Friday 31 October 2014

Trick or Treat Bags!

Late last night (of course) I decided to pack my son's treat bags for his class today.  Originally I had planned on using a kit for the treats that I found in the craft room however, the bags were TOO small.

When we were in Kalispell,  I found Kathy Kaye Popcorn Balls!  After reading the ingredients I decided that these would be the perfect treat for my son's class as this popcorn ball does not have any gelatin by products in it as many in his class do not eat it.  A couple of other treats in the bag and a tag made using the Merry Everything stamp set and here they are:
Seems like they were a HIT!!!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Thursday 30 October 2014

Pumpkin Cookies

Tomorrow is my son's Halloween Party/Dance at school.

He is supposed to bring sandwiches (I have to make these).  My dilemma with the sandwiches is that I would have make the sandwiches this evening since I am working tomorrow and then these sandwiches would not be served until about 1630 hours tomorrow!!!!  The sandwiches would not look like anything I would want to serve, plus I am not sure that a 10 year old can be entrusted to maintain the cold chain on these and prevent against food borne illness.

So, here is my answer to this dilemma:

Pumpkin candy, White Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Wednesday 29 October 2014

What's For Dinner?

Macaroni and Cheese!

Got home this evening after work and of course the dilemma of what to make for dinner ensued.
I finally decided to make Macaroni and Cheese:


Here is how I made this awesome dish:

- boil 8 ozs of macaroni with 1 tablespoon oil just til soft, drain and add to cheese sauce

Cheese Sauce:
 - in a medium sized sauce pain on medium heat add 4 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons all purpose flour and whisk together (it will form a ball)
- add to the flour and butter:
- 1 cup cream 
- 1 cup water and bring to a boil stirring constantly for about 10 minutes (I used water and cream because I was almost out of milk)
- then add one package of Boursin Cheese and 2 cups of shredded cheese (I use which ever hard cheese is in the refrigerator), bring to a boil and stir constantly for another 5 minutes
- add salt and pepper to taste
- fold in macaroni

- transfer to buttered casserole dish
-top with buttered bread crumbs and bake for 25 minutes at 350F

Enjoy!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Monday 27 October 2014

Hello Monday....

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Okay, it has been a long time since my last post, but lets just say I have now finished 46.5 hours of work for last week, and am now starting on 38.75 for this week.  So very tired.....and no, I will not be picking up this weekend.  I have plans with my craft room!

I have done a minimal amount of quilting in the wee hours of the morning when I get home from work and this is what I have accomplished so far this week:

I have decided to participate in the Little Quilts Club, an online quilt club organized by A Needle Pulling Thread Quilt Shop, and this was the Little Quilt for this month!

It was just the right size for me to feel like I actually accomplished something.  I plan to put it on my quilting desk under my sewing machine and just enjoy it!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Wednesday 22 October 2014

Work In Progress Wednesday

Good Evening Internet Friends.

I have decided to participate in The Needle and Thread Network'sWork In Progress Wednesday.

I have finally completed my own version of the Mi Vida Loca mystery quilt:
As you will notice Hello Kitty a.k.a "Fun Kitty" has already homesteaded on this quilt!!!
I have allowed him to continue to lay there as a quilt with a cat purring on it seemed to be somewhat comforting with regards to the events of today.  It really is the simple things in life.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Green Cookies?

Good Evening Internet Friends!

In my quest yesterday to stay awake I decided to do some house cleaning (no, seriously).  However, this is how a tired brain works; look at bag of Mint Decadent Chocolate Chips.  Two choices, put bag in cupboard, or bake cookies.  Too far to walk, bake cookies:
So, I made mint chip cookies, put in some mint extract and adding some green food coloring.

I think I might have to add a little more green food coloring next time, but they taste great anyway.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Monday 20 October 2014

Waffling on a Monday....

Good Morning Internet Friends!

I am trying valiantly to stay awake today so that I can go to bed on time tonight.
When I got home from work this morning I decided that rather than taking a quick nap before getting my son ready for school, I would make waffles for his for breakfast!
He was pretty happy about that ☺

Since I still had cranberries in the refrigerator I decided to make Cranberry Waffles with orange sauce:
I substituted buttermilk for the evaporated milk since (I had buttermilk in the refrigerator and the other was in the pantry and I simply did not feeling like getting it).

