ALMOST CHRISTMAS TIME

December is an exciting month.....remembering Christmas's past and preparing for the upcoming celebration of Christmas 2010! All so much fun.

I love to remember friends and family (old and new) and to take the time to share visits with them all. Hand writing cards and letters, baking butter and mincemeat tarts along with some long time tradtional cookies and entree dishes are just a few of my favorite things ..... that I still love to do.

Today, I had a lovely coffee break with my wonderful friends Norete (Crafty Norete on this blog) and her husband Tony (who was lighting up their pretty Christmas tree as well as the outside entrance to their home. We shared a lovely visit, some fresh coffee and very yummy cookies of the season (thankyou friends...you mean so much to me)!

The roses (all 60 of them) were a birthday gift from my sister and her husband (last month) and the snow scene in the dark was taken from my patio last Saturday morning just before 7:00am. Luckily, it rained and melted away (Snow is not my favorite.....this season or any other.....haaa haaa ha)......sorry, just being truthful here.

I'm hoping to find time to blog more in 2011 - until then.....Merry Christmas to all - good health and goodwill be yours!

My favorite season is here !

The stillness of the water, the blue skies, frosty mornings and crisp air are some of my favorite things!

I hope they are your favorites too.

Autumn Tasting

Cool day with a warm kitchen!!

Preparing for the first day of our new season at sewing club.

Baked fresh pumkin tarts and will dress them with a dollop

of whipped cream and a spritz of cinamon just before I serve them tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing all club members and hearing about their exciting summer events.

MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmarmalade Time

Beautiful September '09 is here and the colors, tastes and fragrances of autumn abound all across Canada!

Still, I have my kitchen on stand-by as I decide what to preserve in the next round of jars. Isn't it fun to squirrel away delights to enjoy on those cold winter days ahead? Truly my favorite season.

Yesterday I prepared 16 half pints of Carrot/Orange Marmalade and beyond the beautiful color in the jar is the yummy flavor it adds to a well toasted piece of favorite bread or a good biscuit - hot from the oven!

Enjoy these lovely autumn days as you save your pretty preserves.

"Cheers to All"

FOR THE LOVE OF THE SEASON

Oh how I love this time of year and the wonderful abundance of fruits and vegetables from the orchards and gardens in the Okanagan Valley.

Like so many of you this time of year, my kitchen becomes a busy space in my home as I prepare goods for the pantry (to enjoy this upcoming winter and to share with friends & family). I adore the different fragrances of spices and sugars wafting through my home as I pickle and jam. Preserving is a household chore I've loved to do for the past 40 + years and learned well from a great teacher....my dear mother who is 86 and still loves to save food in jars :)

Although I no longer have a need for big quantities of the preserves, I cannot imagine a year without certain items being set on the pantry shelves. There is something so wholesome and good about preserving our own food and as long as there is food to preserve....I promise to continue.

Yesterday, I completed some tasty Red Rhubarb Jam (so sweet & so pretty) ... very tasty on toast, fresh bread or home made biscuits w/ cheddar. I love the tart and the sweet flavors.

Last week, I processed a few pints of Beet Pickles (my absolute favorite pickle). I love to serve these pickles with roast beef dinner, they compliment each other so well and somehow there's never a pickle left to put back in the jar. Proud to say my recipe is decades old (in my family) and has been a Grand Prize ribbon winner at many a country fair in generation after generation of our family.

I will visit farmers market again soon and plan to make a few more pints of the beets. My next session will be Antipasto which is another long time favorite with my family & friends (it's my long time tradition to share all these tasty goods).

Will post more later ~

Good canning to you all !

Navy, Lime & Yellow

This morning I created a new pair of bags.

I love how sharp navy looks with other colors.

In fact, it pairs well with many colors and is my very favorite 'base'!

I'm hapyy with the freshness of the lime & yellow in this print and the white topstitch finish.

Hope you like it too! Wishing everyone a sunshine day...enjoy the great outdoors!

SPRING COLORS

So nice to feel the warmth of the sun and see the bright blue sky.

I do hope everyone enjoyed this wonderful Easter weekend. The spring color carnations are a gift from family and add such good energy to my sitting room. I love them!

Hoping to find time to cut and sew soon.

Cheers!