Return of the Winter Potpourri Post..

Good Evening everyone.. 

This is just a little midweek post .. 

A bit of a rerun, actually.. 

This is a project I hope to get at very soon.. 

My homemade Winter Potpourri .. 

I have posted about this before but thought I would do a little reminder for you just in case you are interested.. 

I find this an excellent potpourri to have on hand and pass out to friends who visit.. 

Keep it in an old pottery bowl and have several paper lunch bags ready so they can carry a bit home with them.. 

This is the time to gather the ingredients for the mix before the snow arrives here in the Maritimes.. smile.. 

In the post before when I gave this recipe I told a wee story so decided to include it here also.. 

Hope it isn't too repetitive for you all.. 

Anyway.. 

On with the story.. (I just copied and pasted it from the last time)

Remember the other day when I posted  about being at our old farm and seeing these growing here..

 I told you that I wanted to make some  pine or balsam potpourri with them..

Well, I have a funny little story to tell you..

 Hope you have time..smile...

 Anyway.. Terry and I went out to the farm and I took a bag all ready to pick them.. Terry had to take some stuff into the house so I headed down to the old spring where the fir tree was... 

OK...Can you picture it?...

I have my bag ready and look into the branches and guess what?  Not a cone was to be had.. Every last one of them was gone.. Honest... So.. I am looking all around the base of the tree No way..  They are all gone.. 

Well, some of you know me pretty well and you know that I am not an emotional person...I am very calm and passive.. LOL.. oh yes... 

Stop laughing, my friends...

 Anyway.. I go around to the back of the tree.. Surely, there is one left on there somewheres..

 No.. they are GONE..

While I am behind the tree looking in vain Terry comes out on the step and can't see me..( He probably thought I fell in the spring..)

 He hollers.. Faye!!... 

He said that all of a sudden he hears someone bellowing (his word..grin..) ...

"Someone took them!!!  They took all of my cones!!   All of them!!

He yells at me to calm down because he was sure that they could hear me up at the windmills... grin.. 

Anyway, he comes down and sure enough they are gone..

Isn't that odd?  Where on earth would they go to? 

Does anyone know ??  smile..

There is a reward... A bag of potpourri... grin.. 

To make a long story short... 

Terry went out a little further and found some on another tree ...

 I did get some after all..

Let's just say that this was a  typical day in the life of Faye Henry.. smile.. 

Here is the recipe..

8 cups of cones... fir or pine.. or a mixture..

2 cups of dried rose hips

2 cups of bay leaves

several cinnamon sticks broken into small pieces..

2 cups or so of dried apple slices..

You can buy these or slice some up and put in the oven on low heat for several hours or use your dehydrator..

I also added some small pieces of pine boughs..

If you have some orris root or some kind of carrier then you add several drops of pine or balsam oil.. I use a quite a lot...

You can add it to the potpourri itself..

Cover all this with some plastic wrap for several days and then toss.. I usually keep it covered for a couple of weeks..

Here is a little decorating idea for lunch bags you can make to go along with the potpourri.. 

pinterest

Place a cup or two of potpourri in the bag and then tie a cone on with the string and add a label.. 

You can buy the red and white twine from Michaels, too.. 

And this is it for tonight dear hearts .. 

Not much but just an idea I am working on.. 

Sometimes, I will glue a pic on the front of the bag and spray a with of glue and shake on some glitter... 

Or use some stamps and stamp pad and so on... 

Hope you are having a great week.. 

Love having you drop by for a visit.. 

God bless.. 

xoo

Monday Morning Inspiration ....

Good Monday Morning dear hearts.. 

Here I am once again with some lovely images from the web..

Quite a few of you were so kind to let me know you enjoyed this type of post.. 

The last one was of projects and the first was just a few images like this.. 

If you continue to enjoy these Monday morning posts I will try to do different ones.. projects, recipes, etc..  

Here is the link for the delicious looking bars in the first pic.. 

HERE..

I have posted one of these images before just because I love it..  

I wonder if any of you who have been aboard for a while will recognise which one it is.. grin.. 

We are completely moved home now.. 

Yesterday I was so happy to get the cold room cleaned.. 

It is a job that has been bothering my subconscious for a couple of weeks now.. if you know what I mean.. 

Anyway, I had some lovely helpers.. 

They carried up the ones that needed to be discarded and did that chore for me.. 

Then all the bottles were washed and returned to the basement.. 

Now all we have to do is go to the farm and get the pickles and canned goods and it will be all she wrote... 

Until next year, Lord willing.. 

