Eco-Friendly Holiday Cards & Tags

Making your own holiday cards is an easy, eco-friendly, economical and fun craft to do this year. All you need are some used holiday cards, colourful card stock, a simple glue stick and interesting scissors and punches.

This is a simple card made with an image of chickadees cut from a used Christmas card, glued to a piece of  metallic card stock that was black on one side and green on the other. I used pinking shears to create the edge on just the front, so that the black would show through.

This little wreath is actually a small image from the back of a used Christmas card, that was the perfect size for a gift tag. I didn't glue the image to the red card stock, because I want to write the message inside. You can then reuse the tags another year by just replacing the card stock.

The Pumpkin Toss

Its been a busy Fall and we've been a little delayed getting yard work done around my parents' place, so the Jack-O-Lantern hadn't been taken care of yet. For weeks it sat around the side of the house, waiting for that most ceremonious of tasks....

THE PUMPKIN TOSS

 
My brother is looking into the ravine around the back of the property...trying to spot the perfect spot to toss the sucker. He's at the pitchers' plate...

...he pushes forward...

Attack of the Killer Dog

I've discovered something that Whiskey can't stand....colourful socks.

The other day I was sitting on the floor going through some boxes, and when he walked in the room, he went crazed when he saw these green leafy numbers.

He was frantically jumping around, running in and out of the room, barking, nibbling my toes - basically having a complete fit.

Just look at that menacing look in his eyes. Thats 11.5 lbs of pure rage. And he's licking his lips before he goes back for more carnage. I was lucky to survive the attack with all my digits intact, but some poor soul might not be next time. I sleep with one eye open now, waiting for the day he strikes again...

Oh My Darling, Clementine!

Every year around this time I develop a serious addiction to those delicious little clementines. When the wooden boxes of citrus-goodness start showing up at the grocery store I am physically incapable of resisting them. And that first box will be gone in a matter of days. I keep peeling them and eating the little segments until I practically overdose on vitamin C. Today alone I have eaten four....and I've only been up for half an hour.

When I eat them I always think of my Nana who lives up near Georgian Bay. She was visiting us one November when I was little and in the morning she went over, grabbed a couple of clementines and used a fabric napkin to eat them off of her lap while watching TV. This floored me, because I'd always used a plate at the table, which now seemed so boring. So, I also had to go find a fabric napkin from the linen cabinet, go select the best clementines I could find and then plop myself down right next to her to watch the morning news. And together we sat and peeled each little clementine and savoured the delicious segments, thankful that they didn't have any seeds (It always feels like russian roulette. Will this one have seeds?). I'm sure my mother wondered why she kept finding fabric napkins in the laundry every day that year.

Are you able to resist buying clementines? Do you have any serious food addictions? (Maybe this isn't the question to ask just after the American Thanksgiving. Turkey Overload, anyone?)

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!

Up here in Canada we celebrated our Thanksgiving six weeks ago, but today its turkey time in the US, and I wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family south of the border!

One of a Kind Show

Today the One of a Kind Show begins in Toronto, going until December 6th.  More than 800 artisans from across Canada will be showcasing their hand-crafted creations at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place.

An Afternoon Walk

Yesterday I bundled up Whiskey in his little sherpa jacket I made him, and we took a break from the office. We moved the company to this area almost two months ago, and I am still finding little parks and laneways to take him on his afternoon walks.

He loves going by the local playground and watching the kids. This is what I call his "Meerkat" pose. If one of the kids goes over to pet him, his tail starts wagging like an insane pendulum. He loves kids, but isn't too crazy about babies. They make too many weird noises and spook him.

Holiday Decor Ideas

With just a month until Christmas, I'm starting to look at ideas for how I would like to decorate my little apartment. There are so many different styles that you can use to transform your home for the holidays - traditional red and green, glamourous silver & gold, neutrals, Scandinavian, colourful, minimalist - the choices are endless. My eye seems to be drifting towards using natural elements with traditional designs. We'll see what happens when I open the Christmas boxes this week and see all the goodies that I have to decorate with. I may not be able to resist those plump little Santas.

