The Passionate Soul

I loved The Night Circus

The Night Circus
By Erin Morgenstern
Release Date: September 13th, 2011
Number of Pages: 387
Format: Hardcover

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

 I loved this book!  There are thousands of reviews of this book on the internet, I'm not going to add another.  All I can say is this is a book unlike any I've read before.  Did I mention that I loved it?? If you get the chance, read it. :)

Fimo Santa Ornament

 

Prep Time: Approx. 45 minutes for each Santa (not including baking time)

Supplies needed:

• Fimo clay per santa:
•     ¾ package of white
•     ½ package of flesh tone plus extra for the nose and cheeks
•     ¼ package of red
•     small amount of green and black
• Permanent marker for inscribing the back
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
• Transparent gloss acrylic paint
• Ribbon or other ornament hanger

Not necessary but makes it sooooo much easier:

• Clay extractor with circle discs
• Clay sculpting tools

Would have used if I had thought about it ahead of time:

• Black glass beads for eyes
• Jingle bell for hat as the pompom

Instructions:

Use the picture as a guide for making your own ornament.

1. Warm and mold flesh coloured clay in your hands to create the shape a ball.  Press flat on work surface or parchment paper if using.  Mold circle into an egg shape (approx. 1½” x 2”.)
2. Using the red, warm and mold into a ball, then shape into a triangle shape.  Roll the triangle until one side will wrap across the top ¼ of the egg and down either side.  Shape the top peak over to create the look of a touque.  Only press the tip of the clay to the hat leaving a hole between the clay that can be used to affix a ribbon for hanging (alternatively, create a hole to use once baked for attaching a hanger.)
3. Warm and mold white clay into cylinders (if using extractor tool).  Create two different sized spaghetti-like forms.  Use approx.. ¾ of clay for the larger diameter and the other ¼ of clay for the smaller spaghetti shape.
4. Set aside about 4” of the larger spaghetti – this is used to make the eyebrows and mustache.
5. Coil the spaghetti to create a variety of circles, breaking the clay off.  Use one coil for the pompom on the hat.  Once they’re coiled, add them to the bottom of the egg face, along the sides and up to the hat.  Layer them and mix the coils so there are a variety of sizes that look aesthetically pleasing to you.
6. Using the picture as a guide, make a set of eyebrows and a mustache.  Attach the eyebrows
7. Either pushing in beads for eyes or using tiny balls of black, attach to face under eyebrows.
8. Roll three balls of flesh to create the nose and cheeks.  Push into place under eyes.
9. Attach the mustache.
10. Using a large circle disc, create the trim of the hat and attach.
11. Transfer the ornament on parchment to a baking sheet and bake according to the clay manufacturer’s directions.
12. Once cold, use a permanent marker to inscribe the back.
13. Seal the ornament and inscription with clear gloss paint.
14. Attach a ribbon or hanger.

 

What I would try next time:

Create two small holes in the hat tip through to the back to attach a bell with wire.

Use beads instead of clay for the eyes.

 

I’m unable to give credit to the original designer of this ornament as it came from a craft magazine many years ago.

 

A new holiday tradition with my sister.

Because neither one of us has near enough Christmas ornaments (ha-ha), and we both enjoy creating things -- it only makes sense that my sister and I would get together and share our enjoyment of being “crafty”. 

Two sisters, planned to get together on a Friday night, drinking wine, chatting, and making Christmas ornaments.  The only thing I missed was playing Christmas carols – next year! This is something we haven’t done for years.. I’m so happy that we made time this year to get back to what I’m now deeming an annual holiday time tradition. 

Hope you caught that Zöe! :D

Ps.: Thanks for a great night, Sis, it was fun.  Now we just have to decide what we’re going to make next year! 

 

Blog by email

TGIF! :)

I'm trying, for the first time, blogging by email..

A really cute cooking quote..

'Where are the eggs I asked you to separate?' said Mrs. Rogers. 'Here's one, one is behind the clock, and the other is over there. Did I separate them far enough apart?' asked Amelia Bedelia. ~ Peggy Parish, from Amelia

Anna Maria Horner: It's a HOOT!

via annamariahorner.blogspot.com

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=278110.35
Scroll halfway down the page for two great examples of this owl ornament using the pattern and instructions from Anna Maria's blog.

