GIRLFRIEND GATHERING

On Tuesday night it was my turn to host a dinner for my quilting friends Linda, Brenda, Mary and Shirley, and our friend Michelle should have been there, but unfortunately she was coming down with a cold, and couldn't join us. I made caesar salad, vegetarian lasagna, and garlic bread with cheese. We also enjoyed some wine with dinner and for desert, I had a choice of home made pumpkin or apple pie with tea or coffee. After dinner we did some sewing and catching up on the goings on in our lives. We have been getting together like this for about five years now and I so look forward to our gatherings. I managed to take a couple of pictures of the event.

Janet

A Gathering of Quilting Friends..Linda, Brenda, Mary, and Shirley

Linda......she is always smiling :)

GETTING TO KNOW ME FROM A TO Z

I saw this on a few Blogs and I enjoyed reading them,  so I thought I would join in :)

A~   Age:  55
B~  Bed:  Double, 4 poster pine bed. 
C~  Chore you hate:  Washing windows, cleaning the bathtub.
D~  Dog: We have three dogs, one Jack Russell named "Shorty" and two Australian Shepherds named "Sydney" and "Louis".
E~ Essential start to my day:   Black Coffee. I am up at 4 am and I have 2 cups of strong black coffee before I start my day.
F~  Favorite color:  Red. 
G~  Gold or silver:  Gold, but I don't wear much jewelery. 
H~  Height:   around 5 foot 7 
I~ Instruments I play:   None. 
J~ Job Title:   Equine Judge, Webmaster, Graphic Designer, Critter Keeper, Gardener, Dog walker, home keeper, quilter. 
K~  Kids:  All of my kids have four legs. 
L~  Live in:  Ontario, Canada. 
M~ Make of car:  Jeep. 
N~ Nicknames: Doodley, Mummy.
O~  Overnight hospital stay: None.

P~  Pet Peeve(s): (1)People who don't answer an email,  I would appreciate even just a "Thanks",  so I know that they received it. (2)The way people get on and off airplanes. I wish I could do a tutorial on the efficient way to plane and de-plane. (3)People that are users, and I have known some :( and they are now HISTORY from my life! The friends I have now are TRUE  friends.
Q~ Quote from a movie: You know they often say a man with a car like that, is trying the compensate for smaller genitals sissy, but not in your case, cause I see that you're a strapping man aren't ya.~ Mrs. Doubtfire
R~ Right or left handed:  Right. 
S~ Siblings:  Two Sisters both younger than I. 
T ~ T.V. Shows: CSI, Criminal Minds, Road to Avonlea, Coronation Street.
U~ Underwear:  Cotton. 
V~ Vegetable you hate: I love vegetables, I just don't like Black Olives.
W~ What makes you late? I am always early. I hate it when people are late. If I can make the effort, they should too.
X~  X-rays: Yes. Various reasons. 
Y- Yummy food that I make: Home baked bread,  spaghetti, pot pies.
Z~ Zoo Animals: I like all critters.

A couple of extra things about me. 
~I enjoy the simple things in life.....I would much rather be sitting beside my wood stove watching the snow coming down, than be lying on a beach in Hawaii or on a Caribbean cruise. If I ever won a cruise, I would either give it to a family member or have a give away on my Blog :)
~If I don't like you, you will definitely know it, for I am not an actress. If I was an actress, I would be in the movies!

SUMMER KITCHEN

Well last weekend the weather was so nice that I finally got my summer kitchen stained. I used Early American but it came out really dark which is fine by me. I let the board and batten weather for a year and half, so it really sucked up the stain. I wanted to get this project done before the snow started to fly. I also stained the front porch. I have been asked to post a picture, so here it is. I even put in a little garden at the side. I put in 2 sedums and 3 hostas.

2011 Convocation

Last night DH and I attended my College Convocation. We had a great time. Here is a picture he took of me with my Honours Diploma. The picture is a little dark due to the lack of lighting in the room.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Seeing it is Thanksgiving in Canada, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
Janet

SHE HAS ARRIVED

My Pumpkin Gall has arrived at Olde Crow Primitives. I was one of the lucky winners from Brenda's giveaway last month. Her blog is the Rusty Thimble Thank you Brenda, I just LOVE her. I will treasure her. She is very well made too. Brenda does a lovely job of making her Prim dolls. It was a beautiful day here in Southwestern Ontario with temperatures in the mid 70's. My favorite time of year. I started staining the outside of my summer kitchen today and I got one side finished. Tomorrow I have to get on the roof. Not looking forward to that. DH has been harvesting his soybeans for the past two days. The weather is supposed to be good up to next Wednesday late in the day, so he should get all of the soybeans harvested and the wheat planted. It is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, so I am cooking a chicken and a ham with all the fixins.

