Homemade Mint Marshmallows

I promised you all that I would share with you the Christmas treats I made this year. It was a very busy Wednesday, let me tell you, with some successes and some frustrations. Just like Santa, I made a list and checked it twice, but wouldn't you know it, I left the grocery store with all my bags, and NO white sugar!! I probably thought I had plenty at home, but alas, I had none.

Let me tell you how the day went. First on my list was homemade mint marshmallows. After sorting through my bottles of flavourings, I found almond and vanilla, but no mint. And then I realized that I had picked up the almond, which was right next to the mint, and put that one in the cart instead. Doh! So, I put on my jacket, my mitts, my hats, and headed out to the local grocery stores. Store #1 - nope. Store #2 - nope. So, I head back home a little defeated, but think that the marshmallows don't need to be mint, and I'll just make them regular. So, back at the condo, I'm reading the recipe, boiling the water, and getting ready to add the main ingredient, sugar. Sigh...I was all out. At that point I was ready to throw in the towel and forget about baking anything at all this year! But after a cup of coffee and talking with Matt (who said he would pick up some sugar and mint flavouring on his way home), I moved on to other items on my list which didn't include sugar or mint.

In the end, I was able to make the marshmallows. And boy were they sticky!! After boiling the sugar and adding to the gelatin, you whip the heck out of it until it's white and gooey. Then you slap the whole thing in a generously greased clear pan, and let it sit on the counter over night. Then the task of cutting begins. As mentioned, they are very, VERY sticky. Matt had to lend a hand in slicing once I got too tired and frustrated. But after they are dusted with icing sugar, they are delicious! I'm still debating if I will make them again next year, but so far the feedback has been good, so I just might have to.

Recipe:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tbsp unflavoured gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1 tsp peppermint extract

Directions:

1. Grease sides and bottom of 11x7" glass baking dish with butter; dust with 1 tbsp powdered sugar. In bowl of stand mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water to soften; set aside.
2. In medium saucepan, heat granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Heat to boiling; cook uncovered without stirring for 30 minutes to 240 degrees; remove from heat.
3. Slowly pour syrup into softened gelatin while beating on low speed. Increase speed to high; beat 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture is white and has almost tripled in volume. Add peppermint extract; beat on high speed 1 minute longer.
4. Pour into baking dish, patting lightly with wet hands. Let stand uncovered at least 8 hours.
5. Dust cutting board with 1 tbsp of powdered sugar, and put remaining sugar in small bowl. Loosen from sides of dish and gently lift in one piece onto cutting board. Using a sharp knife greased with butter, cut into 1 inch squares and add to bowl with powdered sugar. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Now, doesn't that sound easy!?!? I once heard that once you've had homemade marshmallows, you can never go back to the store bought ones... you be the judge!

Christmas Eve Brunch

This was our first year celebrating Christmas together in our condo, and since we had a couple other visits to make over the holidays, we decided to have our Christmas morning on the 24th. I found this great little festive table cloth, which matched perfectly with the Red Daisies Matt brought home for me on Wednesday (he's very sweet that way!).

For our brunch, we had French Toast served with strawberries, a side of bacon, and non-alcoholic Mimosas (orange juice and ginger ale).  It was a great way to start the morning, followed by opening stockings from each other. I love stockings... it's like a never-ending sock filled with little goodies! And Matt did a great job of filling my stocking!

After all of that, we were ready to set on our travels, heading first to my parent's house for dinner on the 24th, followed by another brunch and more stockings Christmas morning. From there, on to Matt's mom's house in Belleville for Christmas dinner #1, followed by Sherlock Holmes at the show. I had never been to the movies on Christmas Day, but it was a really great idea! I'm thinking we might make a tradition of it!

Christmas Dinner #2 airs on Sunday back at my parent's, and Christmas Dinner #3 is New Year's Day back at Matt's mom's house. It will be a fun week celebrating Christmas... followed by the gym!

Mmmm.... Pizza!

If you're ever in a pinch for what to make for dinner one night, might I suggest a simple and delicious homemade pizza?! Matt and I often make this for a quick dinner during the week, and by mixing up the ingredients (which we don't often do. We've found one with great flavour, so we usualy stick with it...), you can have a different flavour each time.