Jingle Bell Vase Filler, Pottery Barn, $19

Using jingle bells as a vase filler is a great way to bring in some traditional elements. The metallic surface will reflect the light, and make an interesting piece. Although Pottery Barn is selling this for $19 this year, you can easily find jingle bells at much more reasonable prices at dollar stores and craft stores. Mix it up with whatever colours you are using this year, as these bells often come in silver, gold, red and green.

 

This cranberry-tone bead garland looks striking against the white mantlepiece, and I love the idea of pairing it with silver toned and clear red votives on top.

Apple Cake

This is an easy, simple and delicious cake recipe that my mother's dear friend Rosie shared with us years ago. Since then, its become a classic with our family. The soft sweet apples, dense smooth cake, and crunchy top are a great combination.

What you'll need:

4-5 Apples
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon

2 Eggs
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Oil
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Core and peel the apples.

The Plant Killer

I love nature, and having plants in my home helps me handle the concrete jungle feeling that the city can have. However, I have a horrible problem...I keep killing plants.

When I first moved in, a family friend gave me this tree, and this week he finally bit the dust. I don't know if it is the fluctuating temperatures of the apartment (greenhouse during the day - freezer at night), or the lack of sunlight (only two windows, one in each main room), but something is going on here.

Minty-Chocolately Goodness!

A couple of weeks ago I discovered something that was life-changing. It was those three little words that took my breath away....

Junior. Mints. Deluxe.

The dark chocolate exterior...the cool and creamy mint centre.

Apparently these come out every year in the US during the holiday season, but I've never seen them in Canada. And if I'd known that they existed, I would have probably headed down to Florida with the snow birds by now.

Junior Mints are one of my all-time favorite candies, and these are just go above and beyond that. They are jumbo-sized JMs, similar in size to those chocolate covered cherries that you see around this time of year (not a fan of those), and the exterior is a hard dark chocolate (not soft like normal JMs). But its that super creamy mint centre, that almost spills out when you bite it that had me hooked. I may as well just exchange my holiday cocktail dress for a pair of XL Roots sweatpants.

The Weekend Drive

Yesterday I was up visiting my parents and I took a drive through the local farmland. The sky was the perfect shade of blue, and the air was still, but the barren trees reminded me that winter is fast approaching.

 

 

A wooly bear caterpillar making his way across the dried grass. By Spring he'll have turned into an Isabella Tiger Moth, but for now he is just cute and fuzzy.

Living Room Before & After

Two years ago I moved to downtown Toronto into my little apartment. The guy who lived there before me was a bachelor who was rarely ever home, and never did any work on it. My landlord wouldn't paint, so I had to find ways to transform the space without using a brush, and on a just-out-of-university budget. I really wanted a space that was cozy and inviting, without feeling too cramped in the small space.

Here is what it look like before I moved in:

And here is what it looked like afterward:

Because I was moving in during February, I took advantage of the houseware sales that popped up after Christmas. The couch is actually a wood frame futon with a raspberry red microsuede cover that I picked up from The Bedroom and Futon Store for $300 during their post-Christmas sale a couple of years ago. I LOVE this couch. Not only is it comfy, its also really easy to clean. I can use a stick roller to pick up crumbs or dog hair, or if its really bad (hello, double chocolate chunk ice cream) I just pop the cover in the wash, and presto, new couch! And it converts to a double bed when I have guests (the linens are stored in a bin underneath)

Have a great Friday!

Shadow, our family doberman, looks very happy that its Friday.

It means that she has her family home for the weekend. No work. No school. And probably at least one trip to Tim Hortons for coffee and timbits.

And the best part about Timbits is that she always gets 1 and 1/2....because Whiskey just can't eat a whole one. Life is good for the big dogs.

