Olallieberry

Is it Spring Yet?

Mr Mylo has a new little friend. She is a 4 month old Himalayan Siamese cross, and she has just about the sweetest disposition we have ever seen. 

Mylo agrees. Hard as he tried to resist her charms, within  one week he has become completely besotted with her, as are we all. Sukhi (that's her name) is a rescue kitten and we knew immediately she was meant to be with us. We were right.

Apart from fawning over our new "baby", we have all been busy preparing for Easter. Baking, shopping, egg colouring, and cleaning. Sunday is our "meal day" and we will be hosting my parents who just returned home from their annual winter trip to Arizona. The Arizona weather has not followed them home and is still full blown yucky. We received our most recent snowfall yesterday which has not been a nice welcome for them. At this point we are making our own Spring, and Sukhi has certainly helped to raise the spirits around here. In any event, the sun is shining today. Fingers crossed.

Remember this post? Well, this year I broke down and spent a good part of yesterday boiling numerous pots of eggs with various things found around my kitchen. Onion skins, black beans, and turmeric with a bit of vinegar thrown into the pots right along with the eggs gave a nice range of earthy tones. Once dry I rubbed the eggs with a teeny tiny bit of vegetable oil to bring out the depth of the colours. I would definitely consider the project for future years; however, the traditional food colouring method gives a beautiful result as well, is a little brighter, and is much much faster.

Back to Easter weekend preparations--we've been enjoying this oat bran muffin recipe as a staple breakfast around here lately. Quick, easy, healthy and delicious, a great-to-have-on-hand larder item for overnight company. 

Wishing you all a warm, snow-free, and wonderful Easter weekend!

xox

New Beginnings

Hello?

Is this thing still on? And if it is, is there anyone left out there listening? Nevertheless, I am happy to announce that I, along with the rest of the Olallieberry clan, am here, happy, and well. 

We are starting off the New Year this morning with a painted boule for breakfast, which will be followed by an outing with extended family for the remainder of the day. The recipe for the bread is here, the inspiration for the decoration from Chef Tess, who does absolutely amazing things with bread. Take a peek, you absolutely will not be disappointed!

Those of you who have been around for awhile know that I never make New Year's resolutions. But this year I have. I resolve to spend more time in this space... I've missed it so much! Even in my shameful absence I have been thinking of you all, hoping you had the most wonderful Christmas season filled with family, good food and cheer, and wishing you all a 2014 filled with nothing but more of the very best things!

xoxoxoxo

Easter Tradition

I've always loved and admired the naturally dyed easter eggs that everyone is blogging about. Onion skins, beets, rosemary... beautiful.

But there is something meaningful to me about the traditional (and potentially very messy) food colouring method. Memories of egg colouring with my mother and grandmother, and then with my own children when they were still young enough to partake in the process with enjoyment, fill my heart with pleasure.

After enduring the long dark greys of winter, beautiful brightly coloured eggs remind us of what is soon to come, filling us with anticipation and hope. And so, like an old dog I revert back to this tried and true method year after year.

Traditional Coloured Easter Eggs

Hard boiled eggs

1 tablespoon vinegar

20 drops food colouring

1 cup hot water

In a cup or jar, add the vinegar and food colouring, and top up with the hot water. Create separate dye mixtures for as many colours as you will be using. Bathe the hardboiled eggs one at a time in the mixtures until desired saturation is reached. Remove eggs and allow to dry on wire rack. Careful-- the wet colour will stain fingers and countertops just like it stains the eggs if not wiped immediately.

Display the eggs in visually appealing ways for a day, then eat them!

Happy Easter to you all. And thank you for your lovely welcomes, it is good to be back.

xox

Summer Lazy

My week began horribly.

It started out with me simply relaxing on the couch. In fact I was so relaxed, I accidentally spilled an entire cup of tea, complete with cream and sugar no less, directly onto the keyboard of my still fairly newish laptop. Yep--I really did that. Right on there, or shall I say, Into... definitely more "Into" than "Onto" the laptop.