All you need is a flatbread from the bakery section and some imagination. The one we like is salami and goat cheese on a layer of pizza sauce. Sometimes we add sundried tomatoes, sometimes not. This time we added some green chiles that we brought back from New Mexico, and they added a nice heat.

Since most of the ingredients are already cooked, it's really just a matter of putting it in a hot oven for 10 minutes or so to melt the cheese and warm the sauce. Then slice and serve! One flatbread usually makes about 6 slices, and if you serve it with a leafy salad, you could easily feed 3-4 people.  Feel free to share your variation!

Felting 102 - A Cherry Red Bag

My second attempt at felting was this stripped red handbag. I loved the two contrasting reds together, and the cherry themed lining of the bag is just as fun. It's a Christmas gift for a girlfriend of mine who loves red, loves handbags, and had recently gotten into knitting. I figured she could use this for any number of purposes, so I was very happy when she said she loved it!

Lessons learned from my first attempt at felting were valuable for this next project. Most importantly, Read The Instructions! Turns out, the reason my first project didn't turn out right (the sizing was all wrong...) was because I used the wrong size needles! I usually don't make that mistake, but I think I was so excited to get working on the project, that I may have read the pattern quickly and grabbed the wrong sized needles. This time, however, everything worked out perfectly! I am really loving the way things turn out after felting them, so I'm not looking for new projects.

And, turns out, after felting a project, you can cut and trim, and the whole thing will not unravel, so that's good news for my first unsuccessful bag... I can now turn it into something else. I wonder what that might be...?

Why not Baked Brie for lunch?!?

This weekend has been all about finishing up last minute Christmas shopping and completing outstanding homemade holiday gifts. Throw in a little Christmas cheer and visiting with friends, and you've got yourself a great line-up for the weekend! 

Today was spent finishing up last minute craft items; a bit of cutting and sewing, a bit of knitting and purling, and bit of cursing and swearing (as any good craft project usually has...). Of course, the highlight might have to be our lunch today: Baked Brie in Puff Pasty with Almonds and Red Pepper Jelly. Quite a tasty treat on a cold Sunday afternoon, if I do say so myself... Although we did have to make some substitutions at the grocery store, it did turn out very good, and will surely be a repeat in the near future (of course, Matt and I are both huge cheese lovers, so any cheese dish is probably going to be a favourite...). 

Saturday was saved for braving the crowds and knocking off the last of our Christmas items, which we did with record efficiency.  Of course now we still have the daunting task of wrapping, but I enjoy that, so it should not be too terrible. We also capped off the night by visiting the Bay Christmas windows (a really great display!) and then heading over to Nathan Phillips Square for their Festival of Lights. With a hugh Christmas tree and timed fireworks set to various works of music, the whole effect was quite enjoyable. It made bearing the cold just a bit easier as we watched the colours explode and fill the night sky. Only a few more days until Christmas now...

Fat Friday - New Mexico Style!

This week I thought I'd share with you one of our Fat Fridays from our time in New Mexico, where after a day of hiking through the dunes of White Sands, we stopped at the infamous Owl Bar (at least according to Matt).

He had been talking and raving about their Green Chile Cheeseburger (to much debate amongst our kind hosts - apparently the diner across the street has a competitive Green Chile Cheeseburger, but Matt would hear none of that...). I think it was only fitting that we left this stop for our last day there (it also happened to be a Friday...).

From the look on Matt's face while he was enjoying the last bite (of both his burger and mine...), I would say it was a successful Fat Friday. And that left both Matt and I with great food memories of New Mexico (not including the nachos we settled on at the airport for dinner the next night... we are still trying to forget about those ones...).

Last night's Fat Friday was a lighter fair; we shared a REAL plate of nachos from Gabby's, with none of that fake liquid cheese stuff, followed by a bag of popcorn as we enjoyed the new George Clooney movie, Up in the Air. And a very cool thing happened just after Matt and I were seated at Gabby's. I was wearing one of my knitted sweaters, and the lady next to us asked if I had knit it? She said she had knit the same one, and then high-fived me! I think that was so cool! Plus, I think Fat Friday is catching on... we saw at least 2 other people  Gabby's photographing their food! He he...

You may have already guessed...

Some of you might have picked up on it in an early post, so just to confirm, Matt and I are indeed engaged!

