Month: September 2011 (page 1 of 2)

Homespun Pot Pie

Today we have both been off kilter. We are fighitng off colds and back to school tiredness and so a meal of true comfort was in order. So, tonight I made our first pot pie of the Fall season. It was delicious and Mr. Michie said it was the best I had ever made! We made a turkey pot pie and I decided this time that I would roast the turkey and the celery and carrots instead of my usual sautéing the vegetables and boiling the meat.

I tell you, it had the most wonderful flavours and the turkey was so moist. When I pulled my roasting pan out of the oven, I went to work on making a gravy and when it was almost ready I dumped the cut up meat and vegetables into it, stirring in some beautiful red onions that I had leftover from breakfast the day before and some frozen peas.

The house smelled so delicious. As it baked we worked on making some mashed potatoes which were a wonderful and homey accompaniment to dinner. They were mashed with my favourite French butter, spring onion and cracked black pepper cream cheese, fresh parsley and goat’s milk. They were sinfully divine.

To top it all off, we did something we don’t normally do, we sat on the couch and watched TV while we ate. This has been a long week and so we vegged out and caught up on NCIS. I can’t think of anything better tonight then turkey pot pie and watching the adorable Mark Harmon on TV! Delicious!

 

This is it!

This is the last week of my 365 day blog, In the Art Cupboard. I have almost come full circle. I have a few last things to photograph to finish the week up and I have already decided what they will be, just a few things I have had my eye on for awhile.

So be sure to check out the blog this week to see what pops up. I can’t believe that a whole year is almost coming to close on this project. Something, I will no doubt reflect on in the near future, as this blog was a part of my life everyday over the last year and something that has brought my joy and at times challenges,but I have it thoroughly enjoyed it.

Chickens

Foxy’s first thought when he spied the chicken coop was dinner. But then
he remembered that chickens are friends. So instead he pulled out his
camera and snapped a few delightful photos of the lovely hens and
rooster.

Checking out the Chickens

(This post was written by Mr. Michie, because he was the one who took a stroll with Foxy around the chicken coop in Suffolk, GiGi and I stayed inside and read our books)

Cleaning

I have had to change my cleaning schedule around since school started. We have been very busy since going back to school and I have not been able to keep up with my dusting and vacuuming like I normally would.

So, I hatched a plan: I decided that I will do all my housework on Thursday nights. I was tired when I came home yesterday as it was almost the