Road Trip, Delicious Food and a Fab Recipe to Boot!

Saturday we left to visit our good friends Karen and Jason who live a couple of hours from us.  We made the plan while sitting on the beach drinking cold beers this summer and a good plan it was.

Surprisingly enough Holly wanted to come along as well as she's become interested in sewing her own clothes (yes, she now has my machine) and Karen teaches Fashion at at the high school where she lives. The weather called for rain all weekend (they are always wrong... what's going on Environment Canada?) but we left on a perfect fall day.  Holly hooked up her ipod to the car radio and slowly introduced us to rap hoping in some small way we may become converts.. ... no such luck.  She started off with Rihanna & Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie" cause I actually have that song on my ipod and like it but after that it all went down hill.  We both like Adele so we listened to her the rest of the way especially this song.  Her voices blows me away.

On the way we stopped for lunch here....

Friends introduced us to this restaurant years ago and I have never forgotten it.  Unbelievably fabulous food.

Such attention to detail....

Delicious scones.....

I had an incredible tomato vegetable soup....

and the mother of all salads ... I mean where have you ever seen a salad that's a work of art???  I almost hated to eat it.  The dressing was some sort of raspberry vinigrette but when I asked the waiter it sounded like the chef "wasn't in the mood for sharing"

That night we enjoyed dinner with our friends and a delicious Pad Thai and they were in the mood for sharing ....

So speaking of food and recipes, I made this awesome Fire Vegetable Broth Soup with Sausage last Thursday night.  It was from Karen at The Art of Doing Stuff .. she always has great recipes and she makes me laugh too...

Cheers to a  terrific Monday...

Sunday Stuff

Sunday turned out to be stellar  ... sunny, breezy, gorgeous skies .. the most perfect fall day.

John's fishing plans fell by the wayside as we decided to spend the day doing stuff around the house.  At first that didn't seem like such a fabulous plan to me but I eventually got in the spirit  and enjoyed myself.  We spent a few hours rearranging my studio so I could take my larger canvases (30"x60") and hang them directly on the wall rather than an easel.  Holly's boyfriend was over so that saved me from throwing my back out by trying to help John move the mammoth wooden desk that sits in the corner....

On Saturday we were at the farmer's market and bought a big basket of organic tomatoes...I wish I could say we had planned this out like the good little canners we aren't....but we didn't.  We came up with the brilliant idea that we would make some sauce.  We are strictly amateurs at this point but next year....look out.

We took the skins off with was super easy by just throwing the tomatoes into boiling water for a minute and then tossing them into a bowl of ice water ... easy peasy.  I don't mind seeds so we left them in.

Found a "how to " this a.m. from Karen at "The Art of Doing Stuff" which we may use next year minus the tomato press but who knows.  We may think it's so much fun we'll pick one up for ourselves ...or maybe not.  Will revisit that idea next year.

Over at the Cottage Nest , Jen suggests this delicious recipe from Martha Stewart Living for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares.  Haven't tried it as of yet but Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

Make it a great Monday.....

Bits of This and That

Lost and Found

Mixed Media on Canvas

Lately I've been monitoring how "springlike" the weather has been by a morning check on my lonely reindeer's head.  Sadly, we've neglected to put him away even though Christmas has been over for close to three months now but that's a story for another day.  For weeks on end the poor little guy wasn't visible at all...but today when I took a peek,  low and behold he's made an appearance.  Never mind that we are forecasted to receive 15cm of snow tonight...I'm living in the moment people so please stay with me.  It is above 0 and the sun is shining so I'm smiling......until tomorrow that is.

The last few days I've been working at clearing out our ensuite as we've finally decided after fifteen years of living here, to give it a reno.

I reminded John that I was not a movie star and did not require those 1970 "hollywood lights". I'll keep you posted on the progress as they start tomorrow.


On the book front I've just started reading this....

Can't really tell you what it's like yet as I'm not that far into it but I'll let you know whether it's a thumbs up or thumbs down.


Oh and I've found a new fav blog which I follow religiously.....The Art of Doing Stuff...so laugh out loud funny that I check in everyday...love that Karen Bertelson.   I heard she lives in Toronto,  I wonder if she likes chai lattes?????