Saturday, September 27, 2008

More harvesting and knitting

I found the two following pictures in my camera. They are from last Sunday's potato harvest.

Having a cup of warm apple cidar while waiting for supper. I served the cidar in small mason jars.

Brother Chester, sis-in-law Annette, mom (adjusting her glasses), me and brother Ken.

Ahhhhhh, how nice - wine, knitting and blogging. What else can a girl want ...

... not sour grapes for my red wine. No thanks. This is part of our first-year grape harvest. Tiny, sour grapes these beauties are. About the size of a pea.

Harvest decorations.

If you haven't picked up this magazine yet I encourage you to do so. I think I might have to practice a wee bit more for some of the patterns in this magazine. But I sure have a few favorites.

Barb, look at the back of this sweater. And the front is even prettier.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend so far and can you believe it - we are already at the end of September.

Don't laugh but I was listening to Christmas music this morning while doing my housework (I was home alone).

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Potato Chip Cookies

A fellow blogger and friend has asked me to post the recipe for the potato chip cookies I baked over the weekend for our Potato Harvest supper. This recipe comes from allrecipes.com so check it out here.

I used organic cane sugar and unbleached white flour. If you find the mixture is too dry, add a small amount of milk (or water).

Enjoy !

Kardea

The good folks over at Kardea contacted me a few weeks ago to see if I was interested in sampling their nutrition bars and letting them know how I feel about said bars.

Of course I accepted but I must admit I was a little skeptical at first, seeing how much I love my Larabars and all. I received my samples in the mail yesterday and I already had the Chai Spice and the Cranberry Almond. This is what I can report about the two bars I already had :

- the texture is very different from the Larabar but it's still something I like only in a different way.
- I wish the Chai Spice had a bolder flavour to it... because you see, I love Chai.
- the Cranberry Almond bar was full of nice moist cranberries with a bold almond flavour.
-

With all this said, the nice people over at Kardea are working hard to offer us a good natural cholesterol management bar. And for me, anything that has "natural" on its label is good to go.

Yes, I love the Kardea bar "almost" as much as I love my beloved Larabar. Check your health food markets to see if they're available in your neck of the woods. I encourage you to try them, they're moist and chewy.

Thank you good folks over at Kardea.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Harvesting

Today was the day of the big reveal. The ''how did the new method of planting potatoes'' reveal. Everyone was so anxious to see how many or how little potatoes would be inside the boxes.

September 21 was the perfect date because we got to celebrate three important events in one day : the potato harvest reveal, my brother Chester's birthday and the arrival of the Fall season. We enjoyed each a glass of warm apple cider, homemade rolls (made with potato water), a traditional acadian soup ''Fricot'' (potatoes, chicken and dumplings), potato chip cookies and for Chester's birtheday cake - an orange-chocolate potato cake. Wish my ''excited'' brain had remembered to take pictures of the meal. But we were all so in a hurry to finish eating to head outside for the big reveal.

And here it is :



My brother Ken.






We were very pleased with the outcome. Everyone thought we would get very tiny potatoes and only a handfull. The verdict (for next year) - no use having boxes one on top of the other because all our potatoes were in the bottom two boxes. No potatoes at all in the top wooden boxes. So next year we'll put the four (maybe more) wooden boxes as single layers on the ground. We could have had twice what we had. But we are all so happy with what we were given.

Then we harvested the corn. My mom thinks it's popping corn. We are going to dry it and see if it pops.


Then off we went to harvest the purple plums.




Thank you Dave for being our harvesting photographer. And thank you for your positive attitude all along, saying we would get more than a handfull of potatoes.

Week in review

Thank you all so much for your kind words of encouragement during this past week (more on this later).

Here is a summary (mostly in pictures) of the past week in the LeBlanc household :

A few decorations to celebrate my favorite season, but in order to make said decorations Dave had to go through this...


... trying to reach way back of the bush, the prettiest and the brightest of leaves had to be picked.

Poor Dave, he had to cross a ditch full of rain water to get back to the car. But it was all worth it in the end (as you can see in the two top pictures).

On my way to a yoga seminar Friday evening, I took this beautiful sunset in Yarmouth.

This past week we discovered that the strawberries we only planted this past summer are giving us a good harvest this late in the season. Which is wonderful ! Thank you Mother Nature.

This past week we also went harvesting in the Annapolis Valley. This was yesterday actually. First stop was at the Annapolis Royal Farmers' Market. We headed directly to the french bakery for a baquette and a brioche. For lunch Dave and I each had a German potato pancake.

