Resolutions?

Resolutions?
I personally do not make any resolutions for the new year do you?
If so what is yours for 2014?
If  you are like me why do you not make any resolutions?

I watched as a child each new year's eve my parents makes resolutions and each year they were trying hard to keep them but more often than not they did not keep their resolution.
The resolution I heard the most was " I am going to quit smoking"
Dad smoked until he passed away and Mom while she is doing a great job cutting back has yet to quit.
When I became an adult I never made resolutions knowing most of them were not kept.
If I decided to do something I didn't need new year's eve to make a resolution to do it.
I needed to make my mind up to do it and anytime of year would do.
With the new year approaching have you made any resolutions?

Carrying On A Family Tradition!

I am so happy Gretchen is carrying on our family tradition of making Christmas ornaments!

These beautiful ornaments are now hanging on our Christmas tree .

 I am so looking forward to Gretchen making Christmas ornaments for our tree each year.

The above picture is our Christmas tree adorned by our home made ornaments.
Do you make your own ornaments?
Do you have a family tradition(s) you observe each Christmas?

Baking Cookies For Santa And Our Tea Party

This year our Christmas celebrations were  very shy on people as  we are having terrible freezing rain storms and snow and sleet for the last few days. Fortunately I have had Gretchen here to enjoy.

My Favourite Tea And A Recipe Request

Today I took a photograph of my favourite tea and cookies under my Christmas tree and posted it on the wall of my favourite tea company on facebook.

Ahmad Tea has the best tea anywhere, take it from me I drink tea from all over the world and Ahmad makes my favourite tea blends.
Of the many teas Ahmad Tea has English Afternoon Tea is my favourite.
I posted the above photo on their wall on Facebook and the response I got was a request for my Melting Moments recipe.
I was quite happy to share that recipe with them as I was with all of you.
So nice that a company responds to people when they comment on their site.
I hope that you will try Ahmad Tea they have some of the best teas available.
What is your favourite tea?

Feeling old

Today is my eldest son's 36th birthday and wow does seeing that on paper ever make me feel old!
His wife I am sure will have something special planned for the two of them this evening.
I am expecting my Mother back from the city today so my Aunt tells me.
I am so glad everything is set-up for my Grandparents for nursing staff to come into the home.
I will just be glad to have Mom home so she can concentrate on her health .
I have made her som cookies and took chicken breasts out to thaw and will have a nice supper ready for her when she comes home.
The cookies I made were very nice I took my melting moment recipe and before adding the dry ingredients I added a tsp of vanilla and a teaspoon of orange extract and the rind of 2 tangerines  and the juice of one tangerine ( I ate the other they were very tasty).
I beat the mixture together then added the dry ingredients and baked them the dame wqay as the others only flattened the alls more and baked for  12 mins, just watch them check the bottoms a fter 10 mins they should be brown the tops will not brown unless over cooked. the melting moments recipe is easy .
                                                           
                                                       Melting Moments

                                                          3 cups flour
                                                          1 cup icing sugar
                                                          1 cup cornstarch
                                                          1 softened pound of butter
                                                    Mix together with fork into a dough.
                                                    Roll 1 inch balls, flatten with fork and add sprinkles.
                                                    Bake 325 F for 7-10 mins until golden brown on bottom edge.

Papa is home

     Well yesterday was quite an eventful day for my poor Mother.
She is in the city with my Nanny while my Papa is in the hospital having chemo.
They sent him home yesterday and it was quite the job for my Mom.
She had my Nanny and her huge walker that doesn't fold down well and takes up most of the back seat as it won't fit in the trunk it is too high.
She also had my Papa and he was sent home using a walker, his balance is not good so needed her assistance and she had to get him and his walker into the car as well (  she owns a little kia).
My Mother is 80 pounds and has had polio so her left arm and shoulder don't work well.
I feel for her and wish I could have been there to help her.
She managed to get them home and medications sorted, took the meds to the drugstore to have them put into blister packs with new meds so that it is less confusing for them. Now they are settled she will stay until homecare is in place.
I spoke to her last night and know she hurt her arm, shoulder and lower back I hope she rests it as much as she can and gets everything done and home before the weekend as we are expecting a large snowfall on Saturday.
I wish the snow would hold off for one more day, Saturday is my potluck and theatre night with the girls, we do it once a year and really is one of the only outings I get these days and look forward to it alot.
I  pray that this Christmas everyone has a healthy and safe winter.                                                  

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well today I made my sweetie a pile of chocolate chip cookies as he has been after me to make some cookie dough he likes to eat raw...chocolate chip.

