Saturday, December 26, 2009

On the twelfth day of Christmas...

...I am grateful for,
  1. A quite day spent at home with just the girls.
  2. Girls that woke up at 6:24am and when I told them to go back downstairs with an orange to eat and play for a little while...they did and didn't come bug us again until 7am.
  3. Watching the thrill and joy on their faces every time they opened a present.
  4. Kathryn's determinations to make presents for her sisters this year
  5. Tansley's brilliant idea to make art for dad for Christmas.The Art for Dad to hang in his office at work
  6. And for all of their excitement in making the art.
  7. A yummy breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausage, fried eggs, mixed berries, whipcream, eggnog and orange juice.
  8. A crockpot to cook supper in, so I don't have to do very much preparation.
  9. The fact that all of my big projects are done with nothing on the horizon.
  10. The Birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. And for this wonderful time of the year when all hearts seemed to soften and all the world is a better place.
  11. The atonement of our Savior, which makes it possible for all men, if they accept Him and give their life to Him, to return to live with Him again. 
  12. My membership in His Church here on the earth and the strength, peace and guidance I gain from it.
  13. To know that He lives. That He knows me and loves me.
Past Days of Christmas
1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, 4th day, 5th day, 6th day, 7th day, 8th day, 9th day, 10th day, 11th day

Thursday, December 24, 2009

On the eleventh day of Christmas...

...I am thankful for,
  1. Family, in every form that it comes in. And for time spent with family.
  2. Parents who love me and who molded me in my early years and put me on the path to becoming the woman that I am today.
  3. My dad, who took me on a daddy daughter lunch date when I was probably only 9 or 10. Who knew when I needed council and would take those quiet moments to teach me life lessons, even if it took me a while to realize how valuable his council was. Who treats my husband as his own son. Who loves me.
  4. My mom, who one time didn't yell at me when I accidentally broke one of her glass pans, she simply said "these things happen", I have always tried to react that way in similar situations. Who once gave me a large mirror with a note on it that told me how beautiful I was and in so many different ways...how did she know I was having a rough time? Who has always been a great example of what a mom should be. Who loves me.
  5. Siblings, one sister and six brothers, who are more that just blood relative...we are best friends, all of us. There is no better thing that when we can all get together to eat, talk and mostly laugh.
  6. My mother-in-law, who is an incredible example of strength and determination. A women who raised 5 boys on her own and sent them all on missions. Who raised my husband to be that man that I love, and have loved for longer that I am usually willing to admit.
  7. My in-laws, in all their varieties. My siblings have all chosen spouses that I adore and who fit right in to our family. My husbands brothers and their wives are also all fabulous and we always have so much fun together.
  8. My  Grandparents, both Paxman and Forsyth, who were and have always been wonderful examples of hard work and dedication both in life and to each other. And for all the memories created at their farms.  Grandpa Forsyth sings this song called "The Richest Man in the World", if you know the song it sums up everything my grandparents are.
  9. My oldest daughter Kathryn. She has such a kind heart and is always concerned about making others happy. She is a fixer, and if someone is sad or upset or feeling left out, she will do all that she can to fix it.
  10. My Tansley. She is a determined little girl. She is a great big sister and plays really well with her little sister. She is creative and smart and has the most beautiful smile.
  11. My little munchkin, Kymberly. She makes me laugh, all of the time. She is the cutest little thing ever. She is so clever and she can say the funniest things. She loves her big sisters and wants to be everything that they are.
  12. My husband, who is a wonderful father and husband. Who spoils me with wonderful surprises in to many ways to begin listing here. Who has been my best friend for much longer than we have been an "Item". Who simply loves me because I am me. And because he is exactly what I need.

Past Days of Christmas
1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, 4th day, 5th day, 6th day, 7th day, 8th day, 9th day, 10th day

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

On the tenth day of Christmas...

...I am grateful for,
  1. my husband encouraging me to go to bed at 12:30 last night...if he had not said anything I probably would not have noticed that time and stayed up until 2:24am like my sister did.
  2. Once again being able to sleep in and once again waking up to the dishwasher unloaded....what are the chances of this continuing for awhile yet?
  3. My sister organizing a fun cousins craft day at her house.
  4. Spending the day out of the house with other adults...and many more kids.
  5. Safe travels to and from Barnwell...even though I started to feel sleepy.
  6. A warm van to travel in. I couldn't imagine having to make an hours trip in a horse and buggy on a day like today....burr.
  7. The apple cider I made and canned back in September. It is perfect for cold wintery, Christmas days.
  8. My house smelling delightful when I warm up the apple cider.
  9. The fact that my two and a half year old hasn't yet figured out how to open her door, so even though she doesn't want to go to bed, she is still locked in her room until she falls asleep.
  10. The fact that my computer key board really isn't dead like I thought it was this morning.
  11. The fact that tomorrow is Christmas Eve, this means that all my big projects will be done and that I have no more planned or that I am committed to, and life may get back to normal...as normal as it gets.
  12. The fact that on the whole, this Christmas season has been fairly simple and hardly stressful at all.

Past Days of Christmas
1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, 4th day, 5th day, 6th day, 7th day, 8th day, 9th day

On the ninth day of Christmas...

I am grateful for,
  1. Sleeping in again and again waking up to the dishwasher unloaded by a certain big girl.
  2. Having fun with the girls making dad's Christmas present...I can't say to much here because he reads my blog. But we had tonnes of fun.
  3. Washable paint.
  4. Creative girls who like to do creative things with me.
  5. Having 15 minutes of silence while the kids play out in the snow.
  6. Being able to soak up some of the joy and excitement from the kids as we start to wrap the presents.
  7. Kymberly not yet trying to open the presents under the tree.
  8. Cats that pretty much leave the Christmas tree alone.
  9. Mint chocolate. When I start to feel yucky, I eat a few midnight mints and it helps the yuckiness go away...who knew?
  10. There being absolutely nothing worth watching on TV, and therefore it doesn't slow me down or distract me from the projects that I need to get done.
  11. Finally having all the jamma patterns back so that I can start and soon finish the Christmas jammas.
  12. The fact that tomorrow all my projects should be finished by the time I go to bed....and hopefully at a semi-reasonable time.

Past Days of Christmas
1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, 4th day, 5th day, 6th day, 7th day, 8th day

Monday, December 21, 2009

On the eighth day of Christmas...

