Saturday 30 September 2017

Craft Fair

First thing this morning we headed for the nursery we most often go to. They had a large craft sale set up in an adjoining part of the building, some 90 tables of lovely things to buy. I bought nothing because a) I didn't see anything I really really wanted, and b) so expensive!!
I realize that it takes hours to make some of those items and then there's the cost of material so the high prices can be justified.




Of course we had to walk through the main building and all the flowers were calling my name. I bought some bulbs, these windflowers and also some Daffodils. Both will be planted very soon and in my new Daylily bed.


DH grows all our garlic and thought he'd try another kind this year. Those will also be planted soon.


On the way home we stopped by the fruit & veg market and bought more lovely pears and a couple of bunches of new carrots. While DH went for a late breakfast with youngest son I stayed home and made another 2 jars of pickled carrots.


Now it's mid afternoon and I'm ready to sit down with a hot cup of tea and one of those scones I made a few days ago.

Thanks for coming by,


          Granny Marigold

Thursday 28 September 2017

Autumn Journal and a Recipe


Since I have no talent for sketching, my journal will probably be mainly collage.  I left the cover of the journal as it was and have the first three pages done.





 I thought I'd post the recipe I use for my crisps. I make a big recipe and store it in the fridge in a covered container so it's very quick to prepare the fruit, sprinkle some of the topping on and bake at 350 degrees until nice and golden brown. Probably half an hour or a bit more. ( I tend to be haphazard about times etc. Sorry.)

                          Topping for Fruit Crisp

2 cups flour 
2 cups rolled oats 
1 1/4 cup brown sugar ( or more if you like things sweeter).
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cut in pieces

Reserve 1 cup of the rolled oats. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor until well mixed.
Add the last cup of oats and you're done.
The reason I add that cup last is because the food processor chops it so fine and we like more texture. 
If you make the recipe using a pastry cutter you can add that last cup right from the start. 

If you do try it please let me know if you were happy with the results. I think it's really hard to mess up a crisp. 


Thanks for visiting,


    Granny Marigold

Wednesday 27 September 2017

Baking Day

DH's supply of Oatmeal-raisin cookies was depleted so it was time to bake more. Just as an experiment I added some peanut butter to the last bit of the cookie dough.... those are the 6 in the upper right hand corner. The PB overpowered the molasses flavour but otherwise the cookies turned out paler but good.


I baked some apple/pear crisps. The pears this year seem extra good and the mix of apples and pears is very tasty. I baked the one in the Pyrex dish for my youngest son ( who helps me with any heavy gardening tasks) and the smaller ones in Ramekins for DH and myself.  We went over to deliver the crisp to them earlier. ( All 5 of our kids live in this area; the farthest away lives maybe 15 minutes drive. )


The Rattlesnake beans have dried on the plant ( that one plant that the littlest brought home from school last Spring) and are ready to shell. I'm so impressed with this kind that I don't know if I'll bother with any other variety of Pole beans next year. Unless maybe some Scarlet Runners because the Hummingbirds love those blooms so much.



So that was my Wednesday. Having done my baking I think I'll take it easy tomorrow and enjoy what might be the last in the series of sunny, warm days we've been enjoying.

Thanks for visiting,

      Granny Marigold

Tuesday 26 September 2017

A Sunday Walk and some Books


I know it's Tuesday  and I'm only now posting about our Sunday walk but the weather has been so lovely and I've been outside as much as possible.







A quick trip to the thrift store this morning got me these two books. The first is a Susan Branch and I always look for her books!! I stuck the Follow your Heart tag on the spot where the thrift store had stuck the price. I could not get the sticky residue off.



Take Three has lots of colour pictures to inspire me and 200 fabulous fuss-free recipes using three ingredients or less!  How could I not buy it.


I hope you're enjoying lovely weather too. Have a great week!! 


Granny Marigold


Saturday 23 September 2017

This and That



 I did a little more decorating for Fall today. I picked this little banner up at a garage sale.



Then I hot glued dry leaves to a length of brown string . Some of the leaves refuse to face the right way! I hung it between the dining room and the sun room. I have a feeling this won't last long. One six-footer walks under it and it will come down.


I also got these 3 little pieces at a garage sale for .75.  One is quite long ( I folded it up for the picture) and has a few small stains but I still like all the work that went into it.  I'm not sure but I think the flowers are made up of countless French knots.


I love handmade quilted bags and this pretty one was my latest addition. Fifty cents, the man said!
It has deep pockets on front and back and I just love the trim along the top! It was in a pile of baby clothes so maybe it was meant as a diaper bag??


When I got home from shopping I thought the week's fruit looked so pretty I took a picture of it!


That sums up my Saturday. The weather was perfectly Autumn weather. I found time to sit on the porch and watch the Hummingbirds at the feeder and Chickadees at the bird bath.

