A little bit pantry...

Good Evening, my dears.. 

Here we are on a very stormy Saturday evening here in Eastern Canada... 

The snow and rain are coming down and the wind is up a bit.. 

And I guess there is more coming overnight.. 

Praying that everyone on the roads are safe.. 

Terry was up to the farm and he said the roads were horrid on the way home.. 

I was so glad to hear him come in.. 

The fire was going and supper was ready.. 

A rather healthy fish and chip... smile..

I so love fish and could eat it everyday almost.. 

To make it healthy, I just put a bit of butter in a pan and sprinkled the fillets with salt, pepper, parsley and some lemon juice.. 

And the chips were just a few potatoes that I coated with a bit of oil and kosher salt.. 

Sometimes, I add crushed garlic or rosemary.. 

We really enjoyed it along with a tossed salad ... 

Anyway...  

I did not accomplish much on my weekly to do list this week as I was down with the flu for about 3 days.. sigh.. 

Oh well.. All better, now.. 

I did putter away when I could and managed to get my pantry cleaned... 

Oh ... It feels so good to get this big job all finished.. 

It is not a big pantry like my friend's but I am so blessed to have it.. 

When we bought this house 30 years ago it was a kind of pantry with just shelves all the way around.. 

Several years ago I persuaded Terry to put in a work counter with wee shelves here and there for spices and measures and such.. 

I put my kitchen aid in there and it is so nice to make my mess in there.. 

Have you noticed there are two types of cooks.. 

Tidy ones and messy ones.. 

I, of course am a very tidy cook.. not... grin.. 

No, sorry to say I am very messy but not much is going to change after all these years.. smile.. 

So... 

I cleaned off the first shelf and put some blue there.. 

Makes it look a bit more old fashioned, I think.. 

It used to look like this.. 

Now it looks like this.. 

The pic is not too good as it was a dark day, today.. 

Much more organized and a bit prettier.. 

I love pretty as much as organized.. 

How about you?

Shonda gave me the lovely labels for Christmas along with a chalk pen .. 

I have lots of grains and such so they are all in bottles that I save and the labels make them easier to find..

I found this sweet little set of blue dishes at a thrift shop..

I have a little collection of Flow Blue that my Mom gave me from my great aunt but they are safely put away behind a glass door in a cupboard in the hall.. 

I love this little antique flour cannister.. 

Do you love old, vintage and antique?

Or are you more modern..  

Spice Box...

Basil that I grew myself.. 

Actually, there is a whole cupboard of mason jars with herbs that I have dried or whatever.. 

Not perfect but much better.. 

Pots all hang on the other side as dear hubby made me some hanging racks.. 

Home made Vinegars and such..

A set of measuring cups my dear mother-in-law gifted me with many years ago.. 

I still use them.. 

My love for all things UK... smile.. 

That container there holds my lentils.

A just bit of a pantry post.. 

My friend has such a wonderful one that I posted about HERE..

Rhonda at the Down to Earth blog had a pantry challenge but I was late reading about it and did not have time to do it correctly.. 

Just decided to do my own little one.. 

Hope you enjoyed it.. 

The last few years I have been trying lots of grains.. 

Millet, Bulgur, Wheat, Quinoa and such.. 

Terry is not much into this stuff so I just usually make salads and sprouts with them for myself..  

One of my new faves is Freekah but I must admit that so far the best one is Quinoa.. 

Love it.. 

Freekah has a lovely nutty flavor.. 

It is an ancient grain, I believe.. 

Anyway..

You put them in a frying pan with a teaspoon of oil and toast them a bit first.. 

Then you simmer them like you do Quinoa for 15 or 20 minutes.. 

Cool .. 

Then add veggies and your favorite salad dressing.. 

Lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and a herb or two.. 

Very nice lunch on a stormy day in front of the fire.. 

Oh and I love olives in it.. 

Tomatoes, green peppers, tomatoes, green onions and dressing.. 

Very very good for you.. smile.. 

Well, dear hearts that is all for tonight.. 

Hope you are having a great weekend and keeping safe.. 

Tomorrow is the Lord's Day.. 

I wonder what the storm will be like in the morning.. 