...I am grateful for,
  1. My children sleeping in until almost 8am and then not getting me up until 9am.
  2. Waking up to find that Kathryn had completely unloaded the dishwasher for me. She did it she said, because my leg has been achy and she didn't want me to have to do all that walking back and forth.
  3. A husband that makes me feel amazing and special.
  4. A husband that tells me he loves me and I know it's true because his actions say it all the time.
  5. My handsome husband, just because he is who he is. How did I ever get so lucky? Seriously...how is it that he is mine, forever mine?
  6. Time spent with kids making shortbread covered cherries. One of the very few things I actually baked this year...but then it wasn't an option, they are my ultimate favorite Christmas treat.
  7. Blogs and websites that fuel my creative need. Like this one.
  8. My girls who got so excited over the new stockings I made today. Inspired by the previous entry. Pictures will be coming when I find a place to hang them.
  9. The girls playing so nicely right now...some creative pretend play about a sick rooster and a dog...and a mother who has fainted...I can't follow what is going on, but apparently they know exactly what's going on....it has now turned into a musical...they are singing their lines...
  10. Chocolate. I am craving chocolate right now, and I am grateful to know that I have some in my Christmas treat stash...ooh! and the caramel kisses that my husband brought home for me the other night...perfect.
  11. To have started this week off on a good note, I believe it is only getting better from here.
  12. The fact that it will soon be bed time, because I have projects I need to work on that I don't want the kids to see...Santa stuff...and I am running out of time.

Past Days of Christmas
1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, 4th day, 5th day, 6th day, 7th day

On the seventh day of Christmas...

...I was relaxing with my husband so I didn't make my list. So here it is this morning.
On the Seventh day of Christmas I am grateful for,
  1. The chance to go to church and meet with other saints to worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
  2. The fact that it only takes 15 minutes to drive to church.
  3. An amazing ward with amazing people. We are so meant to be in this area right now.
  4. Friends. Real friends that you just love to spend time with and who you can call on for help anytime.
  5. The gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, for the peace that it brings to my life.
  6. My testimony, that I know that I am a daughter of God, that my Savior lives, that the Book of Mormon is true, that our family is sealed together forever, that we are lead by a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson,  and that Joseph Smith was the instrument in which the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in it fullness to the earth. This I know.
  7. The chance to teach two 12 year old for the past 6 months in Primary/Sunday school.
  8. Great Primary teachers that put so much time into teaching my children and the other 8 primary/nursery children.
  9. The chance I have to be serving in the Primary presidency. I have never served in the primary before, and it is such a wonderful experience.
  10. The chance I have to watch my children grow in knowledge, both in things of the world and things of the spirit.
  11. Home made chicken noodle soup and biscuits...Yummy! on of winters perfect meals.
  12. Being able to just sit and relax with my husband.

Past Days of Christmas
1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, 4th day, 5th day, 6th day

Saturday, December 19, 2009

On the sixth day of Christmas...

...I am grateful for,
  1. Pancakes. They are quick, easy and yummy, which makes them perfect for when ever I don't feel like cooking a real dinner.
  2. Such good girls that let me sew most of the day with out to many problems.
  3. The chance to sleep until 8:30 this morning. Any extra sleep is a welcome thing.
  4. My MP3 player.
  5. Good music
  6. Good Christmas music that can always make a heart feel more cheery.
  7. The quick simpleness of a light switch that illuminates or darkens a room in seconds.
  8. The convenience of a fridge that keeps food cold.
  9. The easiness of a stove/oven or microwave to heat food.
  10. Christmas cards that come from friends and family.
  11. Christmas lights, I love to such sit and read or cross stitch beside our Christmas tree all lit up.
  12. The fact that this week in now over.

Past Days of Christmas
1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, 4th day, 5th day

Friday, December 18, 2009

On the fifth day of Christmas...

...I am grateful for,
  1. A husband who holds the Priesthood and is worthy to act when needed. And to Brother Brown who was willing to come at a moments notice to assist.
  2. The power of Priesthood blessings to comfort and heal.
  3. My little brother Tyson. He was so great to watch and play with my kids for a few hours while I went shopping.
  4. My parents for picking up any of Tyson's slack while I was out shopping and for feeding my kids supper.
  5. Inspiration that eventually led me to the right store today to find just what I didn't know I was looking for, and many other perfect gifts.
  6. Sweet deals on toys at Canadian Tire(of all places) that stretch ones dollar.
  7. The $10 coupon for boardgames on the back of some cereal boxes and for Canadian Tire for having a few of those boardgames for $9.93...that's right I got them for FREE!
  8. The fact that I believe I am now done my Christmas shopping....I think. I will double check when I am done typing this.
  9. Google. I can find an answer to or info on just about anything. Google is my go to "person" when I need to know more about something...and it never lets me down.
  10. A certain family member and his thoughtfulness.
  11. A safe trip home much later than I had planned, and for not feeling sleepy the entire way home.
  12. My really comfy bed that is calling to me...I know I have said this one before...but I really mean it again. I love my bed.


Past Days of Christmas
1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, 4th day,

Thursday, December 17, 2009

On the forth day of Christmas...

...I am grateful for,
  1. The opportunity we have to live in a small community where it is still OK for the elementary school to have a "Christmas" concert centered around Christ and his birth.
  2. A wonderful school with wonderful teachers who put so much time and effort in putting together a touching Christmas concert. It even brought a tear to my eye...the story of Christ's birth does that to me.
  3. Warm temperatures, and the chance to build a giant snow man with the girls today.
  4. The fact that I am done two out of three dresses. I'll be tackling the other tomorrow.
  5. Frozen pizza's that seem to be forever on sale at our local grocery store. Makes a quick easy supper just before heading out to the Christmas concert.
  6. My husband who was able to make it to his daughters Christmas concert. Not work or Basketball could keep him away this year.
OK, so I am really stumped right now. Today has been relatively uneventful, and since I have tried to base these on the events of the day, I am seriously stumped...I'll be back later to finish.
7.  A "job" cresting jersey's for Bert and Mac's that pays enough to do a few fun things...like buy Christmas gifts.
8.  The power of prayer, especially in those quick simple prayers that can yield great results.
9.  The massager my mother in law gave us for Christmas a number of years back. It has always been very useful during pregnancy.
10. Hot running water. The fact that I don't have to boil water in order to have a nice hot bath is really fantastic.
11. Chocolate...because it tastes so yummy.
12. Swedish berries...again they taste so yummy...and satisfy that sweet craving late at night.


Past Days of Christmas
1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day

Winter fun

It is a GORGEOUS winter day today. The snow is perfect for snowman building. How could I resist when Tansley came to me and asked if we could go out and play in the snow. It's just to bad that Kathryn was at school. I sure hope we have some nice winter days during her Christmas break so that we can all play together.I am putting a couple of other videos on Facebook, they were to big for vox.
Kymberly making snow angels
Tansley making snow angels
Tansley making snow angels
Don't tell dad
Don't tell dad
The girls and the snowman
The girls and the snowman
Kissing the snowman
Kissing the snowman
Frosty pulling his snow buddies (Tansley's creations)
Frosty pulling his snow buddies (Tansley's creations)

On the Third Day of Christmas...

