Rambling Along with Recipes..

Hello everyone..

Another little Saturday Ramble Along for you.. 

You all know Charlie by now I think.. 

Terry and I took a drive up to the farm to get some spring water and of course, Charlie came along for the drive.. 

He is such a good dog.. 

He just sat there waiting for us to tell him he could get out.. 

The whole time he is just staring out the window wanting to get out and run to the house.. 

But Terry was getting on his snowshoes.. 

This takes a little longer then it used to .. 

Don't tell him I told you that.. grin.. 

Anyway, I took pity on Charles and told him to get out and away he went.. 

Which way should we go?  lol

Do note the windshield needed a wash.. 

Away they go.. 

Terry takes a sled so he can bring back about 8 bottles of water.. 

They are each 4 litre bottles.. 

The sled lets him bring back more.. 

I can't snowshoe so I am stuck in the truck.. 

Not that I mind as I read.. 

Of course.. 

When we came home I made this Impossible Pie..

 I did a post about this a long time ago.. 

You can find the recipe HERE.. 

Please note that I only added 3/4 cup of sugar this time and it was plenty for us.. 

Also, you can add 1 tsp. of baking powder with regular flour.. 

Some recipes just call for flour.. 

Also, I add 1/2 tsp. coconut flavouring and a pinch of nutmeg.. 

K?

Rambling along here.. 

I saw this wreath in one of my UK Country Living magazines.. 

I decided to give it a try.. 

It said to put wreath wire through the peanuts.. 

Well, the wire I had just kept bending so I just wrapped each peanut and tightened it... 

Not as pretty as theirs but the birds didn't see the magazine pic.. smile.. 

My rose hips were dried and also too hard.. sigh.. 

Nor did I have any cranberries as I used them all for making juice.. 

Oh well.. 

I tried.. 

Had a craving for WonTon Soup so made a bunch of wontons.. 

Please don't look at my inexpert wrapping.. 

They are delicious, though.. 

I used shrimp in half and ground pork in the other half.. 

There are all kinds of recipes on line.. 

This one is good.. 

Here

Rambling along a bit more.. 

I was so excited this week to find an add in Kijiji for a Propane Kitchen Stove in good condition for sale.. 

The price was right so we called the guy and arranged to go and see it.. 

He told us to call him and he would meet us at the end of his lane.. 

When we got to the top in his jeep I was glad he brought us up.. 

It was a long way up that mountain but the view was spectacular as you can see.. 

This is the Hawkes Farm way down there in the valley.. 

We had such a great time chatting with him and we found we knew so many of the same people.. 

The stove was perfect so now I can't wait to get it in the old farm kitchen and make some bread.. smile.. 

When Terry and I had our first little home.. 

It had a beautiful yellow propane stove with a grill between the burners .. 

I so loved that stove and have always wanted another propane one.. 

So thankful to finally (47 years later) have a chance to use one again.. 

I love kitchen ranges and so wish that we could afford an Aga..

Here in Canada they are sooooo expensive but I am very happy with this one.. 

We were happy we could leave it with them until our driveway is cleared in a few weeks.. 

Another reason to look forward to summer at the farm. 

I think.. 

We still have not made up our minds whether to go there or to the cottage.. 

I told Terry he has until this weekend to make up his mind. 

He is never in a rush to make a decision.. sigh.. 

I am just the opposite, of course.. grin.. 

Made this cake also.. 

So simple but delicious.. 

For those times you just want a piece of white cake and a cup of tea.. 

Here is the recipe.. 

White Cake.. 

1/2 cup of butter

1 cup of sugar

2 eggs.. 

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well.. 

Sift together and add 1 1/2 cups of flour,  2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.. 

1/2 cup of milk

Beat all up together and pour into a greased 9 inch round or square cake tin.. 

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. 

I like using a round tin and cutting it like a pie.. 

Ice with a vanilla frosting and a bit of sprinkled coconut if desired.. 

We have had rain for the last couple of days so our snow is disappearing.. 

I am almost done my ramble and roll, I promise.. smile. 

Terry bought a couple of heads of cabbage .. 

We were wanting some sauerkraut ... 

Shredded up about 5 pounds of cabbage and 1 T. dill seed.. 

Tossed it with 3 T. coarse salt .. 

I had about 1/2 cup of whey from some cheese in the fridge and added that.. 

Let it sit for half an hour and then started pounding.. 

Covered with a big cabbage leaf and a jar of water to keep it weighted down.. 

Tied some cheesecloth on the top and 

set it on the counter for 3 days then store in the fridge.. 

So good for you as well as tasting good.. 

We passed the ski hill on the way home from buying our stove.. 

It was a lovely day for it.. 

Headed home.. 

Terry stopped at the grocers and bought a few beef roasts that were on special.. 

We had our first attempt at beef jerky.. 

He decided we should cut it thinner.. 

But the flavour is there and he has another batch on drying now that are look better.. 

Anyway, dear hearts I think I have rambled on a bit too long. 

We do other things then cooking although it doesn't look that way on this post, eh?  smile.. 

Thanks for visiting and as always I look forward to hearing from you again.. 

Have a blessed Sunday tomorrow!  

He is a great God!  

xo

Ten lovely ways to make your Winter home cozy....

Hello there dear hearts.. 

Welcome to the Blessed Hearth today.. 