Wow -- I've been gone for a year!

I just realized it's been a year to the day since I last blogged on here! Well, never fear! I'm back baby.. I am back! :)
So much has happened over the past year, some of it really great!! some of it, well.. not so great.. but that's what makes life interesting! :D
Tomorrow evening my sister is coming over and we're making Fimo santa ornaments -- I'll be posting our creativity with pictures over the weekend.. so stay tuned! :D

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

  

Butternut squash.. I’ve enjoyed butternut squash soup many times, and surprising, yet true,  I have never bought one -- never-mind cook something using one.  This fall, as I’m slowly improving my culinary skills, and dabbling in the kitchen (after all, it did come with the house :D)  I purchased not one, but two, while spending a Saturday exploring a few local farmers’ markets (another post, another day.) 

There should be instructions with vegetables.  How is someone supposed to know that a butternut squash can be peeled?  I have to find a basic (yes, very basic) cookery book on how to prepare veggies and fruit -- preferably with colour pictures -- However, I digress… back to the squash!

Below is a copy of the recipe I have used on several occasions for making squash soup with a hint of curry.  I’ve substituted the potato for sweet potato in one batch – just a subtle shift in taste. 

Garnishes can be nothing at all or a sprig of parsley, sour cream and toasted almonds/pecans/seeds or chives, a swirl of balsamic glaze is also nice. 

This is a versatile soup and very easy to make.  It’s one of my favourites, and not just because I don’t mess it up! :D

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Ken’s Soup Krazy, by the late Ken Kostick

Serves 8

 

Ingredient List:

6 cups	Vegetable stock
3 cups	Butternut squash, chopped
1	Small onion, chopped
1	Large potato, cubed
1	Bay leaf
1 tsp	Brown sugar
1 tsp	Curry powder
½ tsp	Dried basil
½ tsp	Dried oregano
½ tsp	Cinnamon
½ tsp	Salt
½ tsp	Black pepper
¼ tsp	Ground nutmeg
1 cup	Table cream
¼ cup	Fresh parsley, chopped

In a large soup pot, bring the stock to a boil.  Add all ingredients except cream and parsley.  Continue boiling until the squash and potato are tender, about 30 minutes.  Discard the bay leaf.  Puree the soup with an immersion blender or food processor.  Gently fold in the cream and parsley.  Serve immediately.

Buttons

Buttons are used for many things.  Most people don’t pay any special attention to them.  They’re used to close things like your favourite pair of jeans, or as one of my daughters loves to do -- glue together to make button people.

For me, buttons hold a very special place in my heart.  They remind me of my Nanny.  A very, very special woman who used to keep what seemed like a never-ending supply of them in a drawer when I was little.  This drawer was in her sheet music cabinet that had a kazillion other drawers, all filled with neat things.  You can imagine how a little girl would be enamoured with a chest like that and fascinated with all the little treasures stored inside.

On every visit to Nanny’s, we would open the button drawer and dump them all over the dining room table.  My sister and I would spend countless minutes sorting them, looking for the "neat" ones (probably fighting over which ones we'd each have).  Afterwards we would string all the buttons onto yarn, and eat boiled eggs with toast soldiers as only Nanny can make.

Creative Jewish Mom Blog - some ideas on using all those buttons, along with other creative projects.  Highly recommend checking out her blog :)

There isn’t a person out there that I’ve met that can hold a candle to my Nan.  A woman so strong (thank you Nanny for passing that gene along :D) and kind, she has given of herself to so many, an inspiration to numerous.  A survivor of many hardships, yet you’d never know – even I didn’t know until recently.  Not a saint, she has a stubborn side (hmm.. wonder where I get that from??).  One should aspire to be like her, yet few, even if they tried, would be capable of being the person she is.

Nanny is in my thoughts most days.  She’s in the hospital again after a fall.  No broken bones, I don’t know why they keep her.  I hope every day that she will be released and back to running circles around us all. 