...I got so busy sewing Kathryn's Christmas dress that I forgot to do a post. It wasn't until my husband came to bed and said "what happened to the third day of Christmas?" that I remembered...and then laid awake for a while thinking about what I was going to write.
So here is yesterday's post
On the third day of Christmas I am grateful for,
  1. The temperatures that continue to be warm.
  2. The chance that my girls now have to enjoy all this snow that we have because the temperatures are so warm
  3. Having a productive day and being able to finish Kymberly's dress.
  4. Almost having Kathryn's dress done.
  5. Seam rippers to make taking out mistakes easier(although I HATE taking out mistakes).
  6. Only having one more dress to do before Sunday (Unless I decide to make one for me too...we'll see).
  7. My sewing machine sewing like a dream since I got it back.
  8. The opportunity that Tansley has to go to Pre-K and learn so much.
  9. A wonderful school with a wonderful staff who all know me and my kids and I know them. There is something great about walking into a school and being greeted by name, not just you, but all of the kids, even the ones that aren't in school.
  10. My computer. Even though it is slow, and old and at time frustrating...there was a time, not that long ago that I didn't have a computer at all. Having a slow frustrating one is at least a step up from nothing at all.
  11. Being able to keep in touch with family and friends where ever they are using things like Facebook and Blogs...which of course are only available to me because I have a slow frustrating computer. I know more about what is going on in the life of cousins and other family members over the past 2 years than I did over a period of 10 years. I feel like I know them again. Now at the next family reunion...when ever that will be, we will actually have something to talk about and not feel like strangers
  12. My husband for reminding me about doing this post.

Past Days of Christmas
1st day, 2nd day

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

On the Second day of Christmas...

...I am grateful for,
  1. The fact that I live in a time with all the comforts of life that we enjoy.
  2. The fact that I live in a time where I have easy access to doctors and medicine when needed.
  3. The technology that we have today that allowed me to hear the heart beat of our unborn child, that never ceases to amaze me(I guess that is the unofficial announcement).
  4. The fact that for the most part I have easy and asymptomatic pregnancies.
  5. Three previous healthy pregnancies and the delivery of three healthy, active girls.
  6. Three beautiful girls that can almost always bring a smile to my face...sometimes in unexpected ways.
  7. For my sister-in-law, because she is always willing to watch my kids for a few hours when I go into Lethbridge.
  8. The energy that I have been blessed with so far this week, so I can actually get things done.
  9. The fact that it is nearly bedtime for my three girls.
  10. The silence that will follow my three girls going to bed.
  11. The chinook that rolled in today raising the mercury from -23C(-10F) this morning to a balmy 1C(34F) this afternoon, thus bringing to an end(for the next week anyways) the frigid temperatures we have been "enjoying".
  12. A comfy bed that I will be retiring to in the some what nearish future.

Past Days of Christmas
1st day

Monday, December 14, 2009

On the first day of Christmas...

...I am grateful for,

  1. Our attached garage. I never really know how cold it is until I reach my destination...this of course is a blessing and a curse.
  2. Our nice warm reliable van that we park in our attached garage.
  3. Our nice warm house that our garage is attached to. On days like we've had lately, there is nothing nicer than the the protection and warmth that a house provides.
  4. The bountiful storage space that our attached garage provides.
  5. The smell of our fresh Christmas tree that make memories surface and helps create new ones.
  6. The smell of nuts and bolts that lingers in the air today after a day of baking them.
  7. My large family that all pitches in their share of ingredients so that we I can make a large batch of nuts and bolts and then we all have plenty to enjoy over the Christmas holidays.
  8. Great-grandparents that made my daughters day today by sending her a letter(with a little money in it) thanking her for the letter she sent them with some "gold" in it that she found while panning for gold at Fort Steele.
  9. My husband finally taking the table and chairs back to the church.
  10. The dishwasher that will be loaded after I am done typing this...which means that I don't have to do the dishes by hand.
  11. The talent of being able to sew marvelous things. I love the satisfaction I get from creating beautiful clothing or crafts. And I love sharing them with others.
  12. Finally having my sewing machine back from the sewing machine fix it place, so now I can go sew...after I am done loading the dishwasher of course.

Ooooh...that was fun! I look forward to doing that again tomorrow.



Sunday, December 13, 2009

Just a heads up

For any of you who missed a couple of posts back, or who just need a reminder. Tomorrow is the First Day of Christmas. This means that tomorrow I will start my Twelve Days of Gratitude.I am hoping that there are others out there who are willing to take this challenge on this Christmas season. If you are interested, here is the plan. For each day of Christmas the challenge is to write twelve things that you are grateful for that day. I will be doing my posts in the evening of each day so that I have the whole day to be thinking about, or looking for things, or to just experience the day. Then I will reflect on my day and come up with my twelve things. I don't think for a minute that this is going to be easy, but I believe that it will be a wonderful way to close my day. I got the idea from this blog. So come along and join the challenge and see what you have to be thankful for this Christmas season.



Friday, December 11, 2009

I love Christmas Surprises!

When Daniel brought home the mail last night, it contained a Christmas card that did not have a return address, but the postmark told us that it had been mailed right here in Milk River. We joked about that, why you would spend the money on a stamp when you could just drop it off at the house. Cuz is it really worth it to have the post office ladies walk over and put it in our box? But then we opened up the card. It simply said "Hope you have a Great Christmas", and in the card was a little extra something to brighten anyone's day.

I don't feel like we have ever been in need at Christmas time. We have always had enough. But over the 8 years that we have been married, we have been blessed more than once with Christmas surprises.

Our first Christmas we were in Saskatoon. We knew our car had a heating problem, but we didn't realize how bad it was until we started our journey home to Lethbridge after work on the 22nd. It was cold....really cold. We got to Rosetown, about an hour out of Saskatoon, and our car had yet to produce any heat. We stopped at the gas station to see what could be done. There was a nice little family on the road for Christmas. Dad was a long haul trucker, and was almost always gone during Christmas, so that year they had decided to be on the road together in the extended cab. They had a son and daughter both somewhere between 7-10years old. The dad helped Daniel on the car to see what he could do while I warmed up in the cab of the truck with the rest of the family. They even had a little tiny tree. In the end, there was nothing that could be done. The thought of another 5 hours driving in the cold with out any heat was not a pleasant thought. So we turned around and headed back to Saskatoon, disappointed that we would not be spending Christmas at home with family. When we got back to our little basement suite we called our parents to tell them the bad news. Both Daniel and I had to be back for Boxing day because we were both store managers in the Mall, so we didn't see how we could get home and back again in so short of time. We went to Church the next day and made plans to spend Christmas with a family that had all but adopted us. They had a little boy that was the same age as my youngest brother Tyson. When we got home from church there was a message from both Daniel's mom and my parents saying that they wanted us to come home for Christmas so they would each pay half of the cost of a car rental. So that is what we did that afternoon. We rented a car, on our parents dime, and went home for a quick trip.