After the Farmers' Market we headed further to visit a few fruit and vegetable stands. Everyone we visited used the ''honour system'' for payment. I am always so happy to see this method of payment... how the farmers trust the patrons that visit their stands. I always leave a little bit more than our total to thank them for trusting us.


Princess came over for a couple of visits during the past week.

Let's see - what else is there to report. Oh ya, Dave is starting a new job in a month. He's been in radio for the past 12 years. This new job will be in Economic Development.

We went Frenchy-ing twice during the week but I did'nt find one single item. Dave found a few odds and ends.

I've been knitting - a baby cardigan, a stole and a pair of slippers.

Doing a lot of walking, meditating and trying to be more present in the moment. Which I am happy to report that I am getting better at.

But the best part of my week was when my son came back. He decided not to take the job in Truro (too complicated to explain, let's just say they were not very nice people to work for). He had no problem getting his old job back. So if you're wondering if I'm one happy mother tonight - the answer is YES.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Purpose

"Purpose" (noun) - The reason for which anything is done, created or exists.

"Raison d'être" - reason or justification for existing.

Yesterday our second (and last) child left our home to explore a new world for himself. Four years ago our daughter did the same thing and yesterday my heart felt heavy and empty just as it did four years ago. The best way I can describe how I feel is to say that I have a hole in my soul... but everything heals with time.

You might have to excuse me for a few days as I repurpose my role as a mother. Having your children live as adults away from the home is no way near the same as having them part of the everyday inside the home.

I'd tuck you in all safe at night
Hear your prayers and turn out the light
Then tiptoe softly to the door
I wish I had stayed a minute more

For life is short and years rush past
Our children grow up so fast
No longer are they at your side

The picture books are put away
There are no children games to play
No goodnight kiss, no prayers to hear
That all belongs to yesteryear

My hands once busy now lie still
The days are long and hard to fill
I wish I might go back and do
The little things we used to do

Don't let the bed bugs bite !

Talk to you all in a week.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Wool hats and buttons

I was never interested in knitting but have always loved receiving handmade knitted gifts. I knitted the odd home economics project at school and my mom tried to show me the basics but nope, not interested the least bit.

Until now that is. I love knitting. Now let me tell you I'm no expert (I'm only a beginner) but I'm eager to learn. I have blogland to thank for my love of knitting. I was sooooo inspired by the wonderful projects other bloggers were doing that I got going. However, I am taking it one step at a time, learning to read patterns, following directions properly and learning new stitches (thanks to You Tube). I can now knit in the round using circular needles. Next step - using the double-pointed needles. And this Winter I will teach ''myself'' how to knit socks. Above - nice moss green alpaca wool hat I made last week. This hat was knitted on two needles, having a seam in the back.

Below - my very first knitted project using circular needles. I wanted to practice on a small scale project so I knitted a baby hat.


The hat I'm working on now - made with Noro wool... I love this wool. Oh, and before I forget, I'm practicing knitting a sweater. It's also for a baby, just like the yellow hat but as I've said I prefer small projects for practice in case something goes wrong.

And this last picture of a few buttons I found today at Frenchy's. I love the big wooden ones.

Butterfly, Sunrise, Heart Rocks and Tabi

No words needed for these pictures... title says it all.




Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Too much is not enough

I can't believe the abundance of produce our tomato plants gave us this year but you can never have too much of a good thing now can you... I've been giving some away to neighbours and family, we've had them every day for the past two weeks, etc. Tonight I canned 9 jars of these beauties.



Nutshell

Our weekend in a nutshell - FANTASTIC !!!!! Ginette and Meeko arrived from New Brunswick Friday evening safe and sound. While I waited for her arrival, I baked a blueberry buckle, cooked chicken for next day's supper and I'm sure I did something else but by now... I forgot.

Saturday everyone was up early to this magical sunshine (above). We went to the Belliveau's Cove Farmers' Market, stopped at a few yard sales, went to Frenchy's and again - we did other stuff in the afternoon but ya know - I tend to forget.

Saturday evening I went to an outdoors concert that Dave's band was playing in. Luc and Liette went to the movies and Ginette had about a dozen of her friends over for a campfire.

Sunday all four of us went out for brunch then we had to be at the beach for 1 p.m. to have our family picture taken. I'm still very happy ''inside'' for the wonderful idea Ginette had of having an updated family picture taken after 14 years of the last one (her brother was in on it also).

Monday we went blackberry picking - picture above of Ginette and Dave (again all four of us). The past weekend gave me new memories with my grown-up children. We spent a lot of time together as a family - all weekend. I have since made 8 jars of blackberry jelly for my son and my soon to be son-in-law (it's their favorite berry).

Is everyone having a good week ?