This is to be a special blog post because the homegoods company called Wayfair.ca invited me to participate in a little campaign they have going on.

 I am to write a post giving a few tips which will help create a cozy home during these last several weeks of Winter.

Here in Eastern Canada we have been hit with two huge back to back snow storms this past week and it is hard to imagine an end in sight.. 

So let's talk about a few ideas that might help us to revamp our homes into cozy retreats for the rest of the season.. 

1.  The first idea of course is to have a nice warm fire... 

Either in our fireplaces, stoves or such.. 

But if you don't have a fireplace or don't want to bother with the work of fire making then make a mock fireplace with candles.

Grouping candles of different sizes on a shelf,  a coffee table or at the base of a fireplace is a great way to add a cozy spark to your home.. 

2..Candles just naturally cheer up a space.. 

3..  Throws and Blankets..

Throws are lovely but sometimes it does add a sense of warmth and flair to go with faux fur..  

Adding blankets to chairs and couches injects a touch of warmth to any room... 

4.. Plants.. 

Any room can benefit from greenery not only in the decorative sense but they are wonderful for your health.. 

This past year I have been trying to grow plants and place them about..

I think they add coziness, don't you? 

Making coffee and glancing out of the kitchen window on a Winter's morning with the snow piled high is somehow cheerful with the colourful Geraniums peering outside, too! smile.. 

5..Speaking of kitchens ... Copper adds such a touch of warmth to this centre of our home.. 

The lovely copper colour reflects the light.. 

Whether it is a wintry sun shinning through the kitchen window or the reflection of a candle burning on the counter or hutch.. 

Copper is classic and so rich looking, I think.. 

6..  Wonderful home cooked meals and lovely set tables.. 

Sitting around the supper table with a delicious meal definitely  makes a big contribution towards a cozy home anytime of the year but especially during the long evenings of Winter.. 

Tablecloths and dinnerware can make the food taste better, eh?  smile.. 

7..  Books...

Taking time in the afternoon or evening to turn the pages of a book along with a lovely cuppa makes for a cozy spot in your day.. 

Books and plants are in the same catagory to me.. 

They just emanate the coziness  of home and especially during the winter months..

I can never have too many bookshelves, if you know what I mean.. 

8..Bread...

Yup... 

You have to agree that there is no other smell as cozy as homemade bread and it is so comforting... 

It is very easy to make now with the many no knead recipes that one can find on the internet.. 

Here is the link for this one here..

It will take only 5 minutes of your day.. 

9.  Fragrance.. 

Plug- ins, candles, sprays or even homemade potpourris can make a stale home smell delightful.. 

Spices and fruits mixed with water and simmered in a pot on the stove or in the oven smell glorious.. 

Or even wrap some up in cheesecloth and tie with a string.. 

Dip into a potpourri burner along with a bit of cider...

Don't you think that anything that makes your house smell delicious is money well spent?

Me, too.. 

10..  Make a few cozy corners for yourself.. 

They will give you a quiet spot during busy days or restful place at the end of one.. 

This is my favourite spot.. 

Our water bed... 

So warm and cozy.. 

A flannel covered down filled duvet, an open window, a smelly candle and the book.. 

Heavenly.. smile..

and this one.. 

An old lazy boy, a pile of books and the electric fireplace in our sun room is another cozy spot for me.. 

And my plants.. smile.. 

Well, my friends this about wraps it up.. 

I hope you will find something inspiring here to help you cope with the rest of our Winter season and make a bit of cozy for yourself.. 

Looking out of our Family Room window the other night at this beautiful sunset gives us hope of waking up to a sweet Spring morning very soon.. 

Thank you so much for visiting and I look forward to reading your sweet notes that you leave.. 

Also... 

 I would like to thank Wayfair.ca for this honour of allowing me this opportunity to represent them even in this small way..

There are several links above in the post to Wayfair.ca and their cozy products.. 

Take care and God bless.. 

xo 

Just Grateful....

my fave view

love love books..

I have some lace like this.. 

one of the farm animals I love.. 

also donkeys and chickens.. 

isn't this dining set interesting.. 

so pretty.... 

sweet!!

so homey, eh? 

I don't know what it is that I love about hanging teacups.. 

notice the dried fruit... oranges, I think... 

yes, there is a cat.. 

they always make a house look cozy... 

our old cottage by the sea.. 

comfy beds even if they are ancient.. smile.. 

Happy Friday Evening! 

So glad you dropped by this night.. 

Just posting a few images that I noticed on the web the past while.. 

Something about each of them captured my attention .. 

And a couple of my own... 

The horses are in my fave view near by and the bedroom is in our old cottage by the sea.. 

I love images that I can explore and perhaps learn some little tidbit that inspires or humors me in some way.. 

Are you like that?  

When I read books I am the same way.. 

Reading and trying to remember.. 

Not as easy as it used to be.. smile.. 

We have had such a stormy week here in New Brunswick that the weekend with no storms in view is very welcome!  

There were around 100 cm. in many places and Terry said we had that much with the drifting... 

Anyway.. 

You know we Canadians can talk about the weather till we bore everyone else silly.. Sorry.. 

I hope you have a great weekend where ever you have a spot in this big old world of ours... 

 And I am sending you hugs to where ever that may be.. 

And let's be grateful... smile.. 

God is sooo good!