Cinnamon Girl Stuff

I was lucky enough to spend the other day with the clever and talented Knatolee who helped me set up my very own Esty shop. Yippee! It took the better part of the day but I'm up and running. And all it cost me was some butternut soup and tuna fish. Thanks Nat. I'm tickled!

To get to my brandy new shop, click here: www.etsy.com/shop/CinnamonGirlStuff

Lonely Heart

At our monthly production meeting the other day at work, there was one lonely heart-shaped donut in the box. Just sitting there. No one seemed to want it.

So I took it. It turned out to be a raspberry filled jelly donut. Haven't had one in years. Very sweet, just like every heart should be at Valentine's Day, right?

Bite Me Sandwich Shop & Deli

In beautiful, downtown Alexandria, not far from where I live, a new deli and sandwich shop opened up in a Victorian brick house.

Lots of hot and cold choices. I can't wait to go back and try them all.

 Finally, a place to get real Montreal bagels! There's also a selection of homemade pickles and relishes.

And knishes and latkes and various salads and cold cuts. Almost like being back in Montreal!

 Richard had a smoked meat on rye...Lots of meat. Delicious!

 I had the sliced turkey on Russian black bread. Yummy!

I just love the way they had the salt pepper and hot sauce ready to go. Cute.
Can't wait to return to Bite Me!


Bite Me Sandwich Shop & Deli, 126 Main St. S, Alexandria, ON K0C 1A0
Tel. 613-930-1061
E-mail: bitemesandwichshop.deli@hotmail.com

Winter Woods

 In the woods on the weekend, the trees are starting to bud.

I always wonder what the little woodland creatures manage to eat and I noticed in several places in the field, lots of munching going on.

I also noticed lots of wild grapes still on the vine and evidence of grape eating too.

We came upon lots of old trees, this one looks like it might be lived in. My flying squirrels home perhaps?

Richard was pretty happy with a dead tree he found, chopped down and lugged in for splitting this spring.

Happy Birthday Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock, the father of abstract expressionism would have turned 100 years old on January 28.

He was an amazing artist who led an interesting life. He died at the age of 44 in 1956.

I decided to celebrate his birthday by making cupcakes.

I went a little crazy with the icing.

Happy birthday Jackson!

How about abstract expressionism meets pop art?

Snow Rolls

Over the weekend it was just about 0C, the snow was damp and the wind was howling.

 

 Perfect conditions for what are known as snow rolls.

They popped up all over the countryside. You couldn't help but notice them everywhere.

Also known as snowrollers, snow bales and snow doughnuts, this phenomenon requires a precise balance of air temperature, ice, snow, moisture and wind. They are essentially a wintry version of tumbleweed.

Kind of like Mother Nature was playing in the snow...

...or something like that.

License to...

Dalkeith Winter Carnival

I was the judge at the Dalkeith Winter Carnival parade last Saturday. Here's the Carnival Queen leading the way.

Since it's the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812, there was a float honouring Laura Secord and the Glengarry Fencibles, along with a PVC cannon!

 Here are the soldiers waving or saluting or something...

 The winning float in the parade was the Greyhound Long Haul bus...

...powered by the passengers! Check out the legs under the bus. Richard called it the Fred Flintstone bus.

 Our town council had a float. There's our mayor in blue and our deputy mayor throwing out candy to us.

There were all sorts of horses in all shapes and sizes. These had riders in Scottish gear.

 I loved this mini-horse! He got second prize.

This mini-horse looks sad now and I suppose maybe he should have gotten second prize. Or third?

I loved this burro and gave him the "special horse prize" even though he's not a horse. (That's what you get when you ask a city girl to judge horses!)

This third place float for the Queen's 60th Jubilee was a winner because her scepter is a toilet plunger. Great attention to detail I'd say!

Here's Richard along with Wendy who was covering the parade for The News, and Jean who is the Dalkeith correspondent.

And here's Ian, the organizer of the parade, paying off the judge with a Tim Horton's donut. Will work for food!

BFF's Birthday

January 31st has always been my oldest and dearest friend Roberta's birthday. I've known her since she was six years old. That's me in blue and she's in the yellow shirt.

She moved to New York state in 1966. Here we are in 1967 on my annual summer visit to her place. I spent one month down there and Bert spent one month with me in Montreal. We did that until we both went to university.

1975: Here we are in New York at Bert's little brother's bar mitvah.

Bert and I spent most of the summer of 1976 in Montreal going to every Olympic event we could get ticket to.

And we're together again in 2000 in New York at her little brother's wedding.

Bert and her husband Phil moved to Florida a few years back and when Bert turned 50 in 2009, Phil flew me down to surprise her. January 31st was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in West Palm Beach so we did 5 km. -- with Phil and daughters Whitney and Stephanie -- as part of Bert's birthday celebrations.

In November of that same year, Richard and I flew down to Florida for a quick visit. I wish she lived closer! Happy birthday Bert!

Bedtime at Natalie and Gordon's

My friends Natalie and Gordon share January birthdays and asked me to make them a cake.

I decided the perfect thing to do would be to make a cake with them surrounded by all their animals.

At first I was going to sit them on the edge of the cake, but then when my cat Nutmeg jumped into bed with me one night, I had a "eureka moment" and figured I'd make a cake looking like Nat and Gordon's bed with all their animals piled in on top of them.

Besides their big dogs Tristan and Sophie, they have three cats and a new kitten and all sorts of fancy roosters.

They also had many adventures this summer with their mama duck and 12 sweet ducklings.

The dogs got toy balls, the kitties a small ball and purple mice. (Gordon and Nat ate the mice!)

And I couldn't forget their 19-year-old leopard gecko, given to them as a wedding gift as well as Natalie's beloved bees.

 All in all, one of the most fun cakes I have ever made.

Natalie loved the cake...

They both loved it. 

And we all loved eating it. I guess this is what it must look like to be sleeping in a double layered chocolate bed with dark chocolate chunks and ganache frosting between the layers.
If you haven't already, please "like" my cake page on Facebook. I'd love to get 400 followers.
Click here: facebook.com/RonnasCakebook and then click on the little grey box with the thumb up at the top of the page. Much obliged!!