A few years later, we were living in Edmonton. Life was fairly comfortable. Every Sunday we drove Sister Wright, an elderly lady in our ward to church. On a Sunday near Christmas she gave us a Christmas card. When we opened it later, it contained a little extra something, I don't remember the amount, I believe it was a $100 bill. She had written in the card that it was to help with gas. But you see that was just silliness. She lived in the very same apartment complex as we did, so we never actually went out of our way to take her to church, which means that we did not use any more in gas to take her with us.

Again a few years later, we were Living in Lethbridge and I had been serving as the Relief Society President for just a few months. I was busy that year putting together food hampers and gathering presents to help out a number of families in our ward that were in need. I was astounded by the generosity of the sisters in our ward when the Bishop and I had asked them to donate inexpensive gifts to hand out to the some of our less fortunate children in the ward. They young men and young women got in on the fun to, they offered to wrap the present and then to have one of their leaders dress up as Santa Clause and deliver them just before Christmas. One sister came to my house with not one or two gifts but bags of gifts. She single handedly took care of at least two families in our ward. Daniel's Aunt Jane had found out that I was making jamma pants for these kids as well and had told me to come go through boxes of fabric that she had in the old house. With that I had enough material to make the needed jamma pants. It was a busy Christmas. The night of our Relief Society Christmas party was a good one. As I remember it, all went well and everyone had a good time. After the party was all cleaned up, the bishops wife offered me a ride home, we only lived half a block away, but I had a number of boxes of things to take back home. As she helped me carry the boxes to my door, I discovered on my front step, a box full of Christmas goodies, things like, steaks, cheese balls and crackers, mixed nuts, candies, and other things that I would not normally spend money on at Christmas or any other time of year. Not only was there a box of goodies, but there was a Christmas tree leaning up against the house. I don't know who did it, but it was safe to say it wasn't any of the sisters at the party...maybe their husbands, but I always suspected somebody else(my parents) although they have never admitted to it...so I could be totally wrong. Regardless, it was unexpected and very much appreciated. Who doesn't love those kind of Surprises?

The next year was a crazy year. Daniel was working a full time job and a part time job, as well as coaching basketball at Winston Churchill High School. I was nearly three months in to my third pregnancy and suffering from ridiculous hormone headaches. I was still the RS president, and keeping busy. One day at church a sister who was a mother of two and who had been really sick and in the hospital off and on over the months came up to me at church on Sunday and told me that each year their family likes to choose another family and do something special for them at Christmas. At this point I thought she was going to ask me who I would suggest would be a good family for them to treat. But instead she said that they had decided that our family was the one they would like to do something special for and wondered what day would be a good day to come over. I burst into tear right then and there (I blame that on pregnancy hormones...which could be true, even as I sit here and type this I am tearing up again), put my arms around her and said thank you for thinking of me. We weren't in "need" like so many others were that year. But it had been a stressful year. The thought of this Young mom, who had been so sick, who I had gone to visit in the hospital so many times, wasn't thinking "woe is me, I am so sick", but that she was thinking of how she could make someone's Christmas special that year was overwhelming. They came the next day with dinner, and boxes and bags of presents to make our Christmas tree overflowing with gifts. I'll never forget that Christmas, I didn't know until that moment that I had needed someone to serve me, someone to love me enough to share this kind of Christmas surprise.

And now this year, a random someone in our little community cares enough about the "Court Family" to share a little Christmas cheer, to help make our Christmas a great one. Funny thing, earlier in the day yesterday, we were wondering how we were going to pay for my sewing machine repair....darn thing likes to die on me at Christmas. Well, that's taken care of now, along with a few other things. So thank-you mystery Milk River and area resident, your card showed up on just the right day. 



Friday, December 4, 2009

The fates were aligned against me...or a lesson in Gratitude

Finally this week is over...and what a week it was.  This week I had the Relief Society Christmas party to pull off  on Wednesday and then the i had a table at the Milk River Craft Sale on Friday. I think to best give you an idea of how this week went, I'll write out the time line.

Saturday
afternoon(11am-6pm) -  head to Lethbridge to do some grocery shopping and pick up some material to fix a dress for  my sister-in-law.
6pm - head home to Milk river, eat supper in the van so the kids aren't cranky with me.
8pm - put kids to bed
8:30pm - start sewing on the dress for my sister-in-law
8:40pm - sewing machine dies....dead, just stops. I believe I blew a fuse. This is not good. I have projects that I have left to the last minute that need to be done for the craft sale on Friday.
9:00pm - call my mom and beg to use her sewing machine for the week. Of course she agrees, because she is my mom and she loves me.
9:10pm - call Daniel at his mom's house in Lethbridge because he is stay over night (because he has a stake meeting in Lethbridge at 8am Sunday morning) to tell him to go to my mom's house to pick up her sewing machine to bring home.
11pm or so I head to bed after working on some other projects that don't require a sewing machine.

Sunday
Morning - go to church, teach my class and do the sharing time for primary and briefly say hello to my husband somewhere in there.
Afternoon - Say good bye to my husband as he is off again, this time up to Calgary for business until Tuesday night. I send with him my dead sewing machine to drop off at my mom's because she is going to drop it off at the sew machine fix it place on Monday.
Evening - fairly relaxing, just hanging with the kids. I head to bed early.

Monday is a fairly productive and uneventful day My mothers sewing machine sews like a dream. I think I might steal it. Again I head to be early.