Hope that you all have a great weekend!

Pomodoro Sauce

Pomodoro sauce is a great Italian tomato sauce that you can serve over cooked pasta, or even as a sauce for your homemade pizza. Made from tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil it is like marinara sauce, but somewhat thicker.You can make it chunky like I do here, or even puree it for a creamier sauce. Its a great easy-to-make sauce that tastes fantastic. I like to make a big patch and freeze portions of it for easy weeknight dinners.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 clove Garlic, chopped
1 28 oz can San Marzano Tomatoes, drained, crushed by hand, liquid reserved
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoon fresh Basil leaves, chopped into thin strips.

Chop the onions. If you prefer a smoother sauce, chop them finer. I like it a big chunkier myself.

Chop the garlic.

Take the fresh basil leaves and stack them up.

Must Read Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Over the summer, I was lent this novel and its stories are still with me. I think of them often, as you would old friends. Initially I was hesitant, as the entire narrative is told through the exchange of letters amongst the characters and I assumed that it would be difficult to engage with the story, but I was sorely wrong. Before I knew it, I was wrapped up in this world, and craving more tales from the charming characters that pour out of the pages. I've included a synopsis below, and I hope that you have a chance to read this novel soon.

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

Werewolf Babies!

In honour of New Moon coming out this Friday I thought I would show you some baby werewolves we found a couple of years ago. Okay, they aren't really baby werewolf babies...they're just one week old raccoons, but they sure do look like little werewolves.

Their mother had made a home right above my sister's bedroom and when my Dad got into the roof, he found these little critters. He carefully removed them with the insulation, as not to disturb them. The mother was already caught with a live trap, so it was just a matter of taking them to a local abandoned farmhouse that we knew of, and leave Mama Raccoon to take care of these little fellers.

Isn't this little guy a dead ringer for the beasts in An American Werewolf in Paris?...just significantly smaller. Even look at those little claws!

Here is a video of the "baby werewolves". I'll warn you that they are crying for their mother, and move incredibly slow because they are less than a week old and need a lot more nourishment to get their strength. But don't worry, in the end they all got back to mama safe and sound.

Baby Raccoons from Small Home Big Start on Vimeo.

New Feature! Printable Recipes!

I decided that I would make things easier on anyone who wants to make my recipes, by adding a printing feature. This will also helps those people who don't want to look at the food pics (Hi Mom!) cut to the chase. I also wanted to help save numerous laptops from having flour, butter or cornstarch accidentally dumped on them. My own laptop has never quite forgiven me for the melted chocolate chip incident of 2006.

The link to the printable version is at the bottom of every recipe now, so feel free to print away! And let me know if there are any other features that you would like to see on SHBS.

Gift Idea - Game Night

Every once in a while my friends Eve & Matt throw a game night. The first time I went to one, I thought, "Am I eight years old? Why would I want to play a board game?". Little did I know that I was in for a whopper of a good time. Everyone really got into the competitive spirit and it was fun to do something completely different than we would normally do.

Since then I'm a game night junkie. Whether its with family or friends, its always a great time. Board games also make great gifts, and are pretty inexpensively. Around this time of year Wal-Mart, Zellers and Target often have promotions, and there is a wide selection of fun games for all ages. Here are some of my personal favorites, that are sure to please.

 

Scattegories is one of my all-time favorites. You roll a dice with letters on it, then use the letter chosen to name a set of categories within a time limit. When me and my siblings get playing, you never know what we're going to come up with. We picked up a copy of this on our road trip this summer and it was a riot. A great game to take with you on those long drives to visit family this holiday season.

I was at a friend's cottage this summer, stuck inside during a week-long rainstorm, and someone pulled out this game, Dutch Blitz. I was in awe. Its kind of like Solitaire, Uno and Spit all rolled into one, but with colours. And its fast! When you get into this game, you would be surprised at how quickly you are tossing those cards down. Keep all drinks and food off the table, because they're guaranteed to go flying. This is one of the best things to come from the Amish since Mission furniture!

