Ginger snaps!!

I made gingersnaps today.  I used a recipe that Suzanne included in a Christmas package several years ago and they are wonderful!!  They were easy to roll and spread just perfectly while they were baking.
A start on my Christmas baking!!
Here is the recipe:

Ginger Snaps

Cream together:
3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Stir in:
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
2 tsp vinegar

Sift and add:
3 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2-3 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves

Mix ingredients until blended.
Form dough into 3/4" balls
and bake on cookie sheet for about 12 minutes.

Yields approximately 10 dozen 2" cookies.

Sour Cabbage Rolls

 I made sour cabbage rolls yesterday!!  It is my first time using sour cabbage leaves.  Wow!!  That sure is easier than using sweet cabbage which needs to be soften some way - either freezing the whole cabbage and then thawing and peeling off the leaves OR blanching the leaves off the head a few at a time until you are done.  Either option is more time consuming than using sour cabbage leaves which requires that you buy the sour cabbage in the produce section,

opening up the plastic packaging and peel off the soft and supple leaves one at a time.  I have not tried the freezing method for sweet cabbage but I know for sure that blanching takes a long time.
I bought white rice for my filling and cooked 2 cups of it.  I added seasonings - salt, pepper, a bit of greek seasoning and some dill.  I had enough filling to do all except a very few leaves of the cabbage.  All is all about 12 dozen cabbage rolls for a mornings work.  These are going to the freezer.  When I am ready to bake them I will have to thaw them overnight, add some broth and place bacon over the top and they should be ready in an hour or two depending on how thawed they are when I put them it the oven at 350F.
I am looking forward to having these over the holiday season and would highly recommend trying sour cabbage if you have not yet done so.

Therese

Dad's 85th birthday

 Dad turned 85 this year and Mom invited everyone home to celebrate!! She made a wonderful meal and we had carrot cake, strawberries and whipped cream for dessert!!
Some arrived on Friday and the others trickled in after lunch on Saturday!!  It was a great time of visiting and catching up.  There is always something to talk about and everyone has an opinion with one or two offering a different perspective.

Mom wanted photos of everyone taken before supper so we made that happen.  The first is of everyone and the second is Mom and Dad with their kids.
Not everyone could make it but it was a pretty good sized group nonetheless!!







I have uploaded the large sized photos to my other blog.
Follow the above link or cut and paste the following URL
http://tmalakrsc.blogspot.ca/
to download them.  
I put instructions on the page for anyone who needs help to download the photos.  Go check them out!!


Therese

Salt grinder

We found a gentleman at the farmer's market last week that turns wood and had all sorts of grinders.  We have been wanting to have a grinder for salt since we bought the dark one for pepper in PEI when we were on holidays a few years ago.  Fortunately, he was willing to create one for us that matched our older one so we had him make it with a ceramic mechanism in light wood (maple). It is perfect - we have a light one for salt and a dark one for pepper!!  We are very happy with it!!

Therese

Christmas concerts

Brian joined the Parkland Classic Singers in September and has been going to practices since.  He is enjoying singing again.  They have prepared two pieces for the concert this week.  The Rotary Club sponsors two evenings of Christmas music (59th year) at this time of the year and there are no repeat performances.  Brian's group sang on Tuesday night along with some school groups, the CUC orchestra and some string ensembles.  We went back last night and enjoyed a jazz band, a home school choir and some elementary school choirs as well.  The evening finished off with a Christmas carol sing along which was wonderful!!  We were fortunate to connect with Dave and Alison the first night and got caught up with our lives.  They have a new grand daughter and their youngest has flown the coup!!  

Therese

Swag for the front door

Bought a swag of greenery for the front door again this year.  The vendor I bought from last year was not at the market this year so I called her (got a business card last year) and discovered that she is undergoing chemo treatment and had decided not to do the market this season.   She volunteered to make a swag for me and so we connected at the LMC on Tuesday morning.  She was on her way to Red Deer so I was fortunate to have her be willing to make a stop in town.  I love the colour of this ribbon so I kept it from the one last year and put it back on the new one!!  Really happy to have something beautiful to greet everyone who comes to the front door.
As of December 1st the Christmas lights are twinkling in the night.  They come on at dusk and go off at 11pm thanks to a smart timer installed by a smart engineer.  Our little contribution to the joy of the season for us and our neighbours.  

