Raccoons Beware!

Raccoons have broken into my storage shed so Richard and I decided to find the hole (we did) and cover it over (we did that too). But we also had to remove all their mess (yuck). Shredded boxes, styrofoam and paper bits and poop! I was warned about removing animal poop so that's why I have my version of the HasMat suit on. Life in the country, eh?

Super Bowl & Hot Dogs

The Super Bowl game was on last night but it was too cold outside for a tail gate party, so I made hot dogs a beans. Sort of works for football?


They were Hebrew National Franks, my favourite.


Richard's version of the meal mixed it up a bit more.

Baby Plates

I painted this dinner plate and matching dessert/salad plate for a friend of mine to take to her granddaughter in California. I hope she enjoys them!

Thought for Food

Last week I made a big pot of chicken soup that seemed to last me all week. Everyday I added different veggies and made it taste a little different each time. Really yummy on a cold night.


One of the best meals I made this week was a spur of the moment thing. Turkey meatballs browned with onions, garlic and peppers. Then I added tomato sauce and when the brown rice was ready, I added some artichoke hearts. I topped it with a few grates of cheese. Healthy and delicious.

By the Light of the Moon

Last Saturday was the largest full moon of the year -- when it looks the largest to us here on Earth, anyhow. It's called the Full Wolf Moon and it was big! We were invited to a moonlight snowshoe and I was intrigued. About 15 of us strapped on the shoes and off into the woods we all went. We were out for a little over an hour and even though it was -22C, once you got into the woods and there was no wind, it was surprisingly warm. We returned to mugs of hot cocoa and bowls of mulligatawny soup and warm biscuits. Okay, sometimes winter ain't so bad, right?

Our ATC Gang

Last Saturday, our artist trading card group met for our post-Christmas ATC exchange. What a fun gang!


We also had our holiday potluck which had been cancelled from last month due to freezing rain.


Good trades. Good eats. Good times!

Operation Smile in Haiti

I thought I'd share some amazing photos of my cousin Jane who is an anesthesiologist and is now in Haiti. That's her at the end of the gurney.


And here she is again. She's one amazing gal. To see more photos of work being done by Operation Smile, click on their Blog from the Field.

Wild Blueberry Muffins

The gals on the Art Fayre committee were coming here for an early meeting the other morning so I decided to serve them warm muffins. These are very easy to make. I mixed up the dry ingredients the night before so it was even easier! The recipe was from The Joy of Cooking and I used their basic muffin recipe, so you can add any fruit or nuts that you have available.


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Whisk in another bowl:
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
4-8 tablespoons melted butter (or oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla


Stilr with a few light strokes just until the dry ingredients are moistened.


I added frozen wild blueberries from last summer and mixed them in lightly.


Divide batter into pan. I added coarse, sanding sugar to the tops for texture (just like at Tim Horton's). Bake at 400F for 12 to 15 minutes.


Yum-o. There weren't many left after the meeting. Nice taste and not too heavy. Try it!

Chip Stand Art

I love stopping at chip stands that dot the countryside. Not only are their fries usually fantastic, so is their folk art. Here's a fun thing seen at Jean Burger in Wakefield, Québec.


Closer to home there's the famous Gaetan's chip stand in Alexandria, Ontario.


Don't you love Monsieur French Fry with his bouffant made of ketchup, salt and vinegar in hand.


Looks like I can't wait to get my arms around him, eh?

To see more adventures at Gaetan's, click here.

Two Beans Café

There's a little place that opened up a few years back called the Two Beans Café. It's in an old Victorian house in Alexandria, just down the road a piece.


They have a simple menu with two soup choices, several sandwiches and two hot specials. My friend Rosemary and I both chose the Italian Wedding soup which was fantastic.


I had a turkey bacon wrap...


...and Rosemary had the roast beef with horseradish sandwich. Both were served with a tasty bit of potato salad.


For dessert she had the apple coffee cake...


...and I had two chocolate cookies, hot from the oven with a cup of tea. If you're ever in Alexandria, the Two Beans Café is a great place for a light lunch.

Two Beans Café, 124 Main Street, Alexandria, Ontario K0C 1A0
Phone: 613-525-1466
Hours: Mon - Friday: open at 11:00 a.m.
CLOSED: Saturday and Sunday

Rabbits in the Snow

Richard and I spent much of the weekend walking through the woods. There are so many animal tracks in the snow, it's fun to see what's been visiting. Lots of deer, coyote, racoons and snowshoe hares.


This year I decided to set up several brush piles in the pine/spruce woods. There is little undergrowth and I figured it might be a good place for a rabbit or small animal to go for cover.


A-ha! I noticed snowshoe hare prints all over the place and then I saw this in one of the brush piles. Bunny poop!

Pizza Cake

My friend Dave's birthday was celebrated on Saturday night and I made him a deep dish pizza cake.


I made the pepper slices and mushrooms out of buttercream icing, piped onto the cake. Melted cheese was a lemon and icing sugar glaze. And the bacon bits were made from a chopped dried fruit bar.

My Amazing Cousin Jane

My amazing cousin Jane is off via military transport to join a surgical team for two weeks to Haiti to help in the relief efforts there.


She is an anesthesiologist and I'm sure her two weeks in Haiti will be well spent. We're all very proud of her and are praying for her safety and also for her quick return.

Moose Creek

I just love this sign that welcomes you to Moose Creek, a small town not far from me. Every other little town around here has turned to a professional sign maker -- and now all the signs look exactly the same. Except for this one. I hope they don't change it.