The Greyhound Pals

I created the Greyhound Pals in 1999 when I was looking for a plush greyhound to buy but couldn't find one. We hadn't yet adopted out first greyhound so I didn't have a model. Enter Beauty, Claudia Presto's greyhound. She was a beautiful fawn greyhound and my Greyhound Pal model. Well that was many years and many pals ago, 885 to be exact. I've had many requests over the years and here are a few of the more memorable ones....



The First Groovy Pal



Lots of Groovy Pals



Fairy Pal



Groovy Pal

 

Angel Pal with Angel Bunny Slippers



Granny Pal

 

Granny Pal

 

Shamrock Raver Pal

 

Pals with knitted collars

 

Beach Bum Pal

 

Farmer Pal

 

Farmer's Wife (of course)

 

Nurse Night-n-grey

 

Angel Pal

 

Biker with Fangs!

 

He's a Bad A@@!

 

Princess Chanel Pal

 

Buckeye Pal

   

Beauty Kanab 2003




Beauty, Dewey Beach 2003


So, there are a few of the fun Pals I have had to make over the years and Beauty, the best greyhound model there ever was. I hope they put a smile on your face!

Have a great Friday and a fabulous weekend.
:)

Another Sunday in the Kitchen...

After the Ode to Kitchen post Maggie asked what I cook on Sundays, so I took some pictures yesterday.

I've been cooking since I was about 10. My Mom let me do whatever I wanted in the kitchen because it meant she didn't have to. In the 70's I took a few years of advanced Home Economics which really helped build a solid foundation of knowledge for me, I was never afraid of a recipe afterwards no matter how complicated. Most of the newer recipes I use come from Martha Sterwart's "Everyday Food" but there always many sources for recipes, endless it seems. I follow a few Blogs, Peanut and Pinney (one of my faves) and the recipes Mz Pinney uses are always fabulous. Mz Pinney and I are currently taking a Whole Food Kitchen course and it's been very enlightening, I'm really enjoying it.

Here is a sampling of what I do on Sundays, it may seem like a lot but we send a hotbox over to my in laws each Sunday so there is usually enough for 4. You'll see that nothing is really overly complicated and if you time it right you can be done in about 4-6 hours:

Sunday Feb 5
- Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken
- Curried Cauliflower Stew
- Quinoa Salad
- Cranberry Scones
- Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, Frozen in 5" rounds
- Oven cooked Chicken Breast for lunches
- Sheppard's Pie
- Soup with Sausage and Kale
- Cut and pack Carrots for lunch
- Cut and pack Pineapple for lunch
- Wash and pack Grapes for lunch
- Wash and spin lettuce

Sunday Feb 12
- Quinoa Salad with fresh Herbs and Olive Oil
- Apple Cranberry Crumble
- Whole Boiled Chicken for Salad (broth for soup below)
- Parmesan Chicken Tenders (5 chicken breast worth!)
- Thai Mango and Green Pepper Salad
- Whole Roasted Chicken
- Beef Barley Soup (8 cup recipe)
- 4 Banana Breads
- Cole Slaw with Honey Dijon
- Cut and pack Carrots for lunch
- Cut and slice Apples for the freezer
- Cut and pack Pineapple for lunch
- Wash and pack Grapes for lunch
- Wash and spin lettuce

Sunday Feb 18
- 2 Pork Tenderloin in the Crockpot, Honey Dijon
- Roasted Chicken Drumsticks, Spicy Paprika
- Fruit Salad (to use up left over fruit)
- Chocolate Banana Bread
- 3 Zucchini Bread
- Cajun Stew with Turkey Kielbasa and Shrimp
- Lamb Soup
- Assorted Roasted Vegetables with Maple, Garlic and Tamari
- Pasta Shells with Spinach, Tuna and Cream Sauce
- Cut and pack Carrots for lunch
- Cut and pack Pineapple for lunch
- Wash and pack Grapes for lunch
- Wash and cut Strawberries
- Wash and spin lettuce

Cajun Stew with Kielbasa and Shrimp in the Crockpot

Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Banana Bread



Carrot, Turnip, Parsnip, Sweet Potato 



other veg: Asparagus, Orange and Red Pepper, Zucchini

Roasted Vegetables with Maple and Tamari

Roasted Drumsticks

Lamb Sausage Soup with Potatoes and Carrots

Dijon Honey Pork Tenderloin

Pasta Shells with Spinach, Tuna and Cream Sauce

Packed Lunch Treats

Packed Fridge

Till next week, keep on Cooking!
:)

"Ode to Kitchen"

I love my kitchen.

It's not the large farmhouse kitchen of my dreams but it's the one I have and I love it dearly. It's very well laid out for a small 1950's kitchen and works well for just one person. I guess you could say it's a "one butt" kitchen! Over the years we updated a few things like the flooring, counter, tile and appliances but stopped short of replacing the cupboards. The sad reality is the 80s cupboards are a wee bit of an eyesore and definitely need updating but we've made the best of it for now.

We love to entertain and I love to cook and bake so loving my kitchen is essential, it's like my second best friend. And for those who don't know me I spend the better part of 6 - 8 hours in my kitchen on Sundays, preparing the upcoming week of dinners, lunches and treats. We have a special bond, my kitchen and I...

So, to you Kitchen, I thank you for being so awesome and for keeping me warm on all those cold winter Sundays...

works as a feeding station too!

And just because she's so cute, here is a picture of Miss Sm-Ella. She decided to play with the bed stuffing that Daddy left on the floor while he washed the cover. We think Roodie may have helped a little....


yes, that's just right now...

 We have not yet started the "Cabin Chic" bedroom as the plans were derailed last week when our Roodie was having some health issues. He's on the mend now so we should commence with the plans next week.

Till next week!
:)

Cottage Decorating 101

Let's just say I'm artist, not a decorator so I don't really know any of the "decorator" rules, like this accent goes with that style and this period furniture goes with that drapery finial. I only know what I like; sometimes I even get it right although the chairs may be mid century modern paired with a baroque mirror and a Queen Anne coffee table. Over the last couple of years we've been decorating our little cottage with vintage finds and personal handmade items; we find they add that personal touch.

Here are a few pictures:

Vintage 60's Greyhound Lamp, Etsy



Pillows, Etsy; Artwork Quilt, Beth Wade Designs



Chickadee, carved by my Mother



Vintage-esq Cast Iron Cow and Sheep, Etsy
Granite Rock Vase, Halifax NS (Left)

  

Trout Etching for the Bathroom, Etsy



Ceramic Trout in the Bathroom, Etsy (Brown Trout, get it?)



Etching, Antique Store; Ceramic Greyhound, Etsy



Hand Stamped Bunny Pillow, Etsy

I adore Magazines, especially vintage decorating magazines!



Assorted Loons from the Antique Stores in Thornbury, Ontario
(my Mom scouted these for me)



And Lastly, some of the white squirrels from White Squirrel Cottage.
Left, Squirrel or Plenty, Etsy; Right, Squirrel, From Mom
Oh, and an artichoke too in case they get hungry.

 Well, that's it for this week folks, I have a lot on my plate at the moment. I will hopefully be posting on Monday as we start the re-decorating of our bedroom in the style of "Cabin Chic".

Have a great week.
:)