Therese

Tree lighting and Christmas market!

 We headed to the LMC for the tree lighting last night even though it was pretty cool and the wind was blowing.  It was great to see the lights and the cool ice carvings. Yes, that is an actual chair made of ice!!  The Santa Claus parade had just finished up so there were people everywhere.  We went inside and visited the Christmas Market.  We bought our Christmas cake and some eggs.  Lots of vendors and a wonderful atmosphere with everyone visiting and catching up.  We did not find the vendor who was selling Christmas greenery last year so I will be in touch with her to see if I can get a swag from her for the front door.  We saw Dave and Alison there.

 They have a new grand daughter and Alison just got back from visiting out west.  It is nice to live in a small community with all sorts of activities.  There is ice carving and other activities by Cranna Lake tonight.  We will consider going for a walk and seeing what is going on if the temperature and wind are reasonable.

Therese

More snow!

 

More snow!!!!!!  We had a lot of snow yesterday.  About 8" or so!!  I shoveled and Brian used the snowblower to clear the yard of snow.  We did the front driveway, the two back aprons and some of the area between the house and the fence.  We had both cars in the back garage so it was great to just clear the snow and not to have to maneuver around vehicles.
I headed to the Green Pantry to pick up my order of fresh and local foods. There had been minimal snow clearing even on the main roads so I just went and came back.  The back lane was a blanket of white and I was the first one to make tracks!!
It was cool to see a track of cleared snow that originated from the front garage, went out to the sidewalk, around to the walking path and to the back garage!!  We are so fortunate!!  That path makes getting the snow blower from front to back so easy.  The bonus is that the path has two cleared tracks by the time the job is done.

Therese

Trip to Edmonton

We visited with Delphis and Yvonne last Friday.  Though Brian had fallen at the gym on Wednesday he was feeling up to the trip so decided to go.  Yvonne made some wonderful soup and buns for lunch. After lunch,  Yvonne and I went for a walk and Delphis and Brian had the chance to catch up a bit on the project that Delphis has been working on that uses an Arduino PLC.  Earlier this year, Brian wrote a program to make data collection easier.  Delphis passed on a few items he was looking for rehome - some wood and a hole cutter that he had acquired from Dad years ago. On the way home we stopped in Edmonton to pick up some wood at a cedar place and Windsor Plywood.  Fortunately, they were close together and we were home by supper time.
As you can see the weather was wonderful and we are glad to have taken the time to make the trip that day.   They have wonderful trails very close to their house so we had a great walk.

Therese

First snow fall - November 9th

 Our first snow of the winter arrived on November 9th!!  We were fortunate to be back from Winnipeg and not have to go anywhere that day.  It was nice gentle snow fall and over the course of the day we got over 6" of snow.  It was nice a fluffy so not a problem to shovel which we did later in the day.  It is here to stay.  The weather has since dropped and we have had some -26C overnight in the last week.  It has been an adjustment considering we were wearing light jackets just the week prior but we did know that the fall was beautiful and would not last forever.

We are grateful for our home and the new fence line.  Brian has taken the snowblower out and cleared the front and the back parking areas which we will keep up so we can park a few extra vehicles over Christmas!!

Therese

Remembrance Day and Peace

We attended the Remembrance Day ceremonies today!!  It is always a worthwhile event.

We were reminded that we are co creators in our lives and that peace begins with us - in our thoughts, in our words and in our deeds!!  Peace in our world is created only when there is peace in the hearts of the people who inhabit the planet, the country, the town, the family, the workplace in which we find ourselves.  It must begin with us!!

Wishing you peace as you spend this day!! It is unique and will never be here again and the privilege of spending it free has been procured by others on your behalf.  A note of thanks from our heart to theirs is all that is needed.