Whiskey & Jackson

Is this not one of the cutest wiener dogs you've ever seen? Those floppy ears fall back over his head when he runs (hops?) around the yard. And he has that great puppy skin that is so soft and flabby that you can almost double it over him. Don't even get me started on those big brown eyes.

Applesauce

My grandfather gave us a gigantic bushel of apples this year, so I've been trying to make as many apple recipes as I can to use them up.

Making your own applesauce is much easier than you would think. It freezes really well, you can control the taste and its cheaper than store bought. Ontario apples are everywhere in the grocery stores right now, so take advantage of our great produce and make yourself some applesauce today!

You will need:
3 pounds of Apples (You can use any mixture of sweet apples: Cortland, Golden Delicious, Gala, McIntosh, etc.)
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Water
Juice from ½ a Lemon

Core the apples, and cut them into one inch chunks, leaving the skins on.

Its beginning to look...

Today I was walking past Nathan Phillips Square, and I saw a crew decorating the big tree by the skating rink. 

Look at those huge cherry pickers they have to use to reach the top! Seeing this really started to get me in the mood for hot chocolate and Christmas movies. I was humming Bing Crosby before I knew it!

The Boxed Lunch Bonanza

For the Save the Oak Ridges Moraine train ride, we made boxed lunches for the passengers. My parents and I woke up bright and early to put them all together. With three of us working non-stop it took two and a half hours to make 163 lunches, but it was all worth it to see everyone's happy faces when they were given their meal.

Everything that we used was either compostable, recyclable or reuseable. We purchased biodegradable containers and wrapped a fabric napkin around each one. Bright orange twine was used to tie it all together, with a paper leaf to finish it off. My poor father pre-cut all the twine, and hole punched every leaf.

The boxes were lined with cute checkered paper, and filled with lots of great food!

Organic Meadows donated some of their amazing cheddar. Thats some seriously good cheese! Holland Marsh Growers Association donated carrot and celery which we cut into sticks and placed in a paper liner.

The delicious apple tarts were made by Hearty Catering, and were just the right treat to have on a nice fall day.

Vince's Country Market donated Mediterranean wrap sandwiches, and for vegetarians we made these flatbread sandwiches loaded with local produce.

When we first started looking at getting the lunches catered, it was going to cost $18.95 for an organic, locally sourced, eco-friendly lunch. By getting donations from local Moraine-based businesses, buying fabric napkins from a restaurant going out of business, and doing all labour, our cost was under $5 per person.

Toronto Santa Claus Parade

Santa Claus Float, 1978

Today the Toronto Santa Claus Parade will be coming through town for its 105th anniversary. It is the oldest and largest Santa Claus parade in the world, and is held every year in November. The parade starts at Bloor and Christie, goes around Queen's Park, and makes its way down to the end at Front and Church.

I remember going as a kid with my parents and just being mesmerized by the whole thing. When I was really little, my poor father would hold me on his shoulders for the entire parade to see the floats.

Santa Claus Float at Eaton's Department Store, 1918

The history of the parade itself is incredible. It all started in 1905, when Mr. and Mrs.Timothy Eaton met Santa at the train, and walked him downtown to the Eaton's Department store on Yonge Street. In this photo you can see that Santa's float would stop infront of the store, and he would then climb a ladder up to the second story. Just look at all the thousands of people waiting for him! There are people as far as the eye can see, just packed in trying to catch a glimpse.

In 1913, Eaton arranged for real reindeer to be brought in from Labrador to pull Santa's sleigh. They had a special veterinarian take care of them leading up to the parade, and then afterwards they retired to a property outside of Toronto.

Children waiting for Santa, 1913

Children were able to run along the route and give their letters to Santa. Every letter was sent a personal response back from Santa.