I must say that I am so glad to be home.. 

So many things to enjoy and appreciate once again.. 

My bed... 

 I know that I always mention that old water bed but I do really love the thing.. smile.. 

And the bedroom window that almost goes to the floor and stays open all Winter long.. Really!!

Then everything on one level... 

And the washer and dryer... 

Although, next summer when and if we go to the farm again we have a new purchase that is wonderful..

Well, actually we traded an old wood washer from our shop for this one..  

A vintage electric wringer washer with a copper tub that sits on the deck and you just use a hose for the water and do your washing right there.. 

Hang them on the line and ta da.. Done!!  

But that is just for summer.. 

Anyway, my friends you are getting the jist of the story.

Hope your week goes wonderfully for you.. 

I will pray for you and you pray for me.. 

Ok?  

We have a prayer answering God and I am learning more each day to put my trust in Him.. or not.. Right?  

You either trust Him or you don't.. 

I choose to trust Him.. 

Looking forward to reading your sweet notes... 

God bless.. 

xo

Monday Morning Projects...

made with some luggage tags..

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note to self.. 

wrap gifts with uniqueness... is that a word?  lol... 

just some magazine cutouts of birds pasted on cardboard and glued to a clothespin and spray glue and glitter... sweet!

terry has already cut me out boards for this project and some pages for really old books.. 

modgepodge and wire hangers.. easy.. 

a litle bit of needlework needed here... But a bird cut from a piece of bird fabric and go to town.. 

something I have been planning for a couple of years.. 

teatowels using old embroider pieces that are decrepit ...a bit of lace and ribbon.. I would love to receive a few of these.. would you? 

sometimes I make batches of tags and give to my daughter .. you who follow the blog have seen this pic before as I really love these tags... this summer I scored a bunch of Beatrice Potter books so we are on.. don't tell my friend Joelle.. grin.. she would be mad at me for cutting up books.. 

love this apron even if it is not useful as my friend pointed out.. 

pretty is as pretty does... smile.. 

another easy one with some wire and a strong husband.. lol... 

my plan for my sunroom craft cupboard this winter.. starting in november, I hope.. 

brought home tons of old embroidered pieces from the shop and thought my mom would love these.. 

another simple project but just so different from the usual market bags we use here.. 

kind of hippie like, eh? 

sorry about the embroider works projects but I have a basket full.. 

no, I don't think I could do this but love it anyway.. perfect... 

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Good Morning my dears.. 

Another Monday has rolled around so quickly.. 

Such a lovely Monday it is, too... 

Warm weather and warm rains.. 

It is quite fierce outside at times with the wind and what but just my cup of tea.. 

That's it in the pic above.. grin..

This wee Monday post is just a few projects I would like to attempt in the next while.. 

Christmas is coming and there are gifts and exchanges coming up so it would be nice to have a few things ready.. 

I know that they may not be to your taste but they captured my attention.. 

What say you?

Anything appeal to you... 

This post is a test to see if it is anything that will catch your attention and if I should do a regular Monday Morning thingie... 

smile.. 

We had a blessed weekend and our family dinner was great!  

Lots of things to do this week just like everyone else.. 

The whole world is busy, eh? 

Anyway, take care my friends and will catch you later.. This week I am not going to promise a midweek post as I probably won't get to it just like last week. Sorry... 

Looking forward to hearing from you all.. 

Here and on the Face Book page.. 

God Bless... 

xo

A Friday Night Post..

Happy Friday Evening to you all.. 

Another rainy day here in New Brunswick and warm.. 

We have been having glorious weather on the East coast of Canada.. 

Someone said it was 20 degrees Celsius today.. 

I had hung a few things on the line early this morning as it was so windy.. They didn't dry really but I took them off before the rain started.. 

Falls like this one are such a blessing because the snow will come I am sure.. 

Right now the rain is pouring and hitting the windows.. 

My husband and two sons are out there hunting.. 

They will be wet by the time they get home.. smile.. 

There is usually a pot of soup on the go here once again.. 

Soup season for this soup junkie.. 

Enjoying the Vegetarian Magazines I picked up at a yard sale a few weeks ago.. 

Dustin always called me an almost vegetarian.. 

grin.. 

Last weekend we woke on Saturday morning and Terry suggested we take a little trip to Bangor.. 

Of course, I was up for that so it didn't take us long to get going.. 

We drove down the back way to Sussex and we noticed this fog bank.. 

So beautiful with the farm silos in the distance..

We had a good time but I am so disappointed!  