Thanks for reading about my day. I hope you had a lovely one too.


Granny Marigold

Thursday 21 September 2017

Flowers and a Funeral


There's not too many flowers blooming any more. Marigolds, of course, and a few Rudbeckias. My calendar tells me tomorrow is the first day of Fall so  it's not surpriising that everything is slowly coming to a halt.



Remember that black top I found at the thrift store on Tuesday? Today I wore it for the first time. I wore it to a friend's funeral. We weren't particularily close but when we chanced to meet up ( she could often be found at  thrift stores!), we'd have a lively chat. We found out we were even distant cousins. She was such a lovely person and although I knew she had been unwell her death shocked  and saddened me.


Thanks for visiting today,


             Granny Marigold

Tuesday 19 September 2017

Thrifty Buys


 As I often do on a Tuesday morning I went to the thrift store. Of the dozen things I took into the fitting room only four didn't fit. I had an assortment of  tops all of which were  .50 and then I saw this lovely zippered top with metal decorations. I was so glad it fit ( this was 3.00). In winter I wear a lot of black and this light jacket will see a lot of wear. It may look sort of gray on the picture but it is definitely black.


                         
                A close-up of those metal thingies.


This pretty knitted (?) top is fully lined and has self covered buttons. It was also .50
The washing instructions had been cut off so I took no chances and hand washed it.


I take awful pictures sometimes and this next little shell top looks strangely short but believe me it looks quite normal. and pretty too.

I did buy one thing that wasn't clothes. Just a few days ago little grandson M was looking at things in my room and admired a few of the boxes I have with this kind of closure. He said he'd sure like one and what did I spy at the thrift store? I had to glue the top handle on more securely otherwise it is in good shape. Now I just have to make sure whatever I buy him for Christmas fits into this box. He'll like that.


Tomorrow I'll drive to the airport and pick up my DH. The house has seemed way too empty without him around. Things can go back to normal.

Thanks for visiting.


    Granny Marigold


Sunday 17 September 2017

Chilly Weather







There's a real feeling of Fall in the air today. I'm wearing a cozy sweatshirt  and was grateful for its warmth when I went for my morning walk. Came home and took my coffee on the porch so I could watch the birds in the backyard. There must have been 20 House Sparrows busily looking in the grass for bugs. The Chickadees, hyperactive bundles of energy, were flitting back and forth from the feeder to wherever they're hiding seeds. I wish I could tell them that there's no need to do that because the seeds will be there all winter.

The house feels quiet without my DH. He's called a couple of times and he's enjoying visiting various friends and relations. Today is the big Cousins Get Together that he didn't want to miss.
Apparently it's colder there than anticipated. He was at his sister's place and I guess she gave him directions to the local thrift store where he found what he told me was a really nice long-sleeved shirt for two dollars!  ( He's learned the value of a thrift store, hasn't he!!) He took only short-sleeved shirts and a light jacket in his carry-on case. ( He went on a super cheap fare which did not include any actual luggage. A carry on and a small shoulder bag and that was it.)

Thanks for visiting again. I appreciate you and your lovely comments.

Granny Marigold

Wednesday 13 September 2017

This and That


It's in-between time.  I'm starting to think about Thanksgiving ( October 9th this year here in Canada)
but I'm still working in the garden. The tomato plants have mostly been pulled up and boxes of ripening tomatoes sit on the outdoor table. I'm going to have to freeze some because I can't keep up even with sending bags home with the kids when they visit.

I have 2 grandsons, one is 8 and the other turns 19 tomorrow. He's quite  a delightful young man.
 The 8 year old likes his teacher ( big relief) and his big sister is in grade 9, first year in high school. She also seems happy with her teachers.All this makes me happy!

I drove my DH to the airport this morning. He's on his way to spend a week visiting his family in Manitoba.  I have a list of things to keep me busy ( like catching up on my scrapbooking) and I started by tidying up my messy desk. You can see the difference in the pictures below. I can't guarantee how long it will stay so neat.



The Sweet Autumn Clematis has taken over the long trellis and even managed to cover this poor Rugosa Rose bush. Can you spot the lonely pink flower on the top that's peeking out?
The Clematis has just beginning to open its thousands of tiny white blooms.





Thanks for visiting today, I hope your week is a lovely one!!  I'd be delighted if you leave a comment.


                Granny Marigold




Saturday 9 September 2017

Recipe





Sandy asked for the recipe for the muffins I made and showed in my last post. BTW Sandy... thanks for leaving a comment. I see you don't have a blog else I'd come and visit you there.



Orange/Date Muffins

 
 1 orange,seeded and coarsely chopped but not peeled
2/3 cup orange juice

1/2 cup chopped dates ( I use more)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
 1/2 tsp salt

Blenderize the orange plus the orange juice.

