Having sourced some lovely balls of fresh white cotton yarn, I decided to undertake another project.  I am creating lovely hand knit white cotton dishcloths.  They have proved to be very hard working and the beauty of it all is once they are soiled,  they only require a little soak in bleach before washing……then as good as new!

 I am using a very simple pattern….cast on the desired amount of stitches and then just simply knit the the desired amount of rows.  Cast off and voila!!  

I was thinking what a lovely gift they would make paired with a fragrant  bottle of Caldrea dish soap!

As my niece has informed me,  they make perfect little blankets for a dollhouse 

when not in use as dishcloths!

Laundry is a chore we all face.....no matter what type of home we live in.  With 3 teenagers in the house, believe me, laundry is a daily ritual in my home and my machines certainly get a workout! I inherited the washing machine and dryer with the house and have had no complaints other than the washer had begun to smell musty and was not cleaning as well as it was.  Before I began my quest for a brand new fancy front loading machine, the practical side of me sought out some solutions.  And a solution did I find....which I will share with you!

Who knew you had to "clean" your washing machine on a regular basis.  Well.....I didn't! But wow, what a difference it makes!My whites have never been whiter and my brights have never been brighter! 

Put the machine on the heaviest or longest wash cycle and start filling the tub with hot water.  While it is filling, add 1 litre of liquid bleach.  Let the machine agitate for 1 minute, then stop the cycle and let it sit for 1 hour.  While sitting, I cleaned the outside of the machine with lysol wipes to disinfect the entire surface.  After 1 hour, let the machine finish its cycle.

Once that cycle is done, once again put the machine on the heaviest or longest wash cycle and fill the tub once again with hot water.  This time, add 1 litre of white vinegar to the water and again, let the machine agitate for 1 minute before stopping the cycle and letting it sit for an hour.  After an hour, let the cycle finish and voila, you have a clean and sanitized washing machine ready for its next dirty load!

This blog post is dedicated to my brother-in-law who is Mr. Clean himself!!  Apologies to my sister to whom he will no doubt insist she now also does on a regular basis!! 

My daughter and I have a new favourite treat…..dilled beans!  They are crunchy, flavourful and next to no calories.  While my stash of garden grown green beans has now been depleted for quite some time, I was happy to pick up a bulk package of lovely green beans at my local Costco.  After enjoying them freshly sautéed for a couple of dinners this past week I was still left with quite a bundle.  Not wanting to waste, I thought I'd make another batch of these tasty treats!

First step: Wash beans and trim the ends.  Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil.  Blanch beans…30 seconds to one minute, drain and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking process.

Prepare brine: 1 cup of white vinegar to 1 cup of water, add salt and sugar, bring to a boil.  Let cool.

To sterilized glass jars, add sprigs of dill, a clove or 2 of garlic and a red chill pepper.  Once beans are cool enough to handle, stack them vertically into the jars….as many as you can stuff in!

Pour brine into each jar covering the beans and then once cooled, they can be refrigerated.  Let them sit  in the fridge for a couple of days….and then they are ready for snacking!

Preserving is really is prairie tradition… even in the middle of a frigid winter!!

Brrrrrr…..the prairies have now been experiencing deep freeze temperatures for several weeks.  Yes, we are sturdy stock, never the less, it can be challenging to keep ones' wits about them whilst dealing with temperatures below -30 C on a regular basis.  It can become difficult to motivate yourself to actually leave the house when it means that any exposed part of your body could be frost bitten in a matter of seconds.  Those prairie winds can be wicked.  

On evenings such as this one, we like to enjoy what we call a "cozy in night".  I will light a fire in the living room fireplace and it is there that we will gather for the evening.  We will have "dinner theatre", talk about the day, the kids will do their homework, read and just enjoy being with one another. Nothing like a fire to bring people together.  

Warm comfort food….the other important and special part of a "cozy in" night.  Being a product of my grandmother, I cannot allow any food to go to waste.  I had some leftover cooked chicken from a meal earlier in the week and what better way to put it to use than into a chicken pot pie.  This bitter cold weather has been taking its toll on my boys who are now fighting fevers, coughs and cold.  Homemade chicken pot pies enjoyed fireside while curled up under a warm blanket.  

As a variation, I made individual pies this evening and they were a hit. I found these cute little ramekins at my local dollarama……2 for $1.25…..how can you go wrong!! And, I have now also added to my white dish collection.  

Benches are such a versatile piece of furniture.  They can be used for extra seating, for holding bags, purses or backpacks, a place to perch while putting on footwear, a place to put your feet up……the purposes are endless.  

Today while perusing through Homesense, I found this fabulous rattan bench that included an upholstered cushion to top it off.

It fits into the living room beautifully and provides that extra seating that I was looking for.  As a lover of beachy and coastal decor, anything rattan really appeals to me.  It brings a casual elegance to a space. 

I found another really terrific bench at the newly opened Target in my neighbourhood.  It sits pretty in this corner of my dining room.  The colours work perfectly with the artwork hung above and also provides extra seating when needed.  

Upon coming home from school, my daughter asked me exactly how many benches we now have in the house.  We have 5…..I suppose that is enough!!

Shades of White

Clean and fresh....white dishes organized, stacked and ready for to be used for the next meal.

Not only does it make it easy for family, kids and friends to find appropriate dishes but also helps to keep an orderly kitchen.

These white dishes are from Ikea.....I love the subtle scalloped detail on these plates as it adds an element of grace without being too feminine.  

And I found these terrific little bowls from Indigo which are the perfect size for serving condiments, nuts, candies, pickles and little snacks.

I'd love to add more white dishes of various shapes and sizes to my collection.  It is fun to explore and I am always on the look out for bowls, platters and serving plates in various shades of white!! 

Presenting my newly organized and functional front entrance.  I kept the original wood front door and just had it freshened up with a coat of paint.  It has beveled glass window allows light to shine through the space as reflected in the mirror shown in the photo below.

The mirror was custom made from materials left over during the renovation process....the ultimate form of recycling!  Beneath it sits a sturdy rod iron shoe rack from Ikea to keep footwear neatly tucked away.

I adore chandeliers and the sparkly light they reflect and since there was no overhead light fixture in this space, this little gem was the perfect solution.  Also,  an Ikea find!

This muslin covered bulletin board with a distressed white wooden frame is the perfect place to post photos, cards, invitations, reminders..etc.  

I had the doors taken off this little closet heading up the stairs and in doing so, gained further light as the window is now exposed.  It also gave me the opportunity to have hooks installed and a place for baskets on the shelf above to house hats, mitts, scarves and the like. 

These cute little drawers were already existing in the space and provide a great storage spot for out of season shoes, umbrellas, dog supplies....etc.  It is hard to believe but they are actually almost 3 feet in length...A great little hiding spot!

This bench is one of my favourite pieces of furniture.  It is solid and sturdy but looks as if it is 100 years old.  The perfect place to perch while zipping up boots or lacing up sneakers.  A very special find from Shelmerdine Nursery....who knew they had such fabulous furniture!

And of course, my absolute favourite shopping baskets in the world are from L'Occitane and I always have one around to grab as I run out the door.....perfect to take to the market or grocery store. They also make a lovely and very much appreciated gift!