Therese

Kale's birthday

We were grateful to Suzanne for taking the time to have Kale's birthday celebration a day early to save us a trip back to Calgary!!!  We stopped in on our way home and had supper & cake with the family!! Kale just had his cast off earlier in the day and was still walking a little lopsided but even over the course of the few hours we were there you could see he was bending his knee and using is leg more freely.  I am sure he is almost back to his previous lightning speed as we speak!!  Richard has been flying out of Toronto but made a point to be home to the occasion.

He loved his birthday cake and was all happy that he got to blow out the candles!!!

We are blessed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am grateful for the opportunity to see our kids and grandchildren as much as we do!!! They are all wonderful human beings!!!!!!!

Therese

Sewing machine table

Brian made a sewing table for Suzanne a while back and I had not remembered to get a photo.  On our way back from Winnipeg we stopped in Calgary and she was showing me her latest project and I took advantage to getting one right then.  She loves it and it is working very well for her.

Therese

Gecko on the door!

We stayed at a new motel, The Thirftylodge,  in Moose Jaw this time around and they have images on the doors along with the numbers!  On the way out I was so hoping that we would have a room with a gecko on it!  Not to be!!  On our way back, we had a room with a Gecko!!  Yeah!!  They are reasonably priced, have breakfast and the best hot water in town!!!!!!!!!!!  Walls are a little thin so it is best when they are not too busy.
Therese

Craft-tea in Saskatchewan

We have been driving by this Craft-Tea elevator building for years and I have always wanted to stop and check it out!!  Unfortunately, we are too late and the place is for sale!!

Therese

Breakfast with the Malaks

On Sunday morning we me the Malak clan for breakfast.  It was great to see all of them and catch up with everyone!!  Larry will be retired by the end of the week and he treated us all to breakfast as his "retirement dinner"!!  Rob and Karen have another wedding in the family scheduled for next spring and they are working out the details of working full time at the resort next summer.  Anna and Todd are enjoying seeing Haley grow up with a job and a full slate of university courses!!  All is well and it was really great to see everyone!!

Therese

La Famille Magne

We went to the park several times over our visit and they kids always enjoy running around and playing on the structures!!  Here's the family on one of those outings!!  Therese

Family time!!

 The kids are enjoying using Dad as a climbing frame!!  What a universal game - I can remember when our kids were doing this with their Dad!!  Gil is immensely patient with the whole process and the kids giggle and jostle each other as they play!!

Later it is Mom's turn to spend some time with the kids and they like sitting all over her and being snuggle bugs!!

Therese

Louis!

This is Louis!!  He has recently joined Katherine's family and is fitting in just fine!!

Therese

Hallowe'en!!

The children are all at the table having their supper before they head out the door to go trick or treating!!  The cousins have joined the party as well.
It is almost go time and everyone is making sure they know where their treat bags are and have a few extra layers under their costumes.  It is relatively mild for a Halloween night in Manitoba!!!




Loic is sporting Batman face paint with his kangaroo costume and Neomie's face paint works really well with her costume.
They went to daycare and Mathieu to school so they would not miss any Halloween activities and Brian and I did our Christmas shopping and checked out Katherine's new workplace before we headed home to start on our large batch of french fries for supper!!  

They are ready to go and we get a final picture before they head out the door.  They all had a good time collecting treats and checking out the spooky houses and great Jack O Lanterns.

Once  home it was time to dig into the bags and see what sorts of treats they had.  Everyone got a few and they bags were put away for later and to also keep the dogs from getting into them.  It was a great family evening with all of Gil's family there as well. Therese

Pumpkins!

Everyone has a pumpkin but the little saw needs to be shared!! Mathieu really likes the little saw so there are a lot of holes in his pumpkin.  Neomie as well!!  Loic did not get to his pumpkin so it went outside as it was.  They all shone very nicely with their candles in their bellies!!
The pumpkin seeds were soaked in salt water and roasted in the oven.  Everyone enjoyed the snack later!!

Therese

Halloween has begun!