For the orange sauce I omitted the cranberries since I had already put a cup of them into the batter ☺

These were delicious!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Sunday 19 October 2014

Oatmeal Bread

Greetings Internet Friends.
Tomorrow starts another work week, and the dilemma of what to pack for lunches.
Well, today I decided I would at least start to think about the lunch process and made Oatmeal Bread:
I used 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of 2 cups of Nutri Flour Blend Tastes like White.
It makes for a dense, but not dry loaf of bread that with butter and cheese is very tasty!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Tuesday 14 October 2014

Knitting the Week Away...

Good Evening Internet Friends.
Went to work today, but still feeling a bit tired and sore from the kidney stone, so did not accomplish much around the house this evening.
Did however snuggle up in quilts on the couch and knit:
This is the Fisherman's Wife Cowl kit.  It is so quick and easy to knit up, I will likely be able to finish it tomorrow evening!
Yay, might have a scarf project done before winter arrives ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Monday 13 October 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!

Good Evening Internet Friends.
I hope for those of you celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, that it was a truly wonderful, and thankful Holiday!

I spent the weekend in Kalispell, Montana.  We did some (who am I kidding, a LOT) of shopping Saturday and Sunday.  Went out for turkey dinner on Sunday evening, and did some swimming at the Hotel.  It was a fun weekend!

On the way home we stopped at The Front Porch because I have been regretting not making this purchase when we were there in August:
It's Sheepykins!!!  That was the name of my pet sheep as a child and this metal art sheep reminded me so much of her.  Now she has a place by the dining room to be close to the family, just like Sheepykins always wanted to be ☺

On the way home I did some mindless knitting between naps in my nest in the front seat of the F-350.  My kidney was still bothering me when we left home, so I had brought pillows and quilts to make myself cozy and by the time I was cozy it really did look like a nest!

This is my most current sock:
 This yarn is called Knit me with your best shot and is from Biscotte & Cie.

Happy Thanksgiving, and hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy


Saturday 11 October 2014

Pumpkin Scones

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada this weekend.  I am however, road tripping with the family to Montana.  It is of course the season to bake and eat all things pumpkin, so I decided to make some Pumpkin Scones for the road:
YUMMY!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Friday 10 October 2014

I Love Yarn Day!

It's true, and no it's not just me.  Today is actually I Love Yarn Day.  
I was amazed to find this out, cause really, I love yarn every day!

Today I have done a little knitting, still taking medication for the agony of the kidney stone, but in between naps, and waking for the next dose, I did get a few rows made on one of my current projects:
Will have more opportunity to get some knitting done this weekend on our road trip!  YAY!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Thursday 9 October 2014

Cupcakes a la Kid!

Good Evening Internet Friends!
Between doses of anti-inflammatory medications and a handful of "hard core" analgesics for my second kidney stone, I baked a batch of 12 orange cupcakes for my son to decorate:
Looks like he had fun!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Work in Progress Wednesday

Good Evening Internet Friends!
Since it is Wednesday I decided I would participate in Work in Progress Wednesday over at The Needle and Thread Network.
Earlier this evening I got around to sewing the blocks together for the Mi-Vida-Loca mystery quilt that I participated in earlier this year.
This is the second quilt of this pattern I am making:
The border still needs to be added, but at least I can pretend I am almost caught up....
Still have to put the top together on version one of this quilt that is going to be a wedding present....

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Tuesday 7 October 2014

Mental Health Day!

Good Evening Internet Friends!
For the past few days I have been feeling super homesick.  Not exactly sure why, usually it hits me a little earlier in the season, I REALLY love harvest time in Saskatchewan.  I am not exactly sure what exactly it is that I miss, the big open sky, the harvest moon, the sound of the combines at night, the smell of the grain or just all of it.