He proposed one night on our trip in New Mexico, and it was all very romantic and a big surprise! We took a trip up a steep, snowy mountain road to a Japanese spa called Ten Thousand Waves, where in a private hot tub under the falling snow , he got down on one and knee and asked me to marry him! He did such a great job of planning out every detail, and hiding it all from me, so I really was surprised to hear him ask. And of course I said yes!

The ring he picked out for me (which is just stunning!) is Pink Morganite gem with two diamonds, one on each side. Neither of us really wanted a traditional engagement ring, so we were looking for something unique and different. We have a friend who is a jeweler (Jeff Ross), and Matt asked him to design the ring similar to one we had seen in his store earlier this year. I had no idea what would be in the box when he opened it, and in fact, didn't even look at it when he proposed! It was only after that I saw the ring... and loved it!

And, as is his style, when we got back to the hotel, he had Pink Champagne (to match the ring, of course) and strawberries waiting for us. He really did think of everything, and it will be a night I won't ever forget.

(The time and place is still to be determined. We're just enjoying the holidays and being engaged, and will start planning early next year... I'll keep you posted...)

Thumbs up!

After completing my first sock (second sock to complete the pair still pending...), I thought I would attempt a pair of mittens for my next project. They hopefully will make a very nice Christmas gift for a friend... So, I picked out the perfect yarns, packed my needles in my carry on luggage, and intended on knitting them while travelling to and from New Mexico.

However, with the upgraded security at airports these days, I decided it would be best to ask when checking in to make sure I could bring the needles onboard. Well, the Check-In people were not very helpful at all, and said that I would have to ask the Security folks. If I decided to do that, by the time I asked them, if they said no, I would have had to either toss the materials or bring them back to check-in. Rather than risk it, I decided to check them. Turns out I would have been just fine, so I did do some knitting on the way back home.

Turns out mittens are fairly easy to knit, and also knit up fairly quickly! The one in the picture was my test mitten, to make sure I could do the techniques right (I knit the one mitten in maybe two nights in front of the tv). I didn't really like the pattern itself on the mitten, so I then started another mitt with my own stripped design (I'll post the finished pair after the holidays...). It sure is a lot of fun to play with different colour patterns (which are endless with a bit of imagination), and knitting the mittens has also given me a new love of knitting in the round. It allows for more complex colour patterns (sometimes they keep me up at night, honest! Plotting and designing in my head... and then graphing and sketching when I find the time...). I think I'll try some Fair Isle designs soon (those patterns are fantastic!!). And I say if you're feeling adventurous, give it a try. If you get stuck on the thumb part, remember that YouTube often has some really helpful videos.

Playing catch-up...

You may have noticed some inactivity on the blog this past week, but I'm back at it! I was happily enjoying a much needed vacation in New Mexico, where Matt and I did lots of sight-seeing, and lots of eating! Back in the city, we're busy getting ready for Christmas - I'm so looking forward to the holidays!


We got off to a bit of a rocky start as we missed our connecting flight in Atlanta, and our Fat Friday meal that night, unfortunately, consisted of greasy Sparro's Pizza in the airport. We were really looking forward to waking up in New Mexico, and with the next flight not leaving until 11am the next morning, we were going to have to settle for getting there Saturday afternoon instead. But after that little hiccup, the rest of the trip went smoothly.

The highlight reel:

• hiking up snow covered mountains in Socorro; 
• Christmas shopping and gallery browsing in Santa Fe while big flakes of snow surround us (our first of the season);
• a romantic evening outdoor hot tub at Ten Thousand Waves in the snowy mountains (where Matt surprised me with a very important question... I said YES!);
• Christmas shopping and visiting the Zoo and Aquarium in Albuquerque, followed by Trivia Night at a local pub (we came in 6th, thank you very much!);
• Hiking at White Sands National Monument with an educational sunset stroll.

The week seemed to just fly by, but we had a really great time, and I can' wait to go back. And of course the trip included some great food stops!, but I'm saving those for another time.

Packing...

Matt and I are getting ready to leave on our vacation to New Mexico this Friday. We're very excited to be getting away for a few days, but man, things sure are busy and hectic here right now! That will hopefully make the vacation even more enjoyable, if I can manage to forget about work, and the work that I'll be returning to, while we're away... Plus, hate to tell you all, but I do believe there is snow in the forecast for the coming week... And New Mexico is currently a balmy 15 degrees (Celsius, that is).