For now, though, I must get to bed.. 

The wind is blowing and my window will be open,.. 

Do  you open your window even in the Winter?  

Thank you for stopping by and I look forward to your sweet comments. 

Thanks, too , for liking the Face Book page.. 

And welcome to the new followers ..

So glad to have you.. 

Take care, my friends.. xo

Linked today with the Enchanting Rose Here..

Thank you for featuring the Blessed Hearth, Stephanie..

And also linked to Home Making Mondays...

A Foggy Drive ,,

Hello everyone.. 

How is your week going?  

Terry and I took a little tour on Monday..

 It was a very rainy, windy and foggy day ..

Most people love driving in the sunshine but me being a fowl weather lover, enjoy these kind of days when they come and love driving in the rain.. Always did.. smile..

So...

 I talked the dear man into taking me for a spin.. 

He wanted to check the basement for water at the old farm, anyway so we decided to take a little round about drive to get there.. 

With a couple of little Sprout Sandwiches (my fave, remember?) and a couple of macaroons we were on our way..  

Want to come with us?  

First, we stopped in a little town near us as Terry had to do an errand.. 

Main Street was not very busy but it was very wet.. 

Then we made another important stop.. smile.. 

Our famous Canadian coffee shop.. 

Tim Hortons.. 

Then we were away... 

There was a bit of snow left and the little byways were slushy... 

And some flooding.. 

This lovely place was almost an island unto itself.. 

But onwards and forward.. 

We headed to a place called Elgin.. 

A beautiful little village here in New Brunswick

Folks had their fires going .. 

Nothing like a wood fire to warm up a place and get rid of the dampness.. 

There are so many rivers and streams in Albert County.. 

And they were spreading over their banks.. 

A little walkway along the river..

Notice the bank of fog.. 

And the red dogwood... 

Farming country around about there.. 

Beautiful barns and old farm houses... 

A childhood friend of mine lives here.. 

Lovely, eh?  

And this took us back..

Flower power.. grin.. 

Fog as far as the eye can see.. 

The snow is almost gone from the fields.. 

Not that it will last.. 

It is cold here tonight and we still have a couple of months of Winter weather.. 

I am sure we will have much more snow... 

Now, we are headed to our old farm.. 

It was really foggy..

We are almost there.. 

Here is our brook... 

Running swift... 

And there is the old farm ... 

Our old getaway.. 

The lane was clear and we could get in.. 

Terry made a fire .. 

Just so the house knew we were there for a bit, anyway.. grin.. 

A lovely way to spend some time.. 

A rainy day, a little lunch and a country drive.. 

Simple blessings.. 

Now .. 

Homeward bound.. 

The lights are coming on and it is time to get back and make supper... 

I hope your enjoyed our little tour..

So thankful tonight for this time in our lives.. 

Blessed beyond measure.. 

Thank you, Lord...  

And thank you so much for your sweet visit and comments.. 

Praying you have a wonderful week... 

Hugs.. 

Psalms 147:7-8 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

Vintage Napkin Rings How to...

Hello dear hearts.. 

Here we are on another Monday.. 

How fast the month of January is passing by.. 

Here in  Eastern Canada we are having what we refer to as a January thaw.. 

The temps are very mild and it rained and the wind roared all night long.. 

This morning the snow seems to have disappeared.. Not to worry, though, it will be back.. smile.. 

This afternoon Terry and I packed a wee treat, bought a couple of coffees and along with my trusty camera we took a little rural tour.. 

I love driving in the rain and wind.. 

The brooks and rivers were very full and the hollows were full of fog.. 

I will share those pics with you next time.. 

Tonight..

Thanks to inspiration from Shonda's rings I attempted these..  

I will show you a simple way to make little vintage napkin rings.. 

OK? 

This is all you need. 

4 napkin rings..(or however many you want)

 I had these but you could sew them up in a heartbeat.. 

Or buy wood or plastic ones at a thrift shop..

Some old jewellery pieces and buttons.. (thrift stores)

I collected this stuff for several years when I did Victorian crafts several years ago.. 

ribbon and lace 

wire to tie bows with

tweezers to place jewellery under other pieces.. 

glue gun and glue..

wire snippers..   

