New Classes at Memories on Main Street

Sneak Peek

I originally told you a bit about these classes a few months ago at http://inmyworld-pam.blogspot.ca/2013/02/design-strategies-for-scrapbookers.html

Well, the classes are written, the layouts designed and I'm so excited to start sharing everything I've learned in the process.

Sunday, May 26th at 3 pm will be the first class in our Design Strategies for Scrapbookers series at Memories on Main Street in Lambeth, ON!!

What's it about? Do you ever wonder where to start as you stare at your blank page? Do you believe you are not as creative as your friends? Are you in a scrapbooking rut? Do you look at your page and know something is just not right but you can't quite figure out what it is?

Relax and take a deep breath as I am going to teach you some exciting design principles to get you back on track.

Our first topic in the series is HOW to Scrapbook HOW you scrapbook. The Lesson, discussion, fun and games and a 2-page layout using the design techniques from this class are included!

Call 519-652-6464 or email karen@memoriesonmainst.ca now to reserve your seat! The cost is $20 which includes materials. Please bring your basic tool kit and 7 pictures for a layout using the design techniques from the this class. The pictures have to all be landscape orientation which means 6" wide and 4" high (not pictures of a landscape LOL)!!

Fiddleheads Soup

from soscuisine.com

2 servings
Soaking 10 min / Prep 15 min / Cooking 20 min
110 calories per serving

1 Tbsp. rice, long grain
240 g fiddleheads
1 Tbsp. butter, unsalted
1/2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tsp. slivered almonds (optional)

Fiddleheads may be poisonous if eaten raw.  Make sure you wash them well, soak at least 10 minutes also to reduce their bitterness, and cook them in plenty of water.

A blender of food processor will be very useful to puree the soup.

Cook the rice and set aside.

Prepare the fiddleheads:  wash them well, soak them at least 10 minutes, then blanch them 15 minutes in a pot of boiling salted water.  Set them aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the finely chopped shallot and saute 2-3 minutes until it is translucent, taking care not to let it burn.  Add the fiddleheads and cook 1 minute, then pour in the broth and the rice.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Puree the soup in a blender, then distribute it into bowls and serve.  If desired, garnish each bowl with sliced almonds.

The almonds were a very nice touch of texture.  Hubby enjoyed this soup so much I thought he was going to scrape the finish off the bowl . . . LOL . . . 

April 2013 Scrapbooking Layouts

Before you start thinking that I've been slacking off in April, let me just say that I actually completed quite a few layouts but since they are being published in a couple of books I will be talking about (probably in a few more days) I really can't publish them here.  If I did that you wouldn't want to buy any of my books, would you?  LOL

Lots more pages coming about this trip in May.

Mystery Afghan Knitalong - first strip finally finished

Isn't this an awesome pattern?  And to add to the awesomeness, the designers have included the edging in each strip so when the afghan is sewn together it will be finished.  This is the first strip published for this mystery knit-along at Holiday Mystery Gifts.

When Mom had her knee replacement surgery a few weeks ago I spent the waiting room time knitting and finished half of the second strip.  When I read the pattern I wasn't sure I was going to like it.  But once I started knitting it, I realized I really did like the pattern.  I'll share as soon as it is finished.

Oddball Afghan Square: Magic Diamond

Very happy I had figured out the wrap and turn stitch.  The problem is I'd been doing it wrong initially and discovered I preferred doing it the wrong way . . . what can I say . . . I am a knitting rebel!!

Three cutie-patootie paper piecings

I use paper piecings all the time on my layouts. They are fun and personal and each one is different. It has become a habit to make a few extra piecings instead of just one. I now have a lot of paper piecings . . . and they are looking for homes . . .

I love these tiny little bees.  They are only 50 cents each.

Who doesn't have at least one little monkey in their family?  

These adorable little fellas are available for only $3.00.

Moose hold a very funny place in our family lore.

These moose my be stoopid but they are also only $3.00.

Cranberry Chicken with Balsamic Reduction

I was having a rummage through the sale tables at the book store at the mall and picked up a new recipe book, The $10 Gourmet by Ken Kostick.  Picked this chicken recipe to try tonight and it was simple, I had all the ingredients and it is delicious.

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts, skin on, bone-in (of course I used no skin boneless)
6 shallots, chopped
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Heat the oil in a medium-sized saute pan.  Brown the skin side of the chicken breast on medium heat for 8-10 minutes.  Turn and brown the other side for another 8-10 minutes.

Add the shallots, cranberry juice, basil, salt and pepper.  Cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Add the balsamic vinegar and dried cranberries.  Allow the sauce to reduce by half.  Serve and drizzle with the reduction.

CHALLENGE #3

Here is the challenge:  http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/crafting_made_simple/message/883

And here's where it came from:  http://cateredcrop.com/2013/04/14/just-add-glitter-recipe-swap/

Sketch Challenge

My newest book has been sent to my publisher.  I'm going to take a break now and enjoy the spring and summer . . . Well except for a couple more book ideas I might start working on.

To celebrate, here is one of my favourite sketches from Scrapbooking With Two-Page Sketches:

Hugs

My family are not huggers.  We were not raised to be huggers.  Our parents weren't raised to be huggers.  We are trying to break the cycle with our own kids and grandkids . . .

What this means is that I am not a natural hugger.  So of course I went and married an enthusiastic hugger.  His family are all huggers.  I bet his parents were raised to be huggers.

We've been married almost 30 years now and I'm pretty used to all the hugging now.  I still find it very difficult to initiate hugging but I really do enjoy being hugged.  I'm kind of a huggee rather than a hugger.  I'm working on it though.

Most of my friends are used to my husband being a hugger especially if the friend is someone he doesn't see often.  Hubby popped into a social event I was attending on the weekend.  He, of course, began hugging people.

And then he heard someone whisper behind him how disgusting it was for a married man to be hugging women who were not his wife.  He felt awful and thought maybe he was doing something wrong and we had all just been too nice to say anything.  So if any of my buddies were wondering why you didn't get a hug on Saturday, you now know why.

He didn't tell me until today what had happened.  He was still feeling very bad about it all.  But he also worried that he might have hurt some feeling by not giving them their usual hugs.

What an awful thing to do to someone so loving and affectionate!

I told him he has my permission to hug the stuffing out of anyone who would let him.  Be prepared.  He has a lot of hugging to catch up on.

There he is hugging two of my friends.  I'm in the background.