She has already made herself at home :)

And here she is again sitting on my wine rack

WINNING 1ST PRIZE

This weekend was a winning weekend for me. I was so proud when I went to our small town Fair yesterday and saw that my bread had won first prize in the "Best Bread" contest in the "Country Fair Baking contest". It was sponsored by Fleischmann's Yeast. I was up at 4:30 am on Friday to bake this bread and have it cooled so I could enter it by 11 am. I won a beautiful rosette....our first place is red in Canada, and I know it is blue in the US. I also won $15.00 and a gift package containing a measuring cup, recipe book, and tons of coupons. So it was well worth getting up that early to make the bread. The bread had to be hand made, no bread machine was allowed. That was fine with me, as that is how I always make my bread, from scratch, and I love doing it. Needless to say, it made my day! It is very chilly here in Ontario, we have had our wood stove on all day. I think we may have a frost tonight.

Loaves of bread cooling. One went to the Fair and my DH ate the other one :) Below is my winning ribbon.

A MINI VACATION

Last week DH and I went to visit his sister Sandy and her husband Brian for a couple of days. We had a great time seeing all the beautiful gardens, their horses and eating all the great food that was prepared for us. We visited some local antique shops in Bancroft and a primitive shoppe called "The Old Tin Shed" that was full of some great treasures. They sent us home with lots of raspberry bushes that we planted the day we got home. We are looking forward to another trip next year.

Horses enjoying their hay

Sandy's wood burning cook stove

Sandy and I admiring the freshly dug sweet potatoes

Sandy and I walking up to the "The Old Tin Shed" primitive shoppe

Sandy and I on the porch of the Old Tin Shed

The Old Tin Shed Primitive Shoppe

SIL and BIL, Sandy and Brian digging some raspberry bushes for us to take home

A GATHERING OF FRIENDS

Last night we had our Quilting Friends gathering at our friend Linda's log home. What a gorgeous log home too, nestled in the woods. What a great dinner she made for us. She served us a wonderful salad, then asparagus fritatta, whole grain fresh bread, potato bakes, chicken and pork. For desert we had a choice of banana loaf or peach cobbler. I think we all chose both. Oh yes, some great beverage choices too, red or white wine, or cider. We all enjoyed a delicious meal then we all got some sewing done.

Our friend Shirley surprised us all with a binder for each of us and she had stickers made that said "Quilting Friends recipes". Everytime we have dinner at one another's homes, we always ask for the recipes, so this way we can all stay organized. What a great idea. The next gathering is at my place so I had better start planning.

APPLE CIDER FESTIVAL

Today was a beautiful day here on Southern Ontario, so DH and I decided to go to the Egmondville Ciderfest. There was so much to see, from Pumpkin displays, rug hooking, rug braiding, quilting, and beading. There was fresh apple fritters too and we had to try some of those..........delicious! There was also lots of home baked pies, butter tarts, jams and jellies, and apple cider too. It was just interesting walking around the historic property and touring the historic home.

Apple Fritters

Hot Apple Cider on an open fire

Bayfield Berry Farm selling baked goods and berries

Pumpkins for sale

Pumpkins and Gourds

Old Washing Machine (this was actually working)

Old Wash Tubs

Demonstrating Baling Hay

Egmondville Historic home

Historic bedroom

ANOTHER FANTASTIC DINNER

Last night DH and I were invited to another fantastic dinner at Sandie and Henry's home (THE HOLLOW CUPBOARD).  Henry makes the BEST barbequed ribs. Sandie made a wonderful pasta salad that was a great compliment to the ribs. We had lots of corn on the cob, cucumber salad, baked potatoes, and crusty bread. To finish the meal, we had home made apple pie with ice cream. Needless to say we were stuffed after eating such a good meal. Sandie and Henry's neighbor Bev also joined us for dinner. It was great meeting her too as she is also a quilter. If you haven't visited the website of THE HOLLOW CUPBOARD, you should take a peak. Sandie and Henry sell the most awesome early goods and antiques. Their website address is: http://www.thehollowcupboard.com

Table setting

Delicious Pasta Salad

Henry's wonderful barbequed ribs

Pasta salad and corn on the cob

Henry, Stan, and myself

Bev and Henry

Apple Pie

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

Chicken, corn on the cob and .............. Puff Ball! This is what we had for dinner tonight. DH and I always look forward to these each year around this time. They grow at the edge of our woods and they taste a lot like mushrooms. You must pick them when they are white, just at the right time or they are not good. This one was so big, I only used half of it. They can get to be the size of basketballs. I peel it, cut it into small pieces, and then fry it in butter then add a little sea salt. They are delicious! If you haven't tried one, you might like to.

~Janet

THRILLED TO HAVE WON

First off, I would like to thank everyone who posted all the thoughtful and heartwarming comments on my blog after my cat, Tigger passed away last week. It has been a tough few days. We really miss him.

On another note, I am very thrilled to have won the Pumpkin doll from Brenda's give away. Brenda's blog is the Rusty Thimble. Thanks Brenda. I am really looking forward to her arrival and I have a special place all picked out in my home for her. I hope everyone is enjoying the Labor Day weekend.