I have a little cache of country style pins from years ago like the little angel head there.. 

I think Terry gave me that about 10 years ago.. 

I used my snipers and snipped the pin back off.. 

Made a bow from some old ribbon and glued it on first and then the angel head.. 

Took some green rhinestones off an old necklace and glued them around ...

This was another old broach.. 

Took the back off and then used a piece of vintage lace tied in a knot.. Glued it in place and covered it with the broach.. 

Then just added some pieces from other necklaces and such.. 

This was a piece of an old bracelet.. 

Ribbon and other pieces all glued about.. 

Same thing here except I glued some rhinestones around the old broach... 

So, my friends you just need to use your imagination.. 

Send me some pics if you make them.. 

These are kind of pink to go with my china.. 

Winsome... 

That is the name of my china.. 

I am still working on my bed runner.. 

It is a bit more work then I thought.. smile.. 

I think this is going to be a busy week.. 

I am trying to do a pantry challenge which I am thinking needs to get done next... 

And I am expecting some dear old friends for lunch one day this week .. smile.. 

Take care my friends.. 

Thanks for stopping by and your sweet comments.. 

And a big welcome to the lovely new followers and the ones who are helping with the Face Book page...

Hugs...

Linked to The Enchanting Rose ...

Daughter's Winter Decor and such..

Happy Weekend everyone.. 

Hope you have a great one.. 

We are supposed to have a pretty cold night here in New Brunswick and then after the weekend perhaps some rain.. 

I hope not.. 

It just makes such a mess when we have this much snow but we have no control over the weather, eh? 

Just thankful to live here in the North.. 

We are used to snow storms, rain storms, slush and cold temps.. 

There are a lot of pluses, though, that is for sure.. 

Pure crisp air, beautiful scenery, winter sports and so much more.. 

It is great to love where you live and I certainly do.. 

Actually, I am quite a spoil sport in the fact that I do not desire to even visit elsewhere.. 

The love of travel just did a flyby when I was being created.. grin.. 

Then it landed safe and sound in our daughter.. 

She loves to travel as do our sons, really..

Mentioning Winter and our daughter... smile.. 

I am posting some pics of her Winter decor of her Foyer.. 

As you can see, we have two different styles..  

Shonda is very creative and made these mason jar lamps.. 

I think you just put paint inside the bottles and swirl it around.. 

Then fill with fairy lights as the English call them.. smile.. 

Winter in Canada means a more natural decor.. 

Pine cones, birch bark and moss are there for the picking.. 

Some greenery you can use are Pine, Firs and Cedars just for a few.. 

Shonda is using pine.. 

She also made the pillow from Burlap and painted on black cloth.. 

The Crazy Quilt was part of the Homespun Christmas present her mama gave her.. grin.. 

It is mostly satins and I found it at a Thrift store.. 

Actually, I almost kept it but I do not need it.. 

Right? 

This is another wall in her foyer.. 

Our grandsons have had their photos drawn several times as they have grown up.. 

Sweet young men, now.. 

Anyway.. 

Dave bought Shonda this old trunk at the Antique Flee Market many years ago.. 

Shonda made the chalk board and all of the snowballs you see here.. 

Aren't they perfect for Winter decor.. 

Here is the Pinterest link for making the snowballs.. 

Just click HERE..

A few months ago I went shopping with her to buy some new table settings, napkins, table runner and such.. 

It was so much fun.. 

Spending Dave's money.. grin.. 

I especially love the napkin rings.. 

I decided that day that I would try and make some for myself.. 

I was in the craft business for over 20 years and had collected a lot of old jewellery, buttons and such and figured I could do a few much cheaper then Shonda's lovely ones..  

And so... 

This afternoon I dug out a few napkin rings that I had picked up at the Christmas Tree Shop when we were in Bangor.. 

And hidden away in my craft room were a bottle of jewels.. 

  and a basket full of old beads and such... 

Along with my trusty old glue gun I made a few.. 

The thing is that this post is too long so you will have to come back next time to see how they turned out.. 

I must say that I do like them.. 

Friday night at our house means either go out for supper or make something we love.. 