Above are our suitcases, already overflowing... and I haven't even started to pack yet! One suitcase is entirely filled with snow clothes, as we thought we might be able to do some skiing in the mountains while we are there. But it turns out that they haven't really had cold enough weather, so we might be reconsidering that option. And that will free up at least one of the bags for me to pack in, plus leave some room in case we do some Christmas shopping down there.

In any case, we have a jam-packed week ahead of us with some great items on our itinerary: lots of sight-seeing, maybe some shopping, and definitely a LOT of eating good Mexican food. Don't worry, I will certainly do my best to keep you all updated on that front. Look or a solid week of Fat Fridays!

You can Google me!

If in case you somehow forget how to find me online, like you haven't yet book-marked me in your favourites (shame on you!), you can now Google me:

Ok, so you have to type in the full BusyBeeBets, all one word with no spaces, to find me, but still, you can find me. And I am the only one that comes up! How is that for advertising?!?

And yes, this might have been a mildly egotistical experiment for a small smidge of enjoyment...

Perhaps some of you might be wondering, why, in fact, the blog is called BusyBeeBets. There are 3 reasons (because 3 is my favourite number), which I will happily elaborate on:

1. I enjoy alliteration, hence the 3 B's;
2. I am often very busy;
3. And after being introduced to the amazing show Mad Men, on which one of the lead character's name is Elizabeth, but is often called Betty or Bets, and I, too, adopted the nickname Bets, which I quite enjoy. (Note: Matt was the one who first started calling me Bets, and actually probably the only one, but that is how I adopted the nickname...)

And there you have it. The brief history of BusyBeeBets (and in typing this last sentence, I accidently added a "t" in Busy, creating an entirely different type of blog!! Oh, my...).

**New** Fun Facts

I realize that not all of my readers will be interested in cooking and baking, or sewing and knitting, so I would like to offer a bit of variety with a new segment I am calling Fun Facts!

These are odd pieces of  interesting information that I gathered from various searches on the internet, regular television watching, or through daily conversations in life, and then shared with you, my dear reader. Feel free to later use them as fun conversation starters.

Today's fact is Space-themed, and for the hubby of a good friend of mine:

If Saturn were put in a pool of water

(and it would have to be one mighty big pool),

it would float!

A knitting nook...

This past weekend, while Diane was up spending time in Toronto, Matt and I took her to the Bata Shoe Museum. I don't think any of us had been before, and who doesn't love spending an afternoon admiring shoes and their history?! While we were there, we came across a knitting nook, where patrons could stop to knit or purl a few rows on one of two scraves currently being created. What a really creative and inspiring idea!

While I was browsing for yarn (surprise, surprise!) at the Knit Cafe one afternoon, there were small postcards that advertised the Knitting Nook at the museum, and also let us know about the Warm The Sole Event. With a donation of a new pair of white sports socks, entrance was free on Saturdays or Sundays. I guess, if you've got shoes to wear, you might need socks, so the idea really isn't that far-fetched. And 'tis the season for giving, after all.

It was a rather interesting way to walk through history and culture. We saw many different styles and kinds of shoes, and the history behind them all really was something else. There was also an exhibit on the sports shoes, including skates and ski boots. This seemed to go hand-in-hand with the upcoming Olympics, no less.

Feel free to browse my online photo collection of shoes, or drop by the museum with a new pair of sports socks and experience it for yourself for free!

'Tis the Season...

The end of November isn't too early to put up a Christmas tree, right?! Well, I didn't think so. Especially since Matt and I have an upcoming trip out of the country, and I wanted to return home to some Christmas Spirit.

And since we had just celebrated our holiday Christmas potluck last night with friends (with the holidays coming up and travel plans booked, this was the only time we could do it!), it felt only appropriate to put up the tree in our condo today. We did so to the tunes of a Beach Boy's Christmas with scenes of the Toronto Santa Claus Parade in the background (recorded weeks ago for just this occasion). 

I was a little concerned that we might not have the space to put the tree, but with a little rearranging of our 'dining room', it fit in just perfectly in a corner by the kitchen. We still need a tree topper, and perhaps some tinsel, but other than that, it just needs presents underneath. The shopping is already underway, so it won't be long before the wrapped gifts arrive...

Our holiday Christmas ornament this year for Matt and I were candy-filled metallic spheres from Shopper's Drugmart, quite a steal for only $1.99 each. And the perfect addition to our first Christmas tree - some sparkle and some sweets (although I hope the Runts and the Nerds are not a reflection of us!).