Tuesday - I feel stressed. I need to get to the church to set up for the RS party that is on Wednesday night, but I don't know when Daniel is going to be home from Calgary and he is not answering his cell phone. We can't start setting up until after 8:30pm because the YW and YM are in the gym. My kids will be in bed by then and I can't find anyone to be at my house so I can go set up. I do get some sewing done for the craft sale, but not nearly as much as I had the day before.
4pm - Take Kathryn to Clogging lessons
5:10pm - come home, call to double check on the babysitter I had lined up for Friday afternoon while I am at the Craft show. She says she is still good to go.
5:20pm - Check phone and see that Daniel has called. I call him back. He is in Lethbridge already! Horray, that means he can be home by 8pm so that I can go to the church to set up. Feeling Less stressed.
5:30pm - I go to phone Sue to tell her that I'll be at the church at 8:30 to set up and I notice that I have a voice mail message. I check the message. It is the babysitter that I thought I had lined up for Friday saying that she won't be able to babysit because she forgot she was going to be away.
5:31pm - enjoyed my 30 seconds free of stress...now I have to solve a new problem.
5:32pm - call Sue, tell her that I'll be at the church, she asks how I am doing, I hesitate, she tells me to spill the beans, so I tell her my dilemma. She talks it through with me, offers to tend my kids when she gets off work at 4:30pm. So now I just have to find some one to watch them from 1-4:30pm. She suggest a few people. I make a note to talk to them on Wednesday.
8:30pm - Daniel gets home from Lethbridge, I give him a kiss and head out the door to set up at the church
Midnight - come home from the church, go to bed, but lay in bed talking with my husband for a couple hours...after all we haven't really seen each other since the Friday morning before.

Wednesday- I am tired...exhausted. Today is not a productive day. I don't get any sewing done. I try to have a nap, but my girls don't think that is a good idea. I make a few final preparations for the RS Christmas party. Have a shower, hoping maybe it will rejuvenate me. When Kathryn gets home from school we head to the church to finish setting up for the party.
5pm - done setting up, so I get changed into my nice clothes, put some makeup one tell myself that it's going to be a fabulous night...once Daniel gets there to take the kids away.
5:45pm Start greeting the sisters as they arrive.
6pm - the party officially starts.
6:15pm - Daniel arrives and takes the girls home.
6:16pm - I finally relax and start to enjoy the evening, which turns out to be wonderful. The theme was "Celebrate with Gratitude". We had over 70 sisters there, and I believe at least a third of that was non-members(I love being part of a small community). After all was said and done, I had so many people come up to me and tell me that this is what they needed to hear, both members and non members. Perfect. That is what I love to hear. It is so satisfying to know that you were able to put together something that really meant something to some one, or touched their heart. The evening was a success.
10pm(or there abouts) after the clean up is done, and all the stuff is packed in my husbands car( he took the van to get the girls home) I go to start the car...and it is dead.No big deal, I'm feeling to good to let this bother me. Good thing the bishop is still there. With his van and Brother Mclaghclan's cables we get the car going.

Thursday - I still haven't figured out a babysitter for Friday. I talked to a few people at the RS party the night before, but they were not available. Then I got into the party and didn't think about it again until today. Once again I am exhausted. I have no motivation to get working on the few things that I have left to do for the craft sale. I try calling a few people to see if they would be able to help me out in the babysitting area. But I can't get a hold of anyone. I guess the worst case senerio is to take them with me for the first little bit until Sue can get there....that does not sound like fun. Then suddenly I have a brilliant thought. My friend Jakki, who live out in the middle of nowhere, mentioned that she was going to be in Milk River for her massage on Friday. Maybe she'll be done in time to come to my house and watch the girls until Sue is done work....I call her and ask. Perfect! Her massage is at 11:30am, I have to be at the Civic centre by about 1pm...this is going to work. Awesome, Jakki I love you! I call Sue and she is good to watch them at 4:30pm. Awesome, I love you Sue! Suddenly I have a boost of energy. All my stress is gone...and off I go to finish the few things that I wanted to have done for the craft show...not only that But I have the energy to clean the kitchen, cook supper, start decorating the house with Christmas stuff with the girls and after the kids are in bed I start on cresting a few jerseys for my husband.

Friday - I feel surprisingly relaxed. I finish the three jerseys for my husbands customers. Then do a few things around the house before I start getting ready for the craft show.
1:15pm - I head to the craft show...and all in all it was a success. A lot of what I sold was stuff I had made this past week...so that made my efforts worth it. It was a success...but I am glad...so very very glad that it is all over.

OK, after typing that all out...in away it doesn't seem so bad...hectic? yes...but I survived. Yes at times I felt like the world was against me....but...in the middle of his crazy week I had the opportunity to take a few hours and focus on Gratitude, to listen to others share their thoughts and experiences about gratitude. To share my thoughts and experiences...and then I issued a challenge to all the sisters in attendance. I had made a book for each of the titled the "Twelve day of Christmas". Each book had twelve pages, each page had twelve lines. The challenge was for each day of the Twelve days of Christmas to write twelve things that you are grateful for that day. This is something that I am going to do here on my blog(starting December 14).(I got the idea here

I challenge any of you who read my blog...and who have made it through this really long post...to do the same if you are so inclined. But for today...this is what I am grateful for this week

  1. My mom, for letting my borrow her sewing machine, even though I know she had things she wanted to get started on this week.
  2. My husband for being willing to make his work work around what I needed from him this week.
  3. Sue, for helping me talk through the stress and help work through the problem...and being part of the solution.
  4. Jakki, for being willing at the last moment to adjust what ever her schedule was to help out a friend in a bind.
  5. for my sewing machine dying...because maybe I just need to learn to slow down and not try to do so much all of the time. I have since rethought my sewing list for this Christmas, and I am working on narrowing it down.....funny...the same thing happened last Christmas....almost exactly....you think I'd learn...maybe this time :)
  6. for this coming Sunday!!! Good Friends are coming over for dinner. It is going to be a glorious time.



Friday, November 20, 2009

Pumpkin Pie in a Jar


Here's a great recipe that I came across in my trusty 4H cook book. Now you can easily make pumpkin pie at any time of the year with fresh pumpkin. I always use up the carved pumpkins after Halloween because I feel bad just throwing away perfectly good pumpkins.


Pumpkin Pie in a Jar

Peel, remove seeds and cut pumpkin into small pieces. Bake, steam or boil in small amount of water until tender. Then put through a sieve. Measure the pumpkin pulp and any juice remaining. Then to each 3 cups of pumpkin add the following:

2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp molasses (optional)

Mix well together and bring to a boil, simmering until quite thick. Stir often to prevent sticking. Seal in hot sterile jars. May be put in hot water for 10 minutes to be sure that they seal.

