Olallieberry

Rosy Weekend Plans

The roses are in bloom--John Cabot--spicy and warm and lanky. They are just about the only thing worthwhile in my garden this year, even the dependable peonies haven't done anything. Stunted. I just don't understand it. Funny how those weeds don't seem to be stunted though...

So I fix myself oolong tea, curl up with a good book, and prepare myself for a difficult Canada Day long weekend filled with reading, knitting, and resting rather than struggling to dredge up inspiration for digging in the hot garden.

Hmmm, not such a bad deal :)

Besides, those John Cabot roses have a terrific wafting range. Thank you for all your lovely comments on the soapmaking tutorial, have a wonderful weekend friends!

Rain, Sleet, Snow... And A Good Dose of Wind for Good Measure

Unpredictable is the best descriptor for April weather on the Canadian Prairies. While the sun warms the earth trying to coax the greenery forth, the elements continue their brazen battle. We have snow this morning. And Mr Weatherman tells us we can expect it to continue. All weekend. This equates to staying inside although I am dying to be outside poking around in the garden. For the time being I must find solace in visiting lovely blogs like Vicki's garden that capture Spring so beautifully. Thank you for that, it is food for my soul. In the meantime I will continue knitting on the Rikke Hat (details ravelled here) which although may seem completely out of season to most of you, really isn't, considering what I've already described. This combined with the Little Dorrit miniseries on Netflix (I am loving Netflix these days) should alleviate any lingering case of the grumpies of which I am firmly resolved to overcome.

Weekend Highlights

The long weekend was amazing--so many pleasurable activities! First of all thank you so much for your very kind comments on the table runner in progress. I'm happy to say Easter went off without a hitch as I was able to finish it on time. Most of Friday was spent walking from the computer to the cutting board to the ironing board to the sewing maching. Saturday I got up very early and coloured eggs all by myself. I know dear friends... this is a very sad thing and requires some explanation: The kids decided this year they are far too old for such a frivolous and totally uncool activity. I admit it was nice to have the creation process selfishly controlled, but the whole business was really rather lonely I'm afraid. Maybe next year they'll realize the fun and frolicking they missed and recommit (hoping). After cleaning up from the eggs and doing a little baking, I hunkered down to hand stitch the binding on the table runner while watching Shutter Island on Netflix. I was not looking forward to this step as I had so many other things to do, but much to my surprise it ended up being very relaxing and truthfully the most enjoyable part of the whole project. Sunday we had family over for the day, and the rest of the weekend was all about curling up, relaxing, reading, and knitting (joy!)

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too and that your week ahead is just as marvellous. xo

Spring Table Runner

Loving this Easter weekend so far, getting my fill of all the things that have eluded me for the past while. Baked this cake, just because. (I was a little short on the berries because somebody found them before I had a chance to put them in the cake.) After a jaunt down to the local movie theatre to see the Hunger Games with the kids, I'm now reading the second book in the series. I'm also making a super fast Spring version of this gorgeous tablerunner from Purlbee. Of course I'm cheating just a little as we're hosting Easter dinner on Sunday so time is of the essence here. Rather than hand appliqueing the squares I used fusible adhesive then quickly sewed around each one with the machine. I've had my eye on this project for awhile and with Easter on the horizon I really want something to reflect the fresh delicate colours of Spring. 

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend dear friends, I'm now off to finish the binding on the runner. Happy Easter! xox

Leisurely Morning

The tree is gone and the decorations are packed away for another year. The kids are back in school, and I'm reading Sons and Lovers for probably the sixth time (yup... that's six folks... literally). And I have a sourdough starter on the go from here. I've also been knitting--an activity that has been on the backburner for the last while. 

There is something very comforting about rediscovering routines.   xox

Goodness

Thank you all for your very kind comments and lovely suggestions for the shortbread, I look forward to trying out some of your ideas for my next batch. Currently cozied in reading The Handmaid's Tale, drinking tea and nibbling chocolate. Life is very very good. Hoping yours it too. xox

Shortbread

The Family Man with Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni was our Christmas family movie pick this weekend. I absolutely love this movie. It reminds us how loneliness and emptiness often result when one values money and success at work over relationships. It helps us truly appreciate what we have instead of wishing for what we don't. Did I mention how much I love this movie? 

In preparation I baked a batch of shortbread cookies for everyone to nibble on during the show. (If I neglected to mention this before, there is actually no such thing as nibbling in this family--inhaling would be a more apt description...) The whole scene was very Christmassy with lights dimmed, tree lit, plates of snackies placed all around, and mounds of cozy quilts beckoning to snuggle.

This recipe takes no time at all to prepare and is melt-in-your-mouth delicious:

1 cup softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp milk

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 - 1/4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add milk and almond extract; mix well. Gradually add flour until well-blended. Form into a ball and roll out to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. (Use some extra flour on your board and rolling pin for this step as it tends to get a bit sticky). Cut out shapes with your favourite cookie cutters and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. You can reform and reroll the extra dough bits so there is little waste. Bake approximately 10 - 12 minutes or until set. Cool for a minute or two on the baking sheets before carefully removing with a spatula. Allow to cool completely and decorate as desired. Makes about 2 dozen.

I used a single pecan piece held on with a dab of Royal icing which I think goes really well with the almond flavouring of the cookie. I also like the natural simplicity of the look... apparently so did the Mr.

Happy munching!