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes

Celebrating the season with great friends and good food can be easily accomplished with a potluck dinner, and that's exactly how Matt and I spent Saturday night. On the menu: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, potato casserole, and gravy. And for dessert, two types of sweets: pecan pie and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup mini cheesecakes. The latter is what I brought for the group of us, so naturally, I thought I would share with you the recipe for the dessert

Sharing my cooking and baking on this blog also gives me a great electronic collection of my recipes, but it has also inspired me to put my recipe book to good use. The book was a housewarming gift from my two close friends, and it's a great idea for organizing all my recipes, especially the ones that I find online and then copy onto post-it notes (often again and again, as I inevitably lose them...). The book is organized by sections and comes with blank notes just waiting to be written on and filed, so it really is a great thing to have around the house. Besides, what if one day, heaven forbid, I'm without internet and I need to find a recipe?!? That would be a disaster!

The finished cheesecake minis were quite decadent, but small enough to satisfy a sweet craving after a big meal. For last night, however, when paired with a pecan pie (also super delicious, Dar!), I'm glad I made them smaller than I have in the past.

Crust Recipe:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

4 tbsp sugar

1/4 butter, softened

Filling Recipe (makes 12):

2 pkgs Light Cream Cheese

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

4 pkgs Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Directions:

1.  Blend together crumbs, butter and sugar roughly until mixed together;
2. Line 12 cupcake molds with paper cups;
3. Add roughly 1 tbsp of crust to each cup. Using the bottom of a glass, press crumbs firmly.
4. Place 1 Reese's Peanut Butter cups into each of the 12 molds (I first placed them right side up, but then flipped them so that the filling would more easily fill around them);
5. Blend cream cheese until soft and fluffy;
6. Add flour, sugar, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly;
7. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing completely;
8. Add filling over top each of the cups, flush to the top.
9. Bake in a 350 Degree oven for 20 minutes;
10. Let cool before serving.

There you have it! They are actually pretty quick to mix up and equally quick to consume. Whip up a batch for your very own potluck dinner...

Fat Friday - Caplansky's

This week for our Fat Friday dinner, we took Diane to Caplansky's Delicatessen at College & Spadina, famous for their smoked meat sandwiches. And that is exactly what we all ordered: 3 Smoked Meat sandwiches on Rye, 2 orders of fries, 1 order of coleslaw, and 3 Black Cherry Colas. Isn't your mouth watering just looking at the picture?!?! (Matt had to remind me to take a photo for the blog... I was just too hungry and dug right in. That's why there is only half a sandwich, but don't worry, you get a full one with your order.)

Each sandwich comes with their own basket of fries, but we took the recommendation of the waitress and split the two baskets between the three of us, and we were plenty full. But still the waitress tried to sell us on dessert, (which sounded delicious on the menu board before we ate...) but we had better things in mind for an after dinner treat.

We justified the decadent dinner with the more than 9 km walk to the Bata Shoe Musuem on Bloor st, then to Caplansky's on College, and then over to Younge/Dundas to watch The Fantastic Mr. Fox. If you haven't seen the trailer for this movie yet, get thee to a computer to watch it, because it is a really fantastic movie. The stop animation is awesome, and this movie is not just for kids. But I will warn you, there were also some fantastically AWFUL trailers beforehand (I love me some movie trailers, so I was especially disappointed that they sucked!), so there is no harm in showing up late to miss those. But you may have troubles finding a seat.

And, as mentioned, our after dinner treat consisted of movie popcorn for Matt (he never passes up popcorn at a movie, but he did settle for just a small - a first!), Junior Mints for me (I was going for a more refreshing snack after the salty sandwich), and we shared an Icee (blue, of course). A pretty good Fat Friday, all in all...

Mmmm....ravioli

Many of you might have heard about my homemade ravioli. It was really just a spur of the moment idea one evening, but it turned out so yummy that I have since made it three more times, the most recent for dinner last night.

The idea first came when I had some simple ingredients in the fridge, chorizo sausage and goat cheese, and wanted a way to incorporate them all into a meal. I headed to my favorite food site for a ravioli recipe, and learned that it really was not all that difficult to make your own pasta.