TO MAKE PIE

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups prepared pumpkin

Beat eggs well. Add milk and pumpkin, mix well together. Put into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375F until golden brown.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Sometimes it takes something extreme to get ones butt in gear

...you know, like when your baby girl is just learning to crawl and you haven't put up a baby gate yet because you don't have one yet, and really she isn't moving that fast yet. Then one day while your back is turned she pulls herself over to the wooden, non-carpeted stairs, and takes a little tumble to the cement basement floor below. Thankfully she comes out of the ordeal with out a scratch or even a bruise. but the very next day you go and buy that baby gate.
Or more recently...like yesterday. We went down to Coutts for the community Remembrance Day Ceremony. After which, since Daniel had the day off work and the girls didn't have school, we decided to go for a little adventure. Daniel had grabbed our passports and the girls birth certificates, which we were keeping in a brown Government of Alberta envelope. I have been meaning to make a nice fabric passport and birth certificate holder for quite some time(since July to be exact when we got our passports). Daniel had also tossed in the envelope his wallet, which really isn't a wallet it is just big enough to hold his drivers license, credit and debit card and a very few other important cards. The plan was to take a little drive through Montana, have lunch, and maybe do a little shopping.
We first drove down to Shelby, where we stopped at the Town Pump(12:30pm) for some munchies and a potty break. While we were stopped I decided to get rid of some loose papers that were just on the floor of the van. One of the papers was brown paper wrapping from a package I had received recently and just had to open in the van before I got home. I collected up all the paper and what ever other garbage I could find and tossed it into the garbage can in front of the Town Pump Convenience store. Then we were on our way again, towards Cutbank where we would stop for lunch. The drive was beautiful. The sky was a beautiful blue and the rolling prairies were a gorgeous golden colour from the recent harvest.
After spending some time in Cutbank(leaving at about 2:30pm) we headed on our way to Browning and then headed up Highway 89 through the Hills where it was snowing steadily. The road was completely snow covered and the going was slow. Daniel kept his cool and you couldn't even tell that he was concerned. He later admitted it was a "hair raising" drive through the hills. It was pretty impressive how the snow just stopped when we descended down to St. Mary's lake. We then took the road from Babb to drive up close to Chief mountain to admire that impressive mountain.





Daniel had wanted to climb it again this year but just didn't ever find the right time or the people to go with him. We admired, then made our way to the Carway border crossing to start our journey home. Just as we were coming up to the border crossing, Daniel reached down in between our seats to get the brown envelope with the passports and birth certificates, and it wasn't there. We frantically searched the van, but no envelope. As I sat and thought about what and where we had done and been that day. I realized with horror that the envelope must have got mixed up with the brown paper wrapping that I had thrown away way back at Shelby. When Daniel suggested we go for an adventure, I don't think this is what he had in mind. The girls and I stayed in the van and Daniel went into Customs to see if he could use the phone to call the Town Pump in Shelby to see if they would look in the garbage for our envelope. Kathryn started to panic that we would never get home and that we would have to live in a hotel, and that would cost a lot of money. I told her that it wasn't going to do any good to panic, the only thing that she could do right now was to pray and ask Heavenly Father to help us find our passports and birth certificates, and Daniels wallet. You may wonder why we didn't notice the wallet missing sooner, but you see, Daniel had taken his credit card out of his wallet and just had it in his back pocket. and that is what we had used to fill with gas and buy lunch. So we all prayed in the van while Daniel was on the phone inside customs. When I saw him hang up the phone, I could tell that he had not got good news. He came back to the van and we began our trek back to Shelby(5:00pm) to go look through the garbage ourselves. It wasn't an option. We had to have them. To avoid the hair raising drive through the hills on snow covered roads in the dark, we took the Duck Lake Road, which was clear, no snow to be seen anywhere.

I felt calm the entire drive back to Shelby. I knew that we would find them and things would be OK. On the drive I often heard Kathryn offering a prayer in a whispered voice. The return drive was relatively quick and uneventful. When we arrived(6:30pm) the cashier thought we were crazy to want to go through the garbage. But it wasn't an option. While I was getting some popcorn and juice for the girls to munch on, Daniel disappeared with the maintenance man to the trash compactor. After about 15 or 20 minutes later Daniel reappears with passports and Birth Certificates in hand. Thank you Lord for making that happen. Tansley happily announced that "Daddy save the day!" as we headed on our way to home sweet home. We were back home before 8:00pm. I got the kids something healthy to eat, on Kathryn's request, put them to bed and then I began planning the passport holder that I had been meaning to make. This morning I sewed it all together. I think that this will be less likely to get accidentally tossed in the trash...what do you think?


Saturday, October 31, 2009

They are too cute...I mean scary.

Right now the Witch, Vampire and Caterpillar have gone off with the giant hockey player to pillage the town for treats. Kymberly was so excited to go Trick or Treating. I don't know why, she has never gone before...so she doesn't really even know what it is all about. She started to get an idea when kids started showing up at our door saying trick or treat. She started coming to me with her bucket and saying "TREAT!" like the other kids had done. She also wanted her face painted too. I had already done Kathryn and Tansley and she came to me and said "my turn?"and then squinted up her face like she saw her sisters do. She was too cute and if my hands hadn't been covered in face paint I would have taken a picture. So I put a little green stuff on her face, after all she is a caterpillar, then she kept asking if she was scary. As they walked away you could hear Kymberly yelling "Trick or Treat" over and over again.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Homemade Salsa


There was once a day when I didn't have a lot of room for food storage. We lived in a small apartment with a tiny kitchen. I hadn't yet ventured into the world of canning, not for the lack of knowledge or experience (I've done it with my parents for as long as I can remember), but mostly for lack of space and tools. Then one day I came across a canner at a second hand store for just a few bucks. I had to have it. Then I found some other basic canning tools on sale at the SuperStore. I was now set for some simple canning. One of the first things I decided to make was Salsa. One of our favorite snacks is nachos and salsa. I used a recipe from my trusty 4-H club cookbook the best wedding gift ever...just in case I hadn't mentioned that yet). I bought a 20lb case of tomatoes and all the rest of the ingredients. This was before my days of being able to grow most of the ingredients myself. The salsa was to die for. The only problem was that I hadn't made enough and when we ran out and had to buy salsa from the store we were so disappointed, and I vowed to always make enough salsa to get us through until the next fall.

Since that day, we have never run out of salsa and often have enough to share with neighbours and good friends. We moved to Lethbridge the year after that. I had a small garden space and my neighbour let me use her space as well. With that I was able to plant tomatoes, onions and some peppers...my salsa garden. I started making salsa with a friend of mine who wanted to learn how to can. Together we tweaked the recipe from the 4-H cook book to create the recipe I use today, we called it Mandy and Toni's best salsa we ever made.