One of the things I love to do when we go to Bangor or even around here shopping has been going to the Thrift and Antique stores.. eh?  

Well.. 

Since we sold our cottages and brought home so much stuff I don't even want to go in to the stores and all I bought were a few books.. 

Oh and the dearest little petit point needleworked change purse.. 

Black with wee roses and only four dollars.. 

I should have taken a pic.. sorry.. 

But I did enjoy visiting this shop so much.. 

We always stay in Brewer and this is on Main, I believe.. 

It is a hippie- want- to- be's idea of a great grocery store.. 

There are organic everything to start with.. 

An organic coffee bar and such.. 

Homemade Laundry soaps that you turn on a tap and fill glass bottles and buy it that way.. Homemade stain remover soap sticks. 

An old laundry tub is part of the decor.. 

Then there is an area with fermenting supplies... 

Dried veggies and fruits.. Homemade soap, candles, soy tarts and toiletries and so on and so on.. 

Dear Terry just waits in the car.. 

Not really his cup of tea.. I had fun, though.. 

Anyway we had a lovely meal and an early night.. 

The wind was blowing.. smile.. 

Then the next day we took our time coming home.. 

A ship was in at the St. John harbour.. 

Home again.. 

Monday I had a big bowl of ripe tomatoes to do up.. 

I really am getting tired of preserving stuff.. 

Pico de Gallo and Spaghetti Sauce... 

More of Carman's Soup Flavouring preserved.. 

Parsley Root is still out at the farm growing.. 

This is the first time we have planted it and though we were late getting it in I have still enough to use..

It looks like parsnips and tastes like parsley.. 

I did buy a couple of new kitchen tools.. 

Mine were old and took a lot of space.. 

These were on sale and really quite small but efficient.. 

Then yesterday our youngest son and I had a town day together.. 

We had a good time.. 

Shopping and out for lunch... 

Reading this you would think that I love to shop.. 

I don't usually... smile.. 

We visited one of my fave markets and bought a big bag of apples to make our favourite apple sauce.. 

For you new followers of the blog here is the recipe.. 

I use either apples or pears.. 

Roasted Pear Sauce

enough pears to fill a large baking pan w/ a lid (I used about a dozen) I like anjou

2 cinnamon sticks

2 vanilla beans, cut in half

4 whole anise

2 large slices of candied ginger or fresh ginger, cut into wide strips

½ cup sugar (I use coconut sugar), see notes

1 cup water

Pre-heat oven 250°F

Do not peel or core the pears. I cut pears into 1/4, leaving seeds, skin and all. I only remove the stem. Fill pan two thirds of the way and tuck whole spices in/around the pears. Then top with more pears. As many that will fin in your baking pan. Sprinkle sugar on top and then water. Cover with a heavy lid or foil. Roast one hour. Pull the pan put of the oven.Let the pears sit, covered for one hour.

Strain pears into a large bowl. Set the juice aside for caramel pear sauce. Remove all the whole spices except the candied ginger ad one vanilla bean for the caramel sauce. The ginger gets soft and mushy like the pears, so it can be run through the food mill. Process the pears through a food mill. I fill glass canning jars with a 2" header at the top (so when the sauce expands while it freezes, you have room and the jar will not break). Store jars in freezer. Since the sauce has almost no sugar, I am not sure if it would can well.

Caramel Pear Sauce

usally makes about 1/2 cup

juice from the pear sauce

vanilla bean from the pear sauce, cut open and scrap out the inside, add that to the pear juice. Discard the pod.

1-2 TBL butter

Set juice in a heavy sauce pan. Boil juice over high heat until it reduces by two thirds. Keep an eye on it. The sauce should be thicker and look for it to start smelling caramelly. Pull off heat and add 1 TBL of butter. If you want the sauce more buttery, add another TBL. Fill one or two small jars. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Warm sauce berfore serving.

Here is the link, too.. 

HERE..

Meanwhile, here at home again things are getting back to normal.. 

I have most of my plants back from the farm and a few more things.. 

My sewing machine and salve making supplies and it will be done for another year.. 

A bit late due to the selling of the cottage and shop but we are home.. 

And I am so happy to be here.. 

I hope you have a great weekend.. 

We are having a family supper tomorrow night in Sussex so am looking forward to that.. 

Family.. 

One of God's greatest blessings.. 

He thought it was so important it was His priority in His creation.. 

Thank you, Lord.. 

God bless, dear hearts.. 

Thanks for stopping by and I love your dear notes.. 

I enjoy every one of them.. 

xo