And the great thing about ravioli is that you can make any sort of filling to put inside and customize to your own tastes. I serve mine with an alfredo sauce, which I combine with any left over filling, and a side salad, but you can serve with a simple oil and garlic sauce, for a lighter fair, or a tomato sauce, whatever your preferences might be.

After making the ravioli a couple of times now, which is a little labour-intensive, I have searched the cooking websites to see what solutions are available for making more uniform size and shaped pockets. Turns out there are some great accessories for making pasta, including molds, attachments, and rollers and (links conveniently included for Christmas shopping...).

Filling Recipe:

1 finely chopped cooking onion

3 chorizo sausages, casings removed and minced

1 pkg goat cheese

Directions

1.  Brown cooking onion and chorizo sausage;
2.  Add small log of goat cheese, stirring to melt.

Pasta Recipe: 

2 eggs

3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup water

3/4 tsp salt

Directions (for 3 servings):

1. Mix eggs, water, salt, and half the flour;
2. Gradually mix in remaining flour;
3. Let rest in fridge for 15 mins, if time allows;
4. Roll out on floured surffice and cut into squares (or use your handy-dandy ravioli mold)
5. Fill with small spoonful of filling of your choice, and seal, using water on edges to keep closed;
6. Cook in boiling water until ravioli float to top, about 10 mins.
7. Warm Alfredo sauce in large frying pan on low heat; add cooked pasta to coat and keep warm until ready to serve.

It's as simple as that...almost. I'd love to hear about your successes, so feel free to share if you make this dish!

Life!

For any of you who are Discovery Fans, and in particular HD Discovery (if you have the luxury of owning an HD Package from your local television provider), then you might be interested in a new show airing Sunday nights called Life.

It's in the same stream as Planet Earth, and, in fact, David Attenborough narrates the Life series as well (whom I could listen to endlessly for his lovely British accent...). We are already half way through the Planet Earth series, and are mesmerized by the scenery and live action shots, and Life just takes it one step further, including new and exciting features.

How they put such an impressive compilation together, both in Life and Planet Earth, is beyond me, but I'm thoroughly glad they did! It must take hours upon hours of sitting and waiting to capture just the right scene. Some of the shots they gather, David informs us, have never before been captured on video.

Disney also "borrowed" some of the content for their recent release Earth, which they released under their new brand Disney Nature, and this one focuses more on the happy stories of the animals, for the children, of course. The Life series, not so much... it's the gory truth about real life in the wilderness, and for those of you who can stomach 10 kimono dragons feasting on a fallen water buffalo, then this show is for you!

Ok, they have some not-so-gory parts, too, which are really beautiful and brilliant, but you'll have to just tune in and see for yourself what they include.

A little something...

Once I heard that my dear friend Shannon and her hubby were expecting their first addition to their household, I knew that I had to find just the perfect little gift to express our happiness and excitement. And what better way to welcome a new little girl into the world than with a hand knit jumper!

I found this pattern in Debbie Bliss (of course!) and modified it slightly. I choose a pink and white yarn but decided not to include sleeves, as the pattern suggested. I instead made it a pullover that could be worn with or without a shirt underneath, making it great for all seasons. I also modified the neck and added in the split collar, which I thought would look adorable (all of which was by the seat of my pants, havning no pattern to go on, so who knew how it would turn out. Luckily it worked, because there is nothing worse than having to pull out your work!). So far, little Chloe is still too small to fit into it, but that's the great thing about growing babies - it will fit her one day!

I then heard that my boss was expecting a little boy, also his first, and in an attempt to earn some brownie points, I also knit something for his son - a white and blue vest, in honor of the Maple Leafs, which his dad is a fan of (not sure why...). I'm sure there will be more babies on the way, so more upcoming projects will certainly be in the works. I already have a new niece that might need a new outfit...

The great thing about knitting kid's clothes (as opposed to men's sweaters that take months and months...), is that the knit up so quickly! And there is something very rewarding about sewing in the last strand of yarn, putting it into a little box, and giving it away.

Plus, kid's clothes are huge sellers at the One of a Kind Show, for example. Matt's mom keeps encouraging me to open a booth there one year, but I think I need to build up some stock first. It's true that people will spend a pretty penny on hand knit goods for their young family members, so I am keeping this in the back of my mind for the future. I would love to be able to turn my passion for knitting and crafting into a career! I'll keep you all posted...

That's a giant tree...