Anyway, being a girl of quick action, I immediately proceeded to invert the laptop and pour the liquid directly onto the snowy white carpet at my feet. (Sigh)

Well... it took several days for the laptop to dry and become useable again, but I'm happy to report it eventually did and now works good as new (minus the horrible crunching-that-used-to-be-pleasant-clicking sound of the keyboard). And after several workouts I finally managed to remove the stain from the carpet and it looks good as new too. (Whew!)

In between the highly dramatic moments and the slower ones involving waiting for the laptop to dry, it's actually been a pretty nice pace around here. We left the kids at the lake with Grandma and Grandpa for a few days, and the Mr and I have the entire house to ourselves. I'm working on my own version of a Jess Brown knockoff (her dolls are so simple and beautiful) and gearing up to pull out Celes for a comforting round or two.

Lazy pancake mornings, lake visiting, very old fabric stash sorting, and Ikea browsing--on the laptop--not such a bad week after all. xox

How has your week been?

Au Naturel

Six days and five nights we frolicked in the Kootenay Region of beautiful British Columbia. The morning we left home it was raining so incessantly we were wondering if we were going to have a holiday at all! But by evening when we arrived at Blanket Creek the rain had stopped completely and did not rear it's ugly head again until our drive home (more on that later). By day two the skies were blue, the air fresh, and our spirits soaring. We had left the flatness of the Prairies behind us and were nestled in, comfortably surrounded by beautiful mountain forests. The sweet smell of cedar and the sound of birdsong permeated our senses. We hiked, and cooked outside, and sat around the crackling campfire, and made friends with the squirrels, and swam, and cliff dove (or our extremely mild version of it at my panicky insistence--dangerous business that cliff diving can be--the locals told us one or two fearless adventuresome types die every year engaged in the wretched sport). The water was crystal clear and warm like bathwater. I even found the relaxation time to start and finish this book, which was a real treat as time for such indulgences are sorely lacking for me in the real world.

The Ferry crossing in what felt like the middle of nowhere was definitely a highlight for us. The area is so remote we shared the entire boat with only one other party apart from a family of swallows who had made their home there. (Although we certainly do not tolerate vandalism of any sort, E really got a kick out of someone's artistic perspective of the no smoking sign.)

Everywhere we looked was unbelievably more beautiful than the last. Upon our eventual reluctant drive home the torrential rains began immediately, and we drove for 14 hours through unrelenting thunderstorms and heavy winds magnified by the narrow and treacherous mountain passes. Part of the long drive was spent at a dead stop on the highway near Banff, waiting for emergency workers to clear a mudslide off the road caused by the storm. Traffic was backed up for 20 km in both directions (quite significant considering the remoteness of the area) and we wished we could simply return to our blissful retreat.

Eventually we made the long journey home to find a joyful Mylo awaiting our return. Although well-cared for by a dear friend, he clearly missed us terribly and had lots and lots to tell regarding his own adventures without us (he does in fact speak exceedingly well and understands English perfectly).

xoxox

Sweet Summer Birthday

Well, I built a little birthday cake for myself.

One must test these things, and what better way to experiment than on oneself. 

It was quiet--just the four of us (and Mr. Mylo of course, although he does not hold a particular fondness for cake).

Admittedly nobody fainted, but I swear I heard a few gasps of amazement go through the room. 

Though I'm not quite convinced it was over the laborious candles; the combination of chocolate cake and strawberries kind of trumps everything around here...

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on the birthday candles post; I am so very greatful for your encouragement! xox 

Country Weekend Drive

Canada Day Country Drive

{2012-07-01}

Just a few photos of the weekend. Along the way we passed many of the now abandoned homesteads that commonly dot the countryside. Somehow these derelict farmhouses spark romantic notions and yearnings for a simpler life.