At this time of year chocolate chip are the last cookies on my to do list as it is time for Christmas baking!

I had to look hard for my chocolate chip cookie recipe and lo and behold it was one that was right on the bag of chocolate chips.
Why when I baked them last time I didn't write beside the recipe TERRIBLE!!!?
 I haven't a clue because that is exactly what they are.
My sweetie of course loved them so you know he will have a tummy ache tonight for sure.

Does anyone have a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe they would like to share it will have to be one that is not overly sweet and is chewy.

In the meantime I will be searching all my cookbooks to find my recipe I wrote out about 30 years ago. It was on the bag of baker's chocolate chips, the blue bag, anyone remember that brand ?
Better yet does anyone have that recipe they would like to share with me?

Chemo

Well my Grandfather I am sure I mentioned fell through the cracks of the healthcare system and it has been a year since he has been diagnosed with lymphoma.
Unfortunately he did not understand what lymphoma was and came home from his appointment thinking if there was anything to worry about his doctor would call him...not so , remember to take it upon yourself to look after your own healthcare worries don't depend on the doctor to call you.

Once he started looking unwell he would just get his back up and say he is fine, just tired.

Finally he couldn't breathe and he was taken to hospital where they drained his lungs, he was sent home and appointments made with his doctor and oncologist he is still at this point not understanding the gravity of his illness.

He has been gradually going downhill and now is back in hospital to have lung drained again and starting chemo today.


He finally understands his situation and is making his own healthcare decisions now he is informed.

Please if you have an elderly person in your family , take the time to go to doctor appointments and to follow through with conversations about their conditions to ensure they understand .

I know they get annoyed with you for always asking questions about their health issues but it is important if you want them around for a while to ensure they know what exactly is going on with their bodies and what their options are  we made this error thinking that he was taking himself to doctor etc. that he was being explained to about his health and the fact he is private didn't share with us as he is an adult didn't make us question anything until he looked terribly unwell.

I don't see him but a few times a year and noticed right away as those who saw him daily didn't notice the decline as much.
It is possible he didn't delve deeper into his health problems  due to not understanding medical terminology that was used when discussing his illness with his doctor.

Whatever the reason he is now sicker than I have ever seen him and keep him in my prayers constantly.

Know that I am praying for you and love you  Papa <3 p="">

The Person I Will Miss The Most This Christmas

Missing you Daddy <3 p="">

Melting Moments And Oh How Fast She Has Grown

Gretchen is getting excited for Christmas

I thought I would share with you my shortbread recipe .
I do post it yearly for those of you that are like myself and lose recipes if they aren't in a book.
I have pictures of Gretchen baking Christmas cookies with me from 2 years ago and wow I can hardly believe how much she has grown in these past 2 years.

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                             


                                                             Melting Moments

                                                          3 cups flour
                                                          1 cup icing sugar
                                                          1 cup cornstarch
                                                          1 softened pound of butter
                                                    Mix together with fork into a dough.
                                                    Roll 1 inch balls, flatten with fork and add sprinkles.
                                                    Bake 325 F for 7-10 mins until golden brown on bottom edge.


This cookie is one of my most requested cookie at Christmastime.
Do you have a cookie recipe that people request you to make each Christmas?

Finding it difficult this holiday season as my grandpa is gravely ill with lymphoma and heading to the hospital by ambulance as I write.
I wish that getting older didn't mean having so many losses in your life...keeping my Nanny and  Papa in my prayers.
I am thanking God for giving me such a close, loving family that  helps eachother through the good times and the bad times.