Here is the recipe for a 12 litre(3 gallon) stock pot

3/4 full stock pot of chopped peeled tomatoes(about 15lbs...I am totally guessing, I really have no idea because I don't buy my tomatoes I use the ones I grow in my garden)
3 red peppers (or orange or yellow I use whatever I have on hand)
2 green peppers
4 large onions
1 1/2 heads of garlic
6 stalks of celery
handful of cilantro
1 good sized zucchini, grated skin included(again this is garden grown)
5-7 jalapeno peppers with seeds
1/3 cup pickling salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper(optional)
1 cup vinegar

To easily peel tomatoes, place in boiling water for about 60 seconds and then put in cold water. the peels will split and can then be easily removed. Hand chop tomatoes for chunkier salsa. Chop all other vegetables in a food processor or hand chopper if you have one to save time. Combine all vegetables in stock pot with salt, sugar, vinegar and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least an hour. Fill sterilized jars and process for 15 minutes.


For the past 4 years, I've been making salsa with friends. We have a day long salsa making party. We divy up the ingredients, bring your own bottles and we simply spend an afternoon chopping and chatting. Then we all go home to our husbands smelling like salsa with our jars of goodness. It's a grand time. This year we got together a couple of times, we'll see if we ended up with enough salsa to last until next fall.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Apple pie in a jar


I love apple pie and I love apple crisp even more. So I love this recipe to make the making of either apple pie or apple crisp quicker, simpler and just as tasty.

recipe

4 1/2 cups sugar
(variation 2 cups brown sugar and 2 1/2 cups white sugar)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pickling salt
10 cups water
1 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup lemon juice
10 lbs apples
(variation 1 1/2 cups cranberries)

Makes 7 quart jars

mix sugar, spices, salt and cornstarch in a large pot. Add the water and cook on medium heat until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice. Peel and slice apples. Fill prepared jars with apples and ladle sauce over top to within 1 inch of top. Process for 20 minutes. When ready to use, dump into prepared pie crust, cover with top crust. Cut slits in tops of crust, brush melted butter on crust and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400F for 40 minutes.

Or you can put it in an 8x8 pan and put the apple crisp topping on top and bake as you would apple crisp.

The cranberries added a little different twist to an already delicious recipe. You should give this one a try, It is delicious!


If you have an apple peeler and an apple corer slicer(like the one from Pampered Chef) or an apple/peeler/slicer combo it makes this really easy and fast. I have a peeler and they work great. My mom has the combo which is also great.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Bring on winter!

My canning season has finally come to a close. I love canning season...not so much the mess of it, but I love filling all my jars. I filled all my jars this year and then some. I think that I had to run to the hardware store at least 5 different time to buy jars, not to mention all the ones that I would pick up randomly at the second hand stores. What this all means is that I filled a lot more jars than I did last year. I was given about 3 dozen empty jars last winter. I filled all of those this year plus of course all the ones we emptied over the year.
Here is the list of all that I did this year
2 pints and 10 half pints of Bumbleberry Jam
7 pints and 4 half pints of Raspberry Jam
12 pints and 1 half pint of Strawberry Jam
4 pints of Plum/blueberry/strawberry Jam
5 pints and 1 half pint of Peach Jam
2 pints and 1 half pint of Peach/Blueberry Jam
8 pints of Crab apple Jelly
5 pints of Pear Jam
13 Pints of Apple/Cranberry Jam
(do you think I'll have enough Jam?)
30 quarts of Peaches
26 quarts of Pears
23 quarts of apple sauce(with crab apples)
12 quarts and 4 pints of apple/pear sauce
14 quarts of crab apple cider
7 quarts of apple pie in a jar
20 pints sweet relish
12 pints Zucchini relish
12 4oz jars of various beet relishes
4 pints pickled beets
8 quarts salsa
11 quarts tomato sauce
about 40 3cup bags of corn were also frozen
and I have a cooler full of fresh garden carrots.
Sadly, no pickles this year...my cucumbers just didn't produce very much. I would have liked to do more tomato sauce, but I ran out of tomatoes. I didn't do as much salsa, but that is because I still had 5 jars left over from last year. It's possible that I may still do another batch of apple pie in a jar...maybe...we might just eat all the apples instead. I was in desperate need of jam, I only had I pint of each of peach, blueberry and crab apple jelly left in my storage room, I think I did a good job of remedying that problem. We'll have relish to eat for the next 5 or so years. All in all a good year. We'll see if we make it through till next summer and make adjustment were necessary. I always keep track of how much I put up so that I know if I need to do more or less of something the next year. With kids growing, we all know how that changes from year to year. I love looking in my storage room at all my pretty shelves. Next year I want to invest in a pressure canner and venture into that world...it could be fun.
Aren't they pretty?
Aren't they pretty?
Another step to replenishing food storage...Our little local grocery store was having a case lot sale, and since I have been neglecting that part of my food storage for quite some time in order to fund the previously mentioned food storage, I decided to go and take advantage. $245.66 later(and two shopping carts full) I had nearly restocked my mostly empty pantry. It is only a start of course, but now when I open the cupboard I don't feel like there is nothing to make supper out of...always a bonus. Now nobody can say that there isn't anything to eat in the house.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Crab apples


We have two large crab apple trees in our back yard. They look amazing in the spring, smell delightful in the summer and are full of colour in the fall.
The trick is to find enough things to do with them before they freeze and fall to the ground making a REALLY BIG mess. So this is what I do...

First I pick box after box full of beautiful red crab apples...Then I cook them...
With my steam juicer (that I found on ebay for an amazing $45 including shipping)I get this amazing coloured juice...
that I then make into delicious crab apple cider. I also froze to ice cream buckets full of crab apple slush.
I also make applesauce with them, they are pretty tart on their own so I mix them with a sweeter apple like a gala and make this beyond amazingly delicious apple sauce that comes through the food strainer (again I found on ebay for only $40 including shipping)in the same amazing pink colour.
My mom used to just can crab apples whole. She would make a heavy syrup and put a cinnamon stick and some whole cloves in the jar. They are delicious...it's like apple sauce on a stick.

If you are ever planning on making apple sauce or tomato sauce you really need to invest in a food strainer. It makes your job so much easier! It looks something like this...