While on our Sunday morning walk towards brunch, Matt and I stopped in to the CIBC bank on King St to take out some money (mom, we were actually on the phone together!) and found this ginormous Christmas tree in the lobby! For scale, you can see little me at the base. Some of the decorations were the size of my head! Can you imagine this monster in our condo?! Ours is not that impressive, but it is just the right size... We didn't get around to putting it up last weekend, but hopefully this coming Sunday.

I love the holiday season and all the decorations. The Bay already has some of its windows decorated, and the Cavalcade of Lights kicks off this weekend at Nathan Phillips Square, where they will be lighting yet another gigantic tree with all its trimmings. Plus, there are fireworks every Saturday night, usually accompanied by a live band. Check out the schedule by clicking on the link above.

I walked through NPS yesterday and saw some of the prep work, and even without the lights on, it is one pretty darn fantastic tree. The cavalcade (which is also a very hard word to spell) runs throughout December, and I hope to see some of the lights and maybe participate in some of the other activities, including ice skating. The rink is already frozen! Top that off with a cup of hot cocoa, and you've got yourself a perfect winter date.

A cabled turtleneck...

Before I finished Matt's sweater (but after I had already started it, of course), I found this pattern in Debbie Bliss for a short sleeved turtleneck and fell in love! It was many hours of knitting and cable-ing spent in front of the tv, or on long drives, or during conversations at the chalet in Tremblant. It's a good thing I can do more than one thing at a time!

The thing with knitting is that once you have completed a new pattern, you learn where you might want to change things for the next time. Simply by mixing up the colour or the texture of the yarn, or changing the type of cables, for example, you can have yourself a completely different looking style. I like that I am always learning new things when I knit, and with each project, I try to do something I haven't done before. I love that knitting is a constantly evolving process for me, and a little imagination can go a long way!

I especially love when I come across a style of pattern for a vest or sweater, for example, that I know I can vary with yarn or texture. It keeps knitting exciting for me! Plus, its always great to have a fall-back pattern in mind when wandering through a yarn store. You never know when inspiration is going to strike!

I think I may attempt this pattern again in the near future. I do really like the style of the short sleeve, but I may mix up the cable pattern and the neck. I think a shorter crew neck would work very nicely...

Sunday night Chili!

Sunday nights are probably one of my favorite parts of the weekend. While it is bitter sweet that the weekend is coming to an end, I still love a home cooked meal while watching the Amazing Race or Steelers football (no Steelers last night; Matt doesn't want to talk about it...). You might think the latter is not really my thing, but actually, it's great for doing a lot of knitting!! And then both Matt and I are happy people!

Last night, thanks to an inspiring recipe from our lovely aunt Megan in Pembroke, chili was on the menu. What makes her recipe so good, you may ask? Well, there are no beans, plenty of seasonings and spices, and just so darn easy to make! I could have spent at least half an hour sifting through online recipes for chili, goodness knows there must be hundreds! But luckily we have had the good fortune to taste Megan's recipe, so we knew it was a hit! Top it off with some melted cheese and serve with cheesy garlic bread, and you've got yourself a meal. I also added some chorizo sausage for some added flavour.

And for those concerned about our health, we had a full plate of salad beforehand.

Recipe for 2:

1 lbs ground beef

2 chorizo sausage, skins removed

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 green pepper, coarsely chopped

1 can tomato sauce

1 can crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 pkg El Paso Chili seasoning

Directions

1. Sautee onions and garlic on medium heat until golden;
2. Add beef and chorizo and cook through; drain fat;
3. In a large pot, combine tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings;
4. Add in meat and green peppers and stir; cover and simmer on low for at least 1 hour.

The longer you let the chili simmer, the stronger the flavors will become. If you have time. prepare the chili in the morning and let simmer all day. It will be delish when you serve! I like to serve ours with cheese and a loaf of garlic cheese bread. Plus, if you are only making it for two, you will have plenty for leftovers the next day, or freeze for a quick dinner one night. Enjoy!

Round and round...

I attempted my first pair of socks over the summer (I've come a long way from knitting only scarves...). I had hesitated because I wasn't too familiar with knitting in the round on double pointed needles, and knitting socks sounded kind of scary! But I found a simple pattern from Paton, and after a quick visit to YouTube for a demonstration on how to knit the heel and instep(you can find anything on YouTube!) , I was well on my way!

