"As busie as a Bee." John Lyly

Hello followers! Isn't it so cold out these days? Brrrr!

Well, it's that time of year... Autumn is in  full swing and winter is on it's way. I can't believe how quickly Christmas is approaching! Crazy! At this time of year, I always find myself quite busy. So, for today's blog, I will catch you all up to speed. I hope you don't mind! Now, let's see my followers, where shall I start? How bout 'Sideroads' magazine? I am happy to announce that I submitted my Christmas themed recipes and photos for the winter edition of 'Sideroads of Halton Hills' magazine (my deadline was October 29th). John the editor liked 'em, so I hope they are a success! Just like last time, I will attach the article to my blog as soon as it is released for you all to see. Next up: an artisan show. Two weekends ago I worked a Christmas show that my friend Penny was putting on. At first, it was to showcase the silver jewelry that her talented niece Jade makes, but Penny then decided to ask if several of us crafty people could also sell our wares. I decided to make dog biscuits (beef, cheese and chicken), risotto kits (porcini mushroom and herb) and cookie kits (mixed fruit and rolled oats and chocolate and cherry). I showed up at Penny's beautiful country home with hopes that people would like my goods and possibly make some sales. Well, I am happy to say that I sold 30 units. How fun! Since then I have been thinking of selling the kits on etsy.com. Well, that is of course, if I can find the time to do it! Hmm, what else have I been up to? Oh yes, 'the land!'

Last Sunday, me and me sweetie, my parents and Saffy ventured on out to Norfolk County to close up for the winter. Our 10 acres was waiting for us. A chilly breeze, bare trees and a garden filled with the skeletal remains of the bountiful garden of summer gone by. My Mum treated us with bacon and eggs for lunch and then our afternoon of tasks began. My Dad and Kev got the John Deere on the trailer for the trip back to Hamilton for winter storage, I got down to work in the garden and my Mum tidied up the good ol' R.V.. Even after several bouts of frost, we still had some yummy produce to harvest! The last of the Brussels sprouts had to picked (they remind me of a creature one would find on Dr.Who!) and potatoes had to be dug. I love digging up potatoes! It is like a treasure hunt in the garden and especially exciting for a girl like me who's favourite movie has always been 'The Goonies' (happy 25th, by the way!)! My Mum and I were happy that some of our heartier herbs survived and with Saffy's help, we picked some sage and thyme to dry for winter use. What a great day! I'm sad to think the next time we will be up at the land is in early spring. But you never know, maybe Kev and I will sneak up there in the winter time to visit!

Okay, time to discuss what I have going on this weekend: the 'Fall Cottage Life Show.' Held just out of town, at the International Centre, it's a unique show for anyone who has a cottage or for anyone who is planning to build one. Within the show, there is the 'Cottage Kitchen' and that's where I've been doing cooking demonstrations with cookbook author Jane Rodmell for the last four years. 'Cottage Life' magazine is a Canadian publication and Jane is a food contributor. I test Jane's many recipes for the magazine and am her assistant with the spring and fall shows. It's a great time and I absolutely love being in front of a crowd! Don't worry followers, I won't spoil the fun and tell you what Jane and I are demonstrating, because I know I will see you all in the crowd! Now, if that isn't busy enough, let me also mention the corporate Christmas baskets I've been hired to make... Never mind, enough already! This bee won't babble on any longer. Now is the time of year in which comfort foods reign. Don't you just love those warm and cozy evenings in? What makes them even better is good food! I have been thinking about some great recipe ideas and I hope I don't disappoint. Stay bundled up my followers and find your way back next week to see where our
culinary adventure will take us next! Bye!

 

"One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure." William Feather

Hello my followers, it's been a while, hasn't it? I feel the need to explain why... To tell you the truth, my heart hasn't been into blogging as of late. You see, my sweetie Kevin recently lost his Mother. As of today, one month has past. So, with Kevin's permission, I am dedicating my blog today to Sandy Patey.

Sandy had been ill for a while and after a long and hard fight, she finally succumbed to her cancer on October 17th. I am here to share a bit about a wonderful woman who, unfortunately, I only got to meet a year and a half ago. The Sandy that I got to know was a strong, adventurous woman who had a great sense of humour. I suppose you would have to have a great sense of humour to raise four boys. That's right, I said four boys! My Kevin is third in line and I must admit that all of his brothers, Chris, Geoff and Rob are all just as sweet as my sweetie. Sandy did a great job! Sandy loved to sing. She was a member of the Georgetown Choral Society for over 30 years, during which time she sang for thousands of people throughout Europe and North America. Most recently her music kept us company at the hospital, in which we played her choral favourites 24 hrs a day, knowing that Sandy could hear every song. Kevin's Mum and Dad loved to travel and it became a passion! Moving the family to England when Kev was only a boy, Ron and Sandy caught the travel bug and dragged the boys across Europe! As soon as the kids flew away from the nest, Kev's parents began to travel the world. And not just those typical places you would consider, but everywhere from Peru to Namibia, from Bali to China and just about everywhere else in between! If any of us get to see half of the places Sandy and Ron got to visit, we'd be lucky! Sandy even managed to travel across New Zealand earlier this year with Ron and participated in such activities as white water rafting, scuba diving, climbing a glacier and going up in a glider airplane (a life long dream that came true for her!). This is the Sandy that I knew. The strong mother who loved life and was fearless. I miss her very much and really wish that I got to know her better. But, instead of looking back and thinking of all those 'what ifs...' I have decided to cherish the time that we got to spend together. I think you will like the photos we have included, I'm pretty sure that they represent Sandy's spirit. We miss you so much Mum...

Kevin and Sarah

p.s., if you are interested to seeing more photos of Kevin's parent's travels around the world, go to their website at:

http://pateycanada.com/index.html