4th Annual Mystery Supper

We hosted our 4th Mystery Supper last weekend and it went over very well. It was fun, as always, it's something we always look forward too. This year we thought we would mix it up a bit and invite some new people. Not everyone could make it, which was unfortunate, but couldn't be helped. It's a busy time of year, and of course there is always next year!


Our menu:

Appetizers -

A Pile of Rubble (Nacho Platter)
Log Cabin (Celery and carrots stacked to be a cabin with a cucumber roof)
Travis' Special (Bacon wrapped smokies)

Entree -

A Road Divided (Fork)
Jack's Last Name (Knife)
A Soggy Stooge (Ham with pineapple sauce)
Asparagus (Junior, a friend of Larry's)
Sweet Sticks (Sweet potato fries)

Dessert -

Pinch of a Pint (Spoon)
One Tree Hill (Cream puff with a chocolate tree garnish)


I meant to take pictures of all the items, but of course when the time came I was so busy serving I completely forgot. I did take a picture of a left over cream puff the next day.





The point of a mystery supper is that you don't really know what you are ordering, unless of course you figure out the clues! Some of the clues are a little easier then others, although I do admit I try to make it as hard as I can! I don't want people to get it right! My husband had his dessert for the 2nd appetizer, and for dessert he had to eat his nachos with a knife! At least he got to eat the entree with a fork - unlike some others!

It is getting harder to think up different menus! I'm running out ideas for food that can be eaten with your hands - if necessary! I might have to go back to our first menu for our next mystery supper! Or perhaps pick the best of the best from each menu!

And Travis - I thought you would enjoy the bacon wrapped smokies! The name really confused people! You'll have to come for supper next time you are in town. :)

Christmas Presents

With all the cross stitching I was doing, I didn't have a lot extra time to make other Christmas presents. I did, however, want to make a set of bags for my mom and my mother-in-law. Luckily they don't take too long to make so I was able to get them done. I think these are so handy! Hopefully they will find a use for them!

One of these days I'm going to make some for myself!

Christmas Stockings

I finished Victoria's stocking about a month and a half before Christmas!

I took a look at my stocking, and decided that there was a small chance that I could get it done as well! And I did!

I'm so glad to have finished all of the family Christmas stockings! It only took me 4 years! But they look so nice and I think it is so special for kids to have a homemade stocking, just like I did growing up.

Notice the fabulous cookies the boys made for Santa!

They also made this amazing gingerbread house!

Merry Christmas!

Snowman Christmas Cards

Every year I say I'm going to make all of my Christmas cards. It never happens. Mainly because I leave it until December and then don't have time to make 50 cards. So I end up buying some or doing up a quick card on Print Master. This year was no different. I had an elaborate card planned, and as December neared the card got simpler and simpler until I abandoned my original plan all together.

I was still determined to make a card, so I looked around on Pintrest for super simple Christmas cards and I came across this. I knew it was something I could pull off!

I'm sure I would have been able to work more efficiently at my desk but it was (and still is) covered with Lego. I was ban to the floor. I'm afraid my desk is forever lost to Lego. I should have never cleaned it off!

Regardless, I got to work making snowmen.

Then made a snowflake background using my fabulous Cuttlebug.

Added a "Let it snow" stamp, embossed in blue and gold and called it done! It's pretty cute for just some circles!

I'm glad I got them done because with the price of stamps going up I might never be able to afford to mail letter again!

Canadian Nickel Cake

Last year my dad asked me to make a couple of cakes for the Regina Coin Show. They were so impressed with them that they asked if I would make a cake to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Regina Coin Club. They wanted a nickel with the years 1953-2013 on it. I checked back with them about a month ago and the cake was still a go.

Truth be told I was a little nervous about this cake. I wasn't sure if I could get it silver enough, or if I could make the beaver look like a beaver. The good thing about making coin cakes is that it says right there what it is - "5 cents" - so there is no mistaking the beaver is actually a beaver, regardless of how it looks. Unless, or course, you don't know what a Canadian nickel looks likes - then there could be confusion!

I guess I shouldn't have worried because the cake turned out very well. The beaver definitely looks like a beaver! And once I sprayed it with the silver food colouring the lines showed up better then I thought they would.

I met my mom half way to Regina and she delivered the cake for me. It sounds like they were quite pleased with it!


Update: The Regina Coin Club sent pictures from their 60th Anniversary party to Coin News and so my cake will be in the next issue - Dec 31/13!

Organizing

Our laundry room doubles as a storage room. When we first moved in we put a bookshelf in there for canned food, cake pans, the small kitchen appliances and, well, all sorts of stuff. The entertainment stand soon joined the bookshelf and in it we (and by we I really mean me) piled quilt batting, Christmas decorations, gift bags ... basically all sorts of more stuff. And those shelves were surrounded by totes of fabric and baseball cards and childhood keepsakes, which stuff was also piled on. I didn't take a before picture, so you will have to believe when I say it was getting out of hand.

Last month we decided enough was enough. We simply had to reorganize and make better use of our limited space. I emptied the entire room in to the rest of the basement and cleaned it. During that process I discovered the washing machine was leaking oil; luckily it wasn't too expensive to fix. We then moved in a extra fridge we had and removed an old fridge that was set up in the under-the-stairs-storage room and started to build shelves.

We kind of planned as we went, and it turned out very well!

Then came the fun job of putting everything back. I moved things back and forth between storage rooms, made a garbage pile and a garage sale pile. The rest of the basement still needs to be cleaned up and organized, but the storage rooms are amazing!

Now the rest of the basement is a bit of a disaster but with a little more cleaning and a little more organizing it will be just as clean!

Hallowe'en

Hallowe'en has come and gone for another year. The last couple years I haven't made any costumes. I found some good deals at a garage sale, and so the boys wore those. This year the boys wanted to be Captain America and a Ninja Turtle. I decided it would just be easier to buy those costumes!

I didn't have anything for my little girl, so I made her an angel costume using Simplicity pattern 2835. Since our fabric store is unfortunately closing out I was unable to get the fleece I needed, so I ended up buying a fleece blanket from the Bargain Stop and used that! I bought a skirt from the dollar store, since I didn't have any netting, as well as a halo. I made her wings out of foam and glued glitter on them, which may have not been the best idea! While it looked cute, there is now glitter all over her car seat! I think she will be sparkling for a few days!

She didn't like her halo very much, so we replaced it with a pretty white toque. She didn't like that either, but I kept putting it back on! It was a very nice evening for trick or treating, but it did cool off. At least there wasn't snow like last year.

Here are a few costumes I made for previous Hallowe'en's...

Pandas are my favourite! Simplicity pattern 2783.

Performing monkey! I really like this costume. Both of my boys wore it. Simplicity pattern 3594.

And a baby knight in shining armour! Both my boys wore this one as well. Simplicity pattern 2835.