She Is My Reason For Getting Out Of Bed Each Day

Santa Claus Parade In Norwood

I took my little earth angel to the Santa Claus Parade here in Norwood Ontario.
The temperatures were not bad, a breezy -1 Celsius and a great time was had by all.

              Tired after the parade she had her bath and jumped into bed

Cat Sitting

I just returned home after spending the last 8 days minding my son and his wife's fur babies.
I had a nice time away baking and cooking my little heart out and playing with the little sweeties.
I ensured the fridge and freezer were full of good things so that when Blair and Cheryl got back from Jamaica noone would need to worry about cooking for a while.
I enjoyed my time away and would have loved to stay to visit for a while but Blair had to get back to work and Cheryl had a couple of days before having to get back to the grind but had many things she wanted to do before then.
I will get to see them around Christmas I hope, they are waiting for schedules so they can plan on coming home for Christmas with us here.
My youngest son Ryan and his significant other Kate are in  the entertainment industry so we do hope they will be able to make Christmas as well.
I atleast hope that my Granddaughter will be making it for our Christmas.
We try to wait to see what everyone's schedule for work is and at times our Christmas is a few days to a week early but it is shared together which is the main thing.
What do you do to accommodate your loved one's work schedule at this time of year so that you can celebrate Christmas together?

Christmas Cheer!

Since it is the start of the Christmas season I figured I would post a first of many recipes to follow for this year.

On while browsing Pinterest this yummy recipe jumped out at me and I can safely say there will be many of these mixed in my kitchen this season. To be honest if you follow this link you and tried all the drinks that appeal to you, you would miss the Christmas season!

http://www.pinterest.com/dadscookbook/happy-drinks/

Candy Cane Shots - what a easy and cute idea!!

Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
Peppermint Schnapps
Crushed Candy Canes

Wet the rim of a shot glass and dip into the crushed candy canes.

Mix equal parts Godiva white chocolate liqueur and Peppermint schnapps together, Shake, pour into the rimmed glass, fancy napkin
blogspot.com

Great News!

This is me and my beautiful niece Britini.
I got some fantastic news today that she will be becoming a mother in May!
I am so excited for her and her hubby Dan I know they will make wonderful parents.

Remembrance Day 2013

Remembrance Day 2013 has to be the most gloomy and wet day I have seen for the Remembrance Day ceremonies here in Norwood.
Still the veterans and their families and members of the community marched up to the cenotaph to pay their respects.
I am so thankful to have made the acquaintance of many of our senior veterans and their families when I worked in the community nursing home to home, and others in the nursing home and retirement home in town.
The veterans deserve respect for all they have done for our country and I am truly thankful to them for all they give to keep us safe and free.

Shameful Disrespect to Our Veterans This Remembrance Day

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2013/11/20131107-092513.html

If it wasn't bad enough that they want to disrespect the veterans with white poppys, they are now having issues with the ceremonies held for Remembrance  Day. Another thing I find very disrespectful is that  4 days before Rembrance Day  the release of the new five and ten dollar bills  they  removed the veterans  from the ten dollar bill.
Reading the news lately makes me just shake my head in disbelief and wonder...has this whole world lost it's mind?
Weigh in, what do you think?

My poppy will ALWAYS be red

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2013/11/20131104-142226.html

I really can;t believe that they would disrespect the veterans this way.
What do you think about the white poppy?
Do you think that it is disrespectful to our veterans?

Gretchen And Grandma's Baking Adventure

I enjoy spending time with my granddaughter more than anything else.

This past weekend we did some baking and this was the very first time Gretchen baked something by herself.

I supervised her baking cupcakes, really the only thing I did was slice and help her scrape out the vanilla beans and to ensure her measurements were correct before she added them, other than taking them out of the oven that was all I contributed.

The cupcakes were fantastic! I know she was as proud of herself as I was of her.