Hence.. 

Home made Tomato Basil Sauce and Pasta.. 

A few of you asked last post for the Pumpkin Preserves Recipe.. 

Here it is.. 

Pumpkin Preserves resembles Marmalade but has a vastly different flavor.. 

Quite sweet though so I do cut the sugar back a bit.. 

That is up to you.. 

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Preserves...

5 pounds of pumpkin... peeled and cut into small pieces..

3/4 pound of root ginger..peeled and cut into small pieces..

3 lemons cut up fine.. I use the whole lemon..

5 pounds of sugar  (I use 4 pounds)

Cut pumpkin into small pieces and add the sugar..

Let stand for 24 hours..

Put in a large pot along with ginger and lemon...Bring to a boil.. Simmer on top of stove until pumpkin is clear...

Take out pumpkin with a slotted spoon and let the juice simmer until quite thick..

Add pumpkin mixture and bring back to a boil..

Bottle and seal... 

Thanks so much for dropping by, sweet ladies.. 

And a big welcome to the new followers.. 

Love having you.. 

Also, I appreciate that you have filled out the questionnaire and I will try to use it to better the blog.. 

Oh,  thanks so much for linking onto the Face Book page of the Blessed Hearth.. 

You do not need to be a member of FB to read this page.. 

I hope to randomly add some ideas and recipes that won't be here so make sure to check it out.. 

There is a link at the top of my sidebar.. 

God bless you all.. 

Another cold day....

Good Evening, my dears.. 

A very cold day here in Eastern Canada .. 

The sun was shining, though and very beautiful with the snow and all.. 

Speaking of snow.. 

I hung my little garland of snowmen that I made out of Shonda's gift bag to me.. 

There is not a lot of blue here but in the back hall it looked fine and I needed something for a change.. 

I would like to make a couple of wee valances for the doors, too.. 

Soon.. smile... 

I have been working at rearranging the Sun Room... 

Most of my plants are in the there but I need to get them distributed about the house a bit more.. 

Besides which, I have been trying to grow some different from the usual ones.. 

If you live near me and have the plant called 

A String of Pearls then I would love to have a slip.. 

I cannot find one anywhere.. 

Do you have lots of plants?.. 

I have lots of geraniums as I bring them in from the Summer and keep them over the Winter  and then just put them out again in the Spring..

The benefit is that you save money but mostly that you have all that lovely color through all these snowy months.. 

I find they lift my spirits.. smile.. 

My sister-in-law gave me a small pumpkin before Christmas.. 

It was still good so yesterday I made a small batch of old fashioned pumpkin preserves...

I had saved a huge pumpkin to do these preserves but it started rotting before I had a chance to make them.. 

Today we had our town day.. smile.. 

I found this little cloth and bowls with violets on them.. 

Nice for Spring..

Also a book by Thomas Kincade.. 

Home Song.. 

I have not read his writing before.. 

Have any of you?  

It sounds interesting and my friend used to collect his work.. 

We stopped by to visit my Mom and her husband as she is quite sick with the cold but doing a bit better.. 

Bless her heart.. 

We came home and Terry made a fire.. 

After it warmed up a bit I made a fish chowder for our supper.. 

Such a cozy evening.. 

Eating chowder on a tray with a mohair throw over my lap.. 

Just like an old lady... grin.. 

I did make a couple of  Raisin Tea Breads, too.. 

Looking forward to having a slice with a nice hot cup of tea.. 

The breads were made with Earl Grey tea.. 

Should be interesting.. 

I am also trying to learn to do a bit of creative photo work ... 

Yup... 

The lights of home on a cold winter's night.. 

We are nice and snug in there.. smile.. 

This is not much of a post, I am afraid; but just wanted to keep in touch with you all..

I have put the Blessed Hearth on Face Book and need to find the time to put a button on the sidebar.. 

But if you are on FB please put the Blessed Hearth in the search engine and like the page.. 

If you don't mind, that is.. 

Well, good night for now, my dears and hopefully I will have something a little more interesting next time.. 

Keep warm and God bless... 

Linked TO... A TRAY OF BLISS FOR A FRUGAL LINKY PARTY...