More often than not, I wonder how hard it would be to just sneak in, bundle her up, and bring her home – this, of course, would happen after we ran all the errands she promised to do for the “old” people, and baked 30 pies from scratch for a bake sale to help raise money for something or other.

I love you Nan.  Always.

... and buttons too :)

Fruuuuit Flies :(

I was invaded by fruit flies last week.. yes it's true. *sigh*  I've heard of them, seen them on occasion, but never, ever, have they been an issue.. until last week!

*Insert creepy music here!* Dun dun-dun dun Dunnnn!

Surfing the net for fruit fly killing directions ('cause spraying a lot (and I mean a lot) of Raid -- doesn't kill 'em!)  I found a lot of options but most included leaving rotting fruit in containers. Ucckkk!!  Not exactly an ideal solution since this method didn't kill them, and I'd not only have fruit flies but also rotting fruit (did I mention Yuuuccckkk?!!).  So, searching, I came across another suggestion: small bowls filled with vinegar and a few squirts of citrus dish soap.  Perfect! I've got both! :D  According to several commentators, this homemade remedy is supposed to work wonders, in just minutes (10 minutes to be exact).

Bowls set out.. waiting, waiting.. 30 minutes later, not one dead bug!  Two hours later, they're all just sitting on the edge of the bowls.  I'm staring at them, this mini fruit-fly party I had going on.  My thoughts as I watched them impatiently: Just a little further annoying tiny bugs.. a little closer.. closer.. in you go.. go for a nice swim.. the liquid is warm and lovely... GET IN THE BOWL!!  

A few days later, after refilling the bowls numerous times with fresh toxic (to them) liquid -- just in case they caught on to the fact that their buddies bodies were dead in the bottom... they were finally, FINALLY gone! 

I had won! VICTORY was mine! 

Now if only there were a trophy for such a challenging accomplishment ;)  Perhaps something like this trophy I found from LuMaxArt ?? A little over the top??!  I suppose it is a bit much. ;)

  
Notes for avoiding future invasions:

1. Do not leave veggies or fruit out on the counter.  In fact, don't leave anything out at all!  In my case, it wasn`t food that had been left out, instead, it was an empty case of beer from the BBQ I`d hosted the weekend before.  Little did I know, the box sitting innocuously in the corner, patiently waiting to be taken for recycling -- oh yeah! a haven for breeding fruit flies!

So, note #2. No empty bottles in the house period.

3. Always have vinegar in the house.  I used plain white vinegar, but some sites suggested cider or wine vinegar.

4. Buy more Raid because I used it all trying to kill the fruit flies. (This note is really just for me!)

Thank goodness it's Friday AND I'm fruit-fly free :)

About Sweet Aroma Cupcakes and Boutique Bakery

 www.sweetaroma.ca

Umm, ok, seriously.. OMG!!! I have died and gone to cupcake heaven!

Yesterday, Shannon and I went to visit Samantha at camp.  During the two hour plus drive I'm wondering where I'm going to take the girls this time.  Last visit we had spent the afternoon in Dorset.  A lovely little town.  I'm not writing about that today.. I must focus!  Focus on my writing as I finish my delightful cupcake, that is OMG!! Soooo scrump-dilly-umptious!  Bracebridge, Ontario -- the location of this bakery.  *SIGH* It's all gone.

 

 

Ok, think, what am I writing about.. Scrumptious S'mores Chocolate Cupcake (see picture above): sweet and fluffy buttercream icing on a light and bouncy chocolate cupcake, topped with chocolate chips, marshmallows and caramel.. Mmmm..mmm!!! Scrumptious!!

 

Samantha enjoyed a Whoopi: Chocolate cake disc on either side of peanut butter buttercream icing.. I had a tiny, tiny bit.. and it IS a Whoopi good cake!!

 

Shannon had the Southern Belle Cupcake: red velvet cake with buttercream icing.. That's all I know because she wouldn't share!! LOL

 

A delightful little bakery, a "must-visit" stop if you're anywhere close.. and by that, I mean if you're in Ontario :)

Sweet Aroma Cupcakes and Boutique Bakery on the main drag (Manitoba Street) in Bracebridge.  You must go!  You must bring me back a cupcake! :D