Janet

A SAD DAY

Today is a sad day. We lost another member of our family. Our 17 year old cat "Tigger" passed away last evening. Tigger was such a special cat. He always seemed to care for other cats on the farm when they were not feeling well. He was the last remaining cat from a litter of five that were born on our farm 17 years ago. Tigger lived in our barn until last January when we brought him into our house to live due to his age.  He adapted very well to living in the house, quite a change from mousing in the barn and sleeping in the hayloft for all those years. He loved sleeping next to our wood stove last winter. He also loved sharing the couch with DH. He will be missed very much.

HOLLY MICHIGAN

Last Saturday I had to judge a horse show in Allegan Michigan, so I stopped into Holly Michigan and had a visit with Dawn of Holly Hills Primitives. I was overwhelmed with all of the great things Dawn had in her shop. She had it decorated so perfectly! She must have spent hours and hours getting it to look that good. The very back of her store was done up like a log cabin........I could have moved right in. Dawn had so many hand made unique primitive dolls and other autumn things. It is so nice to go somewhere and not see the same things you see in other shops. The shop also smelled wonderful. I didn't want to leave. If you ever get a chance to visit Holly, make sure you pop in and see Dawn. You won't be disappointed. She will be glad to see you. Dawn is thinking of having a Blog gathering in the near future too. To visit her Blog go to http://hollyhillsprimitives.blogspot.com

PANTRY LABELS

U-Print Pantry labels for sale in my Olde Crow's Mercantile
Customized with your name.
Emailed to you in PDF form. 
Just in time for your Autumn baking!

THE FIRST FLIGHT

Yesterday was the day. My husband was going to take the first flight in his Corby Starlet home built airplane that he has spent the last 10 years building. The night before this was to take place, I never slept. I sat downstairs and watched TV all night, trying to doze off, but it didn't happen. I just kept thinking of all the things that could go wrong. I didn't want anything to happen to him. Stan had spent hours upon hours over the last 10 years building this aircraft and he made almost every single part himself. He is very talented. I took some pictures of the occasion and all went very well. He even reached a speed of 96 MPH........OMG!

Just finished the pre-flight inspection

On the runway

Waving goodbye

Just starting to lift off

The little speck is my husband in the air

AUTUMN GIVE AWAY WINNERS

Good morning and thank you to all who entered my autumn give away. Also, welcome to all my new followers.

This morning I had DH pick the winners and they are as follows:

1ST prize for a Blog header, hand made goats milk soap, tart melts and a hand made quilted table topper is Linda from

PARKER'S PARADISE.

2ND prize for a Blog header only is Audrey from 

AUD THE BIRD LADY.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Please email me at janetmcclure1@gmail.com
Thanks, Janet

CHICKEN COLESLAW SALAD

This is a recipe that my friend MaryAnne always brings to our sewing Potluck dinners. I asked her for it so that I can post it for anyone who wants a recipe for a great salad. Everyone loves this dish!

CHICKEN COLESLAW SALAD

1 Bag of coleslaw salad
2 Cups of cooked chicken (grocery store roast chicken shredded) or 1 pkg 500gm frozen fully cooked sliced chicken.
1 Can of mandarin oranges drained.
1 small can of pineapple chunks, drained. Save the juice.
1 large Granny Smith apple sliced.
2 green onions, sliced thin.
1/2 Cup of Kraft mandarin orange with sesame salad dressing.
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

Toss the sliced apples in 1/4 cup of pineapple juice. In large bowl, toss together all ingredients with salad dressing. Add more if needed.

You can make this ahead up to 1 day, but it is best when made 2-3 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

AWESOME AUTUMN GIVE AWAY

I hope everyone had a good weekend. I was judging a two day horse show in Barien Springs Michigan on Saturday and Sunday and it was so hot that it was almost unbearable, but I did survive. On the way down to Benton Harbor Mi. where I stayed Friday and Saturday night, I stopped in Holly Michigan to pay a visit to my friend Dawn of Holly Hills Primitives. We had a nice visit and enjoyed a cup of coffee while chatting. Good to see you again Dawn. Dawn has some great things in her shop for fall and more things coming in soon. If you are anywhere near Holly Michigan you should stop in and check it out. You won't be disappointed. Here is a link to her blog.  http://hollyhillsprimitives.blogspot.com

Now for my give away.

I am giving away a header for your Blog or Website, or whatever you would like to use it for. It is designed by me. I will put the name of your Blog on it and size it to fit. It will come to you in jpg format. Unfortunately, it is not one of a kind, as I have had people email me and ask if I could make them one, so I have sold a few off my mercantile site. I also made a quilted table topper for the fall season, in sage green, pumpkin orange, brown, and gold. There is more..........1 bag of my "Sweet Cinnamon Apples" tart melts, and a "Harvest Apple Spice" bar of my hand poured goats milk and shea butter soap. After I make the draw for these four things, I will draw another name and that person will win a Blog banner. RULES..You must be a follower of my Blog. New followers are welcome. You must comment on this post that you would like to be entered and then put it on your sidebar linking it to my blog, or you can do a post about my giveaway. It is your choice. I will make the draw on August 21st.

GOOD LUCK everyone!

Blog or Website header/banner

Tart Melts and Soap

Autumn Table Topper