Project 365

With so much "buzz" about this project this year due to the new kit being offered by Creating Keepsakes, I thought I'd put up a few pictures of how I did it for 2008.  Basically I had a photo album from Wal-Mart that had "PHOTOS" printed on it and I used rub ons to make the rest of the title.  I bought extra refill pages.  I didn't do it on a weekly basis as the new kit has, but I could have done as there were enough pages.  I just started January 1 and kept going.  I managed to only have about 5 or 6 days with no pictures.  To label them I bought a photo marker and just wrote on the pictures or used a label if the whole photo was too dark.  So here are a few random pages and a couple pictures of the cover.  For those of you who don't want to get the kit, this is another possibility.

Fruited Brazil Nut Loaves

I had a couple requests for this recipe, so here it is.  It comes originally from the magazine Canadian Living.

1 1/2 cup dried figs

1 1/2 cup dried apricots

1 cup candied pineapple chunks

1/2 cup red and/or green glace cherries

1/2 coarsely chopped preserved ginger

3 cups whole shelled Brazil nuts

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

(Note: I have successfully doubled this recipe to make 4 loaves.  The above amounts make 2.)

Line 2 8x4 inch loaf pans with foil, grease well, and set aside.  Pour boiling water over the figs and apricots and let stand for 5 minutes.  Drain and chop into large pieces.  Halve cherries.

In a large bowl combine figs, apricots, pineapple, cherries, ginger and Brazil nuts.  Stir together flour, sugar and baking powder in another bowl; add to fruit mixture and toss to mix.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs well; stir in vanilla.  Add to fruit mixture and mix well.  Spoon into prepared pans.  Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until firm and brown and cake tester inserted into center comes out clean.  Let cool in pans for 10 minutes then remove to racks and cool completely.  Wrap well in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.  Serve in little slices.

Pam

Lobster

At least once every summer we have some lobster. I'm not a big fan of it. I like the taste but I don't really like the mess of eating it. Anyway, as daughter Alix is getting ready to move to Toronto for university, we decided to treat her to some lobster before she goes. So last night, Marcel picked up some cold cooked lobster from the fish market (that's how people eat it here generally, cold) and pre-cut it for us. It was very tasty!

Preserving summer

I used to make a lot of jams and relishes at one point but I hadn't done any for a few years. My garden was starting to yield some zucchini so I decided to make some relish and a few other things too. Here is what I made yesterday. From the top: Red pepper orange and lemon marmalade, zuccini relish, and apple- sage jelly.

This just makes me laugh!

The mighty and scary Oliver! AKA "Fluffy Boy".

Dog album

I made an album yesterday to send to support Boxer Rescue in Florida (supported by one of the Hilltop Memories Yahoo group member). Pictures are on the Layout blog.
Pam

Choir silliness

Our church choir put on an evening of entertainment along with a turkey dinner made by the church women's group. We sang some "serious" group numbers (Broadway songs) and then "branched out" into our renditions of some of well known groups from the past. A few friends from other choirs joined us for the event.Here's a few pictures of that event. Everyone had fun! From the top:

The choir and friends singing a group number. Or version of The Platters, singing Sentimental Journey. One of the Platters, Vic, who is 92 and a retired United Church Minister, one of the sharpest and most knowledgeable men I know, who wore a big grin throughout the evening. The "Mamas and the Papas" That's me second from the right. Me and another "Papa" singing California Dreaming. "Under the Boardwalk" I can't remember who they were supposed to be. "The Angels" with My Boyfriend's Back. That's me in the blond wig. There were others numbers but you get the drift!

Graduation Time

For Karen! Added a close up of Alix and her prom date. Didn't have one of her on her own.

I haven't posted in quite a while. Here are a few pictures of recent events. From the top:

Our daughter Nicole graduating from The University of New Brunswick in Saint John (Bachelor in Applied Management in Hospitality and Tourism): greeted by the Chancellor, getting her degree, the graduate with her sister Alix, dad Marcel, mom (me), and grandmother Annette.

Our niece, Josee, graduated from a private high school (Kent School) in Connecticut: her dorm building, Josee )in white) with Marcel, Nicole and me, Josee with her parents, brother Andre and Annette.

Our daughter, Alix, before her prom last night: Alix with friends Lindsay and Alex (MHS Drama is going to miss this hard-working trio!), Alix with 3 girls she went to Elementary and Middle School with - Caroline, Danielle and Danika, group shot of the grads at the park, Alix with date John, Hannah, Alex, Lindsay and Mitchell. Alex and Alix will be going to Ryerson University in the fall (in Toronto) and Hannah (from Riverview High School, who they know from the District 2 musicals) is going to George Brown University nearby, so they will all be close next year. Lindsay will be at Queens in Kingston, Ontario, about 2 hours away from Toronto.

The actual graduation is on Monday, June 23.

Highschool Improv Games

This event has been held in our area for nine years now. The degree of energy, imagination and creativity that the students show is just wonderful. My daughter has helped out with the team from her school for a couple of years and this year she was on the team and performed. We are so proud of them as they came a close second in a very strong group of teams. If you are not sure what Improv is, think of the TV show, "Whose Line is it Anyway?" as an example. They have to come up with skits on the spot based on suggestions from the audience. We took some pictures but it is really hard to get good ones as the lighting was poor and the kids move a lot. Anyway, here's one of the team and their coaches, as well as a few from the competition.

Here's my house

Or should that be "where's my house"? Yesterday I went out to shovel the front steps and decided to take a picture of the house from the corner. Lots of snow, right? We have had over 300 cm so far this winter. We did have a period in January when some of it melted too, so if we hadn't had that there would be even more of it!

Snow in the city at Night

Just a few of the pictures my husband took on New Year's Eve of our house and neighbourhood.