The steam juicer is also amazing. A friend of mine told me about how much she loved hers last year. Ever since then I'd been looking for one and I am so glad that I found one.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

digging carrots

I went outside about an hour ago to dig some carrots for Thanksgiving dinner.
snowy carrot patch
We are hosting the Court Thanksgiving dinner at our house Sunday afternoon...don't worry, it won't be quite as crazy as Christmas dinner was....probably only half the number of people. But that is not the point of my story. Because it was snowing and kinda cold I just wanted to dig enough carrots for dinner tomorrow. But in spite of the snow and it really didn't feel that cold, I really started to enjoy myself. I was having so much fun...yes fun, that I decided to dig all of them. I love my garden. I love taking care of it all summer long. But most of all I love reaping the rewards from it. I don't even mind the work, I find it relaxing and fulfilling...apparently in the snow too. Now I have two boxes of dirty carrots that I need to clean up...that will make a bit of a mess inside since it is too cold outside to clean them up like I usually do.
I look forward to enjoying these for months to come
I look forward to enjoying these for months to come

Friday, October 9, 2009

Jam, Jam and more jam


I love home made jams and jellies. And this year I had so much fun making a variety of jams. 
Strawberry jam....
Raspberry jam...
Peach jam...
Bumbleberry jam...
Peach blueberry jam...
Crab apple jelly...
Apple cranberry jam(Mom's apple pie in a jar)


This is my favorite new jam that I made this year. I found the recipe in a Bernardin book when I bought a box of pint jars when I was desperate when I ran out while in the middle of making my relish...oh remember all that relish?

I've looked and looked on their site and can't find this recipe. So forgive me if I am breaking copyright laws this recipe is too good not to share.

Mom's Apple pie in a Jar

6 cups chopped, peeled firm apples
2 cups unsweetened apple juice
Juice and grated zest of 1 large lemon
3 inch stick cinnamon
1 pkg Bernardin No Sugar Needed Pectin
3/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 1/2 cup sugar or SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetner

In a large deep stainless steel saucepan, combine apples, apple juice, lemon juice, zest and cinnamon stick. Simmer several minutes just until apples begin to soften. Remove from heat, gradually stir in pectin until dissolved. Add dried cranberries and 1/2 tsp butter or margarine(to reduce foaming). Return mixture to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Add sweetner and boil 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick and skim foam.
Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace and following directions in product insert. Heat process in boiling water canner 10 minutes. let cool. Makes 4 or 5 half pint jars.

I just opened a jar of this a tried it on toast...oh my, I was in heaven! It was a huge hit with my kids. I would love to try this in mini tarts...but likely we will have it all gone before I ever get around to that.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Happy Anniversary!

Eight years today. It seems like it has just always been this way, and yet it also feels like it was just yesterday. All in all it's been an incredible eight years. There isn't a thing that I would change. Nothing I can honestly say we should have done different, or should have done or not done at all.
On our honeymoon we attended  three Oilers hockey games. Yeah, I know I am the best wife ever. All the men are jealous that Daniel snagged a wife that would allow such shenanigans on the honeymoon. And all the women think that I am nuts to have allowed such shenanigans. To be honest, I enjoyed it. I didn't allow it, we decided on it together. He basically said "what do you think?" and I said "sounds like fun". So we did it, and had a great time.
Oilers VS Flames Oct 3, 2009
Oilers VS Flames Oct 3, 2009
Eight years later we headed up to Edmonton for the Oilers home opener. It was a good game...in parts, however the Oilers lost in the last 44 seconds of the game...it was dumb, and I don't want to talk about it. Daniel arranged for some friends to watch the girls for a couple of nights. We stayed at a fabulous bed and breakfast in Edmonton called the Secret Garden.
Secret Garden Bed and Breakfast
Secret Garden Bed and Breakfast
The suite(which was originally built to be a basement suite for her elderly parents) was huge. They welcome kids, if in fact we ever wanted to bring them along. The suite has a full kitchen, with everything you need to cook or bake any thing and everything, you simply provide the ingredients. It has two bedrooms and a good sized living room that walks out into a beautifully landscaped garden. Nancy and Harold are wonderful people who make you feel right at home. And guess what? Twenty four years ago they were married on this day too. What are the chances that we would share the same anniversary as the people who were hosting us in their home? And Nancy cooks a killer breakfast. And because she didn't have anyone checking in for a few days, they let us stay for as long as we wanted on Sunday. Which meant that we could stay and watch the morning session of conference in the comfort of our suite and also that we could have a late breakfast... which I guess makes it brunch.
It was superb, the whole weekend.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Beets and a confession


My husband loves pickled beets, so this year I planted a small row of beets so that I could make a few jars of pickled beets for him. I on the other hand don't like beets...at least I don't think I do. I realized the other day while I was in the middle of pickling beets, that if somebody asked me to describe the taste of beets, I wouldn't even know what to say. I haven't a clue what they taste like, I don't even know what it is about them that I don't like. I tried to remember when it was that I decided that I didn't like them, and I honestly don't have a clue. For as long as I can remember I have not liked beets. So...was my experience with beets so bad that I have blocked it from my memory? Or is this a case of a child claiming that they don't like a certain food even though they have never tried it, and I have told myself that for so long that now it's just what I believe? Either way, I don't like them....or so I say. I couldn't even bring myself to just take a taste. Pathetic, I know. So I thought that maybe if I did something different with them, then maybe I could build up my courage to try them just as beets. I had seen a recipe for beet relish in my trusty 4H cook book(the best wedding present ever!). So that got me thinking, and I wanted to see what other kind of recipes for beet relish there were out there. Google led me to cooks.com where I found pages and pages of beet relish recipes. I tried out three different types this week.

so here are the three recipes I put to the test...

Beet Relish #1

2 pounds medium-size beets
1 small onion
1 sweet red pepper
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups vinegar

Directions:
Clean and pare the beets. Grind the beets, onion and red pepper, using the fine cutter of the food chopper. Add the finely shredded cabbage, horseradish, salt, sugar and vinegar. Heat to boiling and simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and seal. This recipe yields 2 pints.

This recipe was so very tasty! I look forward to eating this with pork or on hamburgers. (I cut this recipe down a lot, I think I only used about 1/2 pound of beets and adjusted accordingly)

Quick Beet Relish #2

* 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) grated cooked Ontario Beets
* 1 cup shredded cabbage
* 1/2 cup ground onion
* 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
* 2 tbsp (25 mL) each of red wine vinegar and prepared horseradish
* 1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar
* 1/2 tbsp (7 mL) Dry mustard

Combine grated cooked Ontario Beets, minced jalapeno pepper, ground onion and shredded cabbage, red wine vinegar and prepared horseradish, granulated sugar and dry mustard. Bring to a boil and cook until all veggies are tender. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and seal.

I loved the spiciness of this relish!! I will be eating this one alot!

BEET RELISH #3

6 c. beets
6 c. sugar
3 c. vinegar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves

Blanch beets; peel. Grind beets; add sugar, vinegar, cinnamon and cloves. Cook for 30 minutes or until tender. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and seal.

This one is quite sweet...almost like candy and would be tasty on pork roast. (I cut this recipe down a lot, I think I only used 2 beets and adjusted accordingly)


OK, so I'll admit, I liked beets done up in these three relishes. So maybe the next time my husband cracks open a jar of pickled beets, I'll give them a try...maybe.