Combine butter, sugar then add the egg.
When it's combined add the OJ mixture then the dry ingredients plus the dates.

Bake at 400 F 15 to 17 minutes.


These muffins don't rise much so I make 12. The original recipe said it made 14 I think it was.

Robin, you'll notice that I made a few small changes to your recipe. I've made it many times now and it has 'evolved' to this point. If Sandy has any problem I'll see if I can find my original recipe and post that. Did it call for using the blender to do all the mixing?


Thanks for coming by and be sure to tell me how the muffins turned out...anyone who tries the recipe!!

Granny Marigold






Friday 8 September 2017

Rain!!

Yes, we had a nice shower this morning; not enough to quench the thirsty plants but enough to make the air less yucky. Also, it was cooler so I baked orange/date muffins ( thanks to Robin of A Bird's Life for that recipe which we love), and an Impossible Coconut Pie. The latter because I had milk in the fridge that was nearing it's best before date and also because I feel I can eat that eggy/milky pie without any guilt whatsoever because it's healthy. Right?


You will notice there are only 11 muffins. I couldn't resist having one when they were barely cooled.

Thanks for visiting today. I appreciate any comments!!


Granny Marigold

Wednesday 6 September 2017

Bad Air Quality and some Bloody Tales




This is the view from space of our smoky, hazy province. Yesterday and today both DH and myself have had dull headaches which we are fairly sure must come from breathing this bad,muggy air.


Some of you have asked if we have A/C. Yes, but only in the bedrooms so at least we all sleep well.

It hasn't been a particularly productive week so far. We filled the racks on the dehydrator with apples again. We were almost done when my DH put the safety guard of the mandolin aside and slid the last of the apples through. Yes, he sliced his thumb. I suggested he go to Emerg. but he thought he'd bleed to death in the waiting area before ever being seen by a doctor so I bandaged it up as well as I could. Had to redo the bandage 3 times in the first 15 minutes because it wouldn't stop bleeding but eventually it did. DH is one tough guy. He has had many an accident on the construction sites where he worked. Another time he drove himself to the doctor's office when he had a cut above his eye that required 26 stitches. The reason he didn't go to Emergency was that he knew our family doctor would see him immediately once he knew what had happened. Unfortunately that doctor has since died. They don't make them like that any more.  Now you get  sent to the ER and you wait...and wait...and wait.
Unless you say you think you may be having a heart attack. Then you get immediate attention.

Sorry. I didn't mean to ramble on but it's so nice and cool here in the bedroom ( my computer is in here).
In a short while daughter #2 is dropping by after work to visit and also to take some tomatoes off my hands. Better go and cut some Basil for her too.

Thanks for visiting,



Granny Marigold

Tuesday 5 September 2017

Nature Journal

Pom Pom and MK have mentioned making an Autumn Journal and I thought I'd try making one as well. Having no talent for sketching ( which they do have) I will rely more on good old Modge Podge to adhere and preserve leaves etc.. on my pages. Also I'll use cards and  clippings from Fall magazines.
I looked through my many empty notebooks and found one suitable.


This page of leaves dried and pressed last year still needs more. It would have been better not to use the brown tissue paper that I used.
                 Pressed Rudbeckia petals. The sandpaper circle in the middle will not adhere so I'll find                      something else.


                                Page in progress. That bottom petal looks like a banana.

I wonder if Pom Pom and MK will include any journaling. The note card has a tab on the right so I can journal inside as well..


That's what I worked on this morning. Our air quality is just awful today, full of smoke. The sun is just a hazy red ball. My head aches and I don't feel like doing much else than putter a bit. To think that many folks nearer the wildfires have been breathing this for weeks!

I hope you're having a lovely Tuesday.
Please leave a comment so I know you visited.


Granny Marigold

Saturday 2 September 2017

Decorating for Fall

DH got down the big container marked Autumn Decorations and I spent a happy hour rediscovering things packed away for 10 months. I remembered to take a 'before' picture of the sideboard.....


        Here it is once I was finished. I will buy some real mini pumpkins and some gourds once the stores stock them but for now ceramic works fine.


I didn't take a before picture of my Mom's old sewing machine but here it is as it looks now.



The drop-leaf table is in the sunroom. To the right is the glass door to the porch and to the left is my messy craft area. Getting it tidied up  has been on my to-do list all week but I've managed to find anything to do except get it sorted.


Even the window sill in the kitchen got some decorating but I took the picture when it was very sunny and it's hard to see things. Do you see the blue plate in the dish drainer?  I bought that at a garage sale this morning for ten cents! 

What it says underneath is Royal Stafford, fine earthenware, made in England,  dishwasher and microwave safe. I'm assuming it's quite new but I really like it .


Are you decorating for Autumn?  If so, please share lots of pictures. I know I love seeing what you are doing!!

Thanks for visiting,


       Granny Marigold