The kids are in Halloween mode when we arrive!!  They have auditioned the available costumes and know what they are going to be dressed as on Halloween!!    Neomie is wearing a dragon costume but is going as a dinosaur, Mathieu is a bat and Loic is wearing a superhero cap today but will be going as a kangaroo!    Therese

Goin' to Winnipeg!!

We visited with Katherine, Gil and the grandchildren at the end of October and here are some photos I took on the way there.  The wind turbines were going strong in southern Alberta.  Lots of hoar frost which made the trees and landscape beautiful!!!   Lots of geese feeding and enjoying the warm temperatures before they head south.  There were so many of them.  I always love to see the trains when we are traveling. Here is a decent photo I managed to get from the car.

Therese

Shrub shelters

We got shrub shelters for the nanking and the black currant bushes.  I have watered them well and will give them more next week until the ground freezes.  Hopefully, these little shelters will help them cope with the snow and cold of the winter.

Therese

JJCollett on a beautiful fall day

 We made another trip to JJ Collett!!  It has been a beautiful fall and we know the warm sunny days are numbered.  It was over 20C this day!!  Hot in the sun, cooler in the shade.  

Most of the leaves have fallen and the place looks very different than a month ago.  We saw this little squirrel just enjoying the sun!!
A beautiful sunset!

Therese

Pierogies and a sour cream dough recipe!!

Suzanne came last weekend and we made pierogies!!!!!!!! Over 60 dozen in two days.  We did it last year and it was such a great time that we decided to do it again this year.  I still had a few left in the freezer but they have been out for months - more mouths to feed at their house.  She made two different potato and cheese fillings - one with cheddar and one with feta.  I made three different kinds - potato and cottage cheese, potato and cheddar and some sauerkraut ones.  We have been using a recipe for dough which is super easy and a dream to make and roll out.  I will include the recipe at the end of the post.  Not sure where it originates but Suzanne has been using for several years.
We interrupted our Saturday to spend some time volunteering for Days for Girls.  This organization makes feminine hygiene products for girls in third world countries.  Girls regularly miss school the days they have their periods because they have no way to handle the flow.

We drove out to Klassic Kennels, just north of Blackfalds and spent the afternoon cutting out the pieces required to put together shields and liners.  Others were sewing and there was a lot of chatter and laughter.  Suzanne collected a leaflet with information at the Creative Stitches Show she attended in Calgary the previous weekend. There were about 20 people who attended and  participated.
We headed home just before supper and packaged the pierogies we had made in the morning and made another several batches before heading for bed just after 10pm.  Those were packaged on Sunday and we made a few more batches before Suzanne headed home to her family with her pierogies ready for the freezer!!

Sour Cream Pierogi Dough Recipe

3 cups of all purpose flour - plus a bit more for your work surface
                      1 cup stone ground whole wheat & two cups of white
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of sour cream (we used 14% fat)
1 egg
1 cup of water

Put all the ingredients in your mixer bowl and start slowly with your dough hook.  It will take a few minutes on slow for the ingredients to combine and start forming a dough. Move speed to medium and do another few minutes - the dough will hold itself in a nice ball and be only very slightly sticky. You can roll it out right away which we did for the first batch but we made another right away which we wrapped in plastic wrap and put in the fridge.  We made another when we took that one out of the fridge and put it in the fridge.  Works a bit better when cold.  The recipe says it makes 50 pierogies but we found it was closer to 40 the size we were making them.  We rolled the dough only twice for pierogies - the leftovers were made into noodles for soup.

We used stone ground wholewheat flour that Mom made for the last few batches and it worked really well.  Nice and smooth just like when we used all white.  So we will explore that more the next time we make pierogies.

Therese

Yoga classes

In hopes of being able to stay fit into my golden years I have decided to take a yoga class.  I started in September and will be going for eight weeks.  The studio is close enough to walk to and my class is at 9am.  I am really enjoying the class and hope to find a video I can use to practice daily over the winter months when it is not as pleasant to be walking outside.  I had hoped to meet a few people but it would seem that 9am is not the best time.  So be it!!

Therese