Architecture Cake

I made this cake for a young man who is graduating from an architectural technology program. The blueprint on the right is his great-grandfather's plan printed on an edible sugar sheet. By the way, everything on this cake is edible.

Paintball Cake

I made this cake for a young man who was celebrating his bar mitzvah with a paintball party with his friends at night.

 He loved his cake and I was so thrilled.

 We were both very silly.

I mean, who gets to wear a fondant paintballer on your shoulder? Couldn't be better!

Queen Margherita Pizza

 There are a million places to eat in Toronto but Queen Margherita Pizza was highly recommended and so we headed over to the one at Baby Point. We started with an insalata funghi which had roasted portabello mushrooms with arugula and blue cheese.

 We also shared a starter of carpaccio. Fabulous.

 Then a couple of incredible pizzas: this one a Caprese with hot sausage...

...and a classic Margherita pizza with basil, tomato sauce and cheese. A perfect meal. Highly recommend it!

A Walk at the Trails

We're lucky to live near the Glengarry Trails which includes a walk around a small lake called the Garry Fen.

It was quite muggy and buggy but that didn't stop us.

Even though it rained on us halfway through, Peggi led the way.

We came upon the carnivorous pitcher plant in bloom.

 I just love these sedges that are growing on this wee hummock.

 Each of these tiny islands sport a different collection of plant life.

 In the woods we came upon the most amazing collection of these dryad saddle mushrooms.

Fabulous!

 Peggi spotted this Ram's head orchid, a rare plant in these parts.

We even came upon a small clump of these beauties.

 The marsh marigolds were still in bloom.

 And clumps of ferns were unfurling. (And no, these aren't the edible kind.)

 Maidenhead ferns are so delicate looking.

 Some wildlife action. Check out the fast moving snail we caught on camera.

 And this bullfrog was happy to watch us walk by, not moving one bit as I snapped his photo.

Summer Adirondack Chairs

My parents have had these Adirondack chairs for 15+ years. They were always dark blue. A few years ago I got the idea to paint them light blue. But the light blue didn't adhere too well and was bubbling off so time to repaint!

Richard suggested that porch paint might work better. At Canadian Tire I found a can that was 50% off. Not blue but something called Pecan Shell. I figured I'd give it a try.

And am I ever happy that I did. They came out great and look like brand new chairs again. Now bring on the sunshine!

Ahhhh....Summer!

Nothing' better than the NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle, fresh coffee and just baked cinnamon buns enjoyed outside in the cool air of an early spring/summer day. Love it.

Gardening Expert Mark Cullen

Gardening guru Mark Cullen was in our little town over the weekend for a Q and A session. He gave Richard some great tips on keeping cats out of his garden (using old rose canes). I of course was sillier and asked Mark if he ever asked Ed Lawrence, (CBC Radio's expert gardener) for help if he was stumped with a gardening question. Couldn't help myself.

Cat vs Raccoon

 After four months my red boy barn cat is quite tame and I can pick him up!

 But life got complicated when this little-ish raccoon discovered how much he likes cat food.

 Red Boy is as sweet as pie and waits for his food.

Unfortunately, Mr. Raccoon has discovered feeding times and pushes the cat away.
What to do?

Mutton anyone?

Saw this on the shelf the other day and wondered what it was like. I'm not a big fan of canned meat at the best of time...but mutton? Reminds me of an old Seinfeld episode where he hid the mutton in his pocket.

Crazy Flower Cake

 I made this crazy flowered cake -- chocolate with chocolate chips inside -- and donated it to the annual Madagascar School Fundraiser where they hold a cake auction.

 Here is the auctioneer in the background trying to get bids for my cake.

 And here's the lucky family who shelled out $265 for the cake! All for a great cause.

Aren't these kids adorable?

Those Peanuts Aren't for You!

 A couple of improvements this winter/spring have proved fortuitous for a local raccoon. A hanging peanut feeder and a new flat bird shelf were just perfect for this guy.

He simply stood on the bird feeder and reached down a peanut.

 I wondered why I was going through peanuts so darn quickly.

Cute but pesky. So now the peanut feeder has been brought in for the season and I've been monitoring my outdoor cat's supper to make sure Rocky isn't eating it. Hopefully with the lack of available food, he'll scram soon.

Luggage Cake

A friend of mine is moving out west, to Red Deer, Alberta to live closer to his family. There was a potluck in his honour yesterday, and I offered to make dessert.

Here's an idea of how big it was. A double layered cake, vanilla and chocolate. It was a real challenge to make and was a big hit at the party!

So long for now...

Jack returned home to Montreal last night after a two week visit to the country.

 My cats were getting used to him and he actually struck up a tentative
friendship with Oreo.

 He and Nutmeg were almost at the friend stage until Jack had the audacity to eat her food. Lots hissing ensued. But all in all, Jack was a delightful house guest and I am anxious for his next visit.

Just Visiting

This is Jack's fourth sleepover because his mum and dad are travelling again. This time he's decided that it's HIS house and to heck with the other three cats. He marches around, eats their food, they growl and he kind of just looks at them and keeps going. Actually, it's pretty easy having him around and the girls are getting used to him. He's a sweetheart.