinne~

Peas n' Carrots

2011-03-31T09:39:00.001-06:00

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~

Time With Family & New Recipes

2011-03-28T10:49:00.000-06:00

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~

Running Late

2011-03-27T10:38:00.003-06:00

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~

Happy Happy Birthday!

2011-03-26T00:19:00.001-06:00

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~

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

2011-03-25T05:00:00.015-06:00

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~

Where is the Time Going

2011-03-17T12:06:00.000-06:00

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~

Spring Is Coming

2011-03-08T14:21:00.000-06:00

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~

So Far Behind

2011-03-04T12:48:00.000-06:00

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~

Canadian Challenge Happenings......

2011-02-25T07:11:00.033-06:00

Thursday a bitterly cold day for the most part of the Canadian Challenge. With the wind chill it felt like -37 Celsius.....bitterly cold. The wind was taking its toll on the dog teams that were out on the Lac La Ronge Lake today until late afternoon early evening when the wind finally died down.

I spent the day at the finish line with my friend Michelle. Some good opportunities for photos....with Mandatory vet checks and rest stops happening in La Ronge. Michelle helped with one of the vet checks....one of the teams from Churchill that scratched from the race had a dog that took sick and wasn't seeming to improve, headed to PA to see the vets there. The dog got a clean bill of health...better safe than sorry....and with limited resources the race vets felt it would be the best for the dog to seen at a clinic...all ended well.

Beautiful Siberian Huskies

For an entire year I have been looking forward to returning to La Ronge for the best tasting bannock in Saskatchewan and Tom was there to please. Yes it was worth the year long wait.

Everyone enjoyed Tom's bannock.

Corinne~