Kitchenry and hot lemonade

I've been fighting off a terrible cold this whole week.  I finally succumbed - I mean completely and totally succumbed - on Friday.  I had nothing.  Not even a smidgen of energy.  Even now I am still out for the count.  A red, bleary eyed, snuffling, coughing, sneezing mess.  

God bless hot lemonade.  Hot water, lemon juice and a little sugar (sorry, I can't do without...).  It's actually kind of soothing, in a tough, raspy way.  (No, I am not making sense now, am I?)  Well anyhow, my husband swears by eating raw lemons and so far he's held out.  I can't do that.  So I drink them.  (Next best thing?)  

Needless to say I've been taking it easy these past few days.  A little crochet here, a little (umm, ok fine a lot of) reading there, some resting, lots of soup, lots of tea (and hot lemonades).  That's me anyhow.  The kids are still going full throttle.  It's tough for them to slow down for mom.  

Not to say that we haven't had happenings in our home and kitchen.  It's just much, much slower; much fewer culinary projects happening simultaneously.  Slow, slow, slow.  That's where I'm at.  Happily, I did manage to make that apple custard pie for tomorrow's Thanksgiving feast.  Small victories.  (I will post the recipe someday - it is probably the best apple pie we've ever had.)  

Happy Thanksgiving, fellow Canadians!

Post-turkey

Well, I finished this lovely Thanksgiving weekend with a sweet surprise.  I won something!  Ginny over at Small Things held a giveaway for a small handmade toy company called Simply Playing.  Now I'm not usually a lucky gal, but I've had my moments.  I consider my husband a pretty great catch, and while I didn't catch them, my 3 monkeys are more than I could wish for too.  Those two aside from several other blessings of course.  And now this!  It seems I have more to be thankful than I realized.  Hope your Thanksgiving was as full.

In other news, I have put aside my granny square project in favour of a more interesting (or at least more immediate) one.  Another little baby hat.  :o)  My little ones have theirs for the winter, but I am itching to do another one.  Possibly an elephant?  They don't take as long as a blanket, so the satisfaction of finishing one in a few days is more immediate.  Besides, it's been so long ago that I've done one and I'm afraid I've forgotten how!  This is definitely exhibit A of "I need to get more organized" syndrome.  *sigh*

Wish me luck with the hat...

Apples and tidbits

Ah apples.  How my heart leaps for joy at the sight of you.  So elegant in your various coloured robes.  So crunchy.  So full of flavour.  You hit all the right notes.  Sweet, sour and a light, tart in-between chord.  (Incidentally, if you've never tried Jona Gold apples, you are in for a real treat!)

I don't believe apples were the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, though who am I to say.  They are just too good and wholesome for me to think of like that.  Nothing brings me greater pleasure than watching my kids purposely open the fridge, take an apple carefully from the drawer and bite into it with relish.  The crunches and munches up the cute factor.

So.  Carl Laidlaw Orchards.  Best decision we made this week!  Between the tractor rides, the large sand box filled instead with corn and play tractors, the orchards, the river, the smell of those baking pies, watching the kids chow down on apples they picked themselves... none of us can decide what part we liked more.  It was such a happy family day.  

As you can tell, we are enjoying a rather long weekend together - made longer by the fact that D is between contracts.  And by the extra day off M has from school.  It's not even Saturday and our weekend has been fairly bursting with sweet moments.  

"Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."  (George Eliot)

I will leave off here with a few tidbits...

• Maple apple chips.  Can you think of a better way to go?  Not me!
• This sugar and creamer set is so pretty.  Christmas anyone?
• I love the fabric on this bag.  I might have to buy it just for that!  Actually, I'd rather find the fabric and make a bag myself.  But hey, my project queue is pretty long as is...  Seriously, can you imagine a cuter bag?
• I love this business idea waaay too much... and the name of course.  In fact, I would love to open up my own little shoppe once I have my own flock.  (A gal can dream...)
• It's been a while since I've had a really plumy cake and this cake tickles my fancy.  If you've ever tried it, let me know how it was.  Just in case I can't make one soon...

Happy Thanksgiving!