I have been working very hard on my outdoor living area.  The table and benches are assembled and fit the space beautifully.  Again, the outdoor table and benches are from my favourite store, Ikea! The market umbrella is from Superstore. I "planted" white geraniums in the garage window box…..they are actually "faux" if you can believe it.  Most people think that they are real.  

My fabulous contractor and his crew used the leftover flagstones to create this space for the BBQ to sit perfectly between the Elm tree and the garage.  It is tucked away perfectly.  My Dad has a little bit of BBQ envy!

The deck is outfitted with the coordinating wooden lounge chairs also from Ikea.  A perfect place to rest in the afternoon with a good book or for quiet nap in the sunshine.

I love the sound of water and picked up this little fountain from Canadian Tire.  The sound of the waterfall is very soothing and if I close my eyes, I feel like I am a million miles away.  Again, faux boxwood and flowers in these containers allow for low maintenance!

Think about ways to create your own outdoor living space in order to fully enjoy your home!

Happy Weekend! 

TREAT TUESDAY

My kids always arrive home from school looking for snacks….and I aim to please! Today, I was feeling nostalgic and decided to make a treat my mom and grandmother always made.  This is so simple and easy yet oh so tasty!! Homemade cinnamon rolls....with a little shortcut!

Start with frozen bread dough.  I always keep a package in the freezer….whether to make these rolls or to make a loaf of fresh bread.  Nothing makes the house smell more inviting than a loaf of bread baking in the oven.

I thaw the frozen dough in the fridge overnight and then roll it out in the morning on a well floured surface.  Spread butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll up lengthways and slice into even sized rolls.  I can usually get 12.  While doing this, prepare your baking dish by putting in the oven to warm up with a generous serving of butter.  Once it comes out of the oven, sprinkle with some brown sugar and then arrange the rolls in the dish. 

Bake at 350 for approx 25 to 30 mins. Your kitchen will smell amazing! Before I could take this photo my youngest son had already snatched one……they are delicious!! 

Always striving to look at the silver linings, one of the benefits of starting over, from nothing, is the opportunity to create something completely your own. The only person you need to please is yourself and those you wish you surround yourself with.  While there are certainly pieces of furniture that I miss, as they were carefully selected for the space that became their home, I accept that they are only "things".  And of course, "things" cannot replace what is truly important in life.  They are simply the vehicles by which we enjoy what is truly precious….the relationships with those we love in our lives.

Therefore,  in my quest to furnish my home, I strive to find functional furniture that will serve to provide a comfortable and inviting venue for friends and family to enjoy.  And of course, this includes the patio dining furniture I was looking for as I had 2 requirements.  It had to look "good" and be flexible in terms of seating as nothing makes me happier than when my kids come home with a group of friends wanting to "hang out" and often that includes meals!   

As I have indicated, I am a big fan of benches and by using them for outdoor seating the possibilities are endless.  I purchased 4 of these and from my calculations, I believe I could potentially seat 12 around the table.

The table….I am thrilled with this square shaped table as I can fit the 4 benches around it perfectly.  Yes, I am very concerned with symmetry!  Most importantly, this arrangement will fit in the patio space beautifully.  All I have to do is pray for some lovely weather and a tall, handy, handsome lad to assist me in putting together this furniture! 

Look forward to happy patio parties!!

Now that spring has finally arrived in the prairies, I am thrilled to continue my outdoor projects around the house.  First on the list……an outdoor eating area!  The space between the house and the garage was already fitted with this flagstone patio which will provide the perfect place to set up the wooden table and benches that I picked up at Ikea.  Now I just have to put them together!!

Next is to find a little niche for the BBQ.  For my boys, nothing beats a homemade BBQ hamburger and when friends are over…..well, the grill will be well used!  This spot between the garage and the large Oak tree will be perfect.

I was able to find more of these flagstones scattered about my yard and had the boys assemble them in this area for the BBQ to sit upon.  On closer examination, I think they are going to have to arrange them in a more level fashion!

My fingers are crossed that the weather will continue to warm up and that this patio area will become a gathering place for my family and friends to enjoy some outdoor time together!

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!!