The sock yarn I picked made some really fabulous stripes all on their own, and it actually didn't take too long, nor was it as difficult as I thought I might be. But that being said, I do only have one of the socks finished, thus far. The other one is still pending.

There are so many different patterns and colours specifically designed for socks, that the possibilities are endless! Plus, I think once I get the hang of it, they could be really sweet gifts! And knitting in the round with double pointed needles is really not all that difficult...

Sunday morning brunch!

Can you think of a better way to start your Sunday morning then a plate of scrambled eggs, homefries, and Canadian bacon?! I can't, so that's usually how we start EVERY Sunday morning.

This particular weekend we walked to Eggspectation at Younge Street, conveniently located on the east side of the Eaton's Centre, where we headed afterwards to walk off said breakfast. Now, if you are planning on visiting this particular breakfast locale on the weekend, I highly recommend that you do so only in pairs of 2, as the wait for a table for 4 or more will surely be upwards of 30 minutes. But luckily, we laughed at all those large parties as they seated us almost immediately.

There are numerous locations to visit for brunch in the city, and the great thing is, we can almost always combine where we go with what we are planning on doing that day. Today, for example, was shopping for some new work clothes at the Eaton's Centre, so naturally we ate at Eggspectation for its convenient location. Plus, the 5 km walk there and back helps to ease some of the guilt we feel for ingesting so much bacon...

Fat Friday - Reggie's Old Fashioned Sandwiches

Matt had this brilliant idea to eat out on Fridays, and not just out at the local all-you-can-eat-salad-buffet (because where is the fun in that?!?), but instead to indulge our tastebuds in the offerings of all thing delicious and bad for you! Hence, Fat Friday!

This week, we found ourself at Reggie's Old Fashioned Sandwiches on King St. We had walked past this little diner numerous times on our way to either Craft Burger or The Wheatsheaf on other Fat Fridays, and decided it was time to stop in for one of their famous sandwiches, in particular, the Pulled Pork.

We had previously had another delicious pulled pork sandwich at The Stockyards up at St. Clair, but thought we needed a second opinion to compare, and perhaps one that was a smidge closer. I have to say, while the sandwhich was good, it was second rate to the Stockyard's version. But, that is not to say that we wouldn't head back for a taste of their other sandwiches, because we will! 

I wonder what we'll have next Fat Friday? Check in next week to find out... and suggestions are always welcome, as is company!

Its baking time!

I sure do love to bake! And Christmas is the perfect time to break out the measuring cups and cookie cutters. I love to give little platters of goodies as gifts over the holidays to my family and friends, who can enjoy the sweets and then re-use the platter for their own use! Enjoyable yet practical.

So I was excited to pick up the new Betty Crocker magazine devoted to Christmas cookies and bars (ok, it wasn't the only one I picked up, but it was the lastest edition to my collection...). The one from last year got a lot of use and I quickly found some favorites, and after browsing this year's, I have already found some great recipes that I'll definitely be trying out. Just need to find the time to put everything together.  

Once I get going on this project (just one of many...), I'll share some lovely photos of how they turned out. I'll also be sure to share the recipes of the ones I made. And who knows, maybe a tray of delectables will be under your tree this year...

Mornings made better....

It seems that coffee has now become a regular part of my morning routine. On the mornings when I'm not frequenting my one of many local Starbucks (is it sad that I know when they have hired new people?!?!), I like to brew my own coffee with my French Press (THE route for quick and easy coffee) to enjoy from my Monsters, Inc. mug.

Not only is it friendly and inviting, it also holds like 3 regular cups of joe, making certain I get my full caffeine mix. It also reminds me of a recent family vacation we took in January to visit Florida to celebrate my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. It took some planning, some organizing, and then some re-organizing, but we all made it there and back in one piece, and had a really great time (really, we did!).

It turned out to be the vacation that reminded us what it's like to vacation with your siblings and parents, reminding us what it's like to live with six opinionated adults under the same roof.  But it also turned out to be the vacation where memories were created, where photos will live on in frames on my mother's wall and in vitural albums. And it turned out to be the vacation where my brother proposed to his girlfriend!   Not 10 months later, the happy couple wed on a lovely fall day on Thanksgiving weekend (I'll tell you about that another time).

Right, coffee... that's what I was talking about. Great thing about wandering down memory lane... there are lots of twists and turns! I think I'll brew me a joe...