I am so happy that she has inherited my love for baking, now I have someone to leave all my special recipes to.

The recipe for these amazing cupcakes are from a blog I love to read it is Sally's baking addiction and the recipe is as follows.

VANILLA CUPCAKES

• 1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt (or plain; or regular yogurt; or even sour cream) we used sour cream
• 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk (or cow's milk; or soy milk; or plain almond milk)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• seeds scraped from 1/2 split vanilla bean

VANILLA BEAN FROSTING

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4-5 cups powdered (confectioners') sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• seeds scraped from 1/2 split vanilla bean
• salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Stir in sugar - mixture will be gritty. Stir in egg whites, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Split 1 vanilla bean down the middle lengthwise. Scrape seeds from half of the vanilla bean into batter. Reserve other half.
3. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick.
4. Divide batter among 12 cupcake liners (or 24 mini) and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake for 8-9 minutes if making mini cupcakes. Allow to cool.
5. To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if mixture is too thick. Add salt if frosting is too sweet (1/4 teaspoon). Frost cooled cupcakes .
6. Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 7.

*Strongly urged to use heavy cream.  You may use milk or half-and-half, but heavy cream (we used sour cream and whipping cream)  will give the frosting a thicker texture.  I recommend it.

Halloween Sweetie

I had my little earth angel here with me for the last couple of days and we had a blast together.
Since she has started going to school our time together is not as often as it had been before but we have learned to ensure the time we do have together is quality time.
Gretchen came to visit right after she finished trick or treating on Thursday evening.
She looked so sweet in her little mouse princess costume.

Jazz Apple Love

I must tell you, I have a new love...Jazz Apples.

Have you tried them yet?

If you haven't you are missing out on one of the most crisp and tasty apples you will ever eat!

I know they are grown in New Zealand and in Washington State, Australia, Austria, France, Italy, Chile and Switzerland. 

Jazz Apples are a cross between a Royal Gala Apple and a Braeburn Apple.

I eat apples daily and until I found Jazz to be the perfect eating apple and baking apple .

This recipe I am going to share with you came from the Jazz Apple website http://www.jazzapples.com/sitemap.

The next time you are in the market, do yourself a favour and purchase some Jazz apples, if your store does not carry Jazz apples ask them to order some!

JAZZ Apple Pound Cake Stack

Ingredients:

·        4 ounces cream cheese, softened

·        2 tablespoons sour cream

·        1 tablespoon honey

·        1 teaspoon grated orange zest

·        12 thin slices of pound cake

·        1 thinly sliced JAZZ™ apple

·        3/4 cup of finely sliced strawberries

Directions:

In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, honey and orange zest with hand mixer. Spread each pound cake slice evenly with the cream cheese mixture. Core and slice the apple. To assemble the sandwiches, lay the apple slices on 4 of the cake slices, dividing equally.

Top with 4 more cake slices and then layer on strawberries. Cover with the remaining cake slices. Cut the sandwiches in half on the diagonal and secure each half with a decorative sandwich pick. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 4 servings.

  

Halloween Fun

The other day I went to my son's house and spent some time visiting with him, his significant other Kate and my beautiful granddaughter Gretchen.
When I got there Ryan and Gretchen were going to use Mr. Potato Head  parts to make a Mr. Pumpkin Head!
I stopped by to bring her a little something for Halloween as I figured I wouldn't see her until after Halloween.
I got a few nice pictures while my Mom and I were there.

This picture is of Gretchen and my Mom playing.

Gretchen and I playing with her halloween snow globe a black cat that looks like my son's cat Lydia Deets standing on top of a pumpkin with it's back arched.

Me sneaking in some cuddle time with Gretchen between playing

Gretchen and I  laughing at her Daddy being silly

Ryan and Kate laughing at Ryan's silliness

Gretchen and her Daddy having fun with the pumpkin-head

Stopped for a snuggle with her Nanny

Hamming it up with Daddy

                                   Cuddling up with me before I had to leave.
                                   We had a great visit!