Today I decided that I would take a Mental Health Road Trip!  No, not seven hours home, but a road trip to Ponoka (hence the mental health, bad joke, locals will get it).  I love going to Ponoka because it is just the kind of town I grew up near.  Everyone knows your name, and even if they don't they still talk to you, the bakery has cinnamon buns the size of your head (well for sure a toddler's head), and it's just a calm place.

After dropping my son off at school, I head out on the Queen Elizabeth 2 Highway in the F-350.  This was the kind of trip I need to make in a "farm" vehicle not my car, I love the comforting sound of the diesel engine.  Stopped and took some pictures along the way:
At Prairie Points Quilt Shop I had a wonderful visit with Lynn and some of the great customers that she has there.  Of course I left with:
LOOK!!!  A left handed stitchery book!  A stitchery book that is actually useful for me!

On the way home I headed north on the gravel roads, took some pictures and watched the combines:
It was a beautiful day, and I felt a little less homesick.  Of course then I got home, and got the calls, and watched the news and found out about the Train derailment and evacuation of the farms near where I grew up : (

Hope to feel creative later this evening.....

Kathy

Sunday 5 October 2014

Home Sweet Edmonton???

Good Evening Internet Friends.
Today I took my son to West Edmonton Mall for a classmates Birthday Party.  While the children played at Galaxyland I wandered the mall.  I did make a few purchases at Rocky Mountain Soap and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  

As I walked the mall today I had an epiphany!  The city of Edmonton is continually trying to re-invent itself and touting itself as a major metropolitan city.  That is not why I live here, nor what I ever hope becomes of this city.  

Sure, the roads have a LOT of potholes, the snow could be removed in the winter, the boulevards could be cleaned of garbage, the roads could not be dug up annually to slow traffic, and there likely does not need to be a photo radar truck/van/SUV on every corner.  That being said, what I do appreciate about living here is the sense of small town that this city has. 

 Growing up in rural Saskatchewan you always know the people around you wherever you go.  
When I moved to attend the University of Calgary I found myself feeling very alone in a big city where no one knew me and people just walked on past.  You only saw your classmates at class and that was it.

Today at the mall, I was amazed again, by the nature/type of people that make Edmonton home.  Not only did I stop to chat with parents of other children attending the party, but I ran into my current nursing supervisor and her family, one of my current patients, my endocrinologist, a Social Worker colleague of mine from years ago, a RN colleague of mine from more recently, and lastly my own family doctor!  Each of these people I chatted with briefly, and there in that giant mall, I realized that while I may complain about this city (reasons above), it is HOME ☺

Now, as for my craft today:
A few weeks back I attended the Creative Stitches & Crafting show and of course I had to stop by the Quilt Patch booth.  This was one of the projects I just HAD to get (of course there were other projects I left with too).

This tote bag sews up really quickly and the canvas fabric means no fussing with stabilizers ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Saturday 4 October 2014

Friday Feature Card!!

Good Morning Internet Friends!
This morning when I got home from work I decided that I would make my Friday Feature Card for the Krafting Crew group I sort of belong to:
I am not sure if I should add glitter to the tree yet or not as I have so much "shine" already on this card.  So, this is what I have so far.
Now, off for a quick nap before going back for one more shift...
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Thursday 2 October 2014

Time for Wool Socks!

Good Evening Internet Friends!
Was hoping that this would be a better blogging week.  Alas not much better, still working more than I can craft : (
Today however does mark the official start of Wool Sock Season!  What is that you ask?  Well, it is the official day that I mark on the calendar to record when the weather got so cold that I had to start wearing wool socks daily!  The temperature today was 1 degree Celsius (33.8 F) and with the windchill felt like -4 Celsius (24.8 F).  It was cold.  I know it will get much colder yet, but it just seemed awful today.  I get told by well meaning (I think, maybe they're just sarcastic) people that I should be used to the cold, but I am NOT!
Since it is so cold outside today, I figured there was really nothing better to do this evening after dinner, than crawl under a warm quilt and:
KNIT!!!
This is my most current pair of socks that I am knitting while my son is at extracurricular activities.  I  love the color of this yarn.  It is a skein that I ordered some time back from Biscotte & Cie and I have no idea what the color way of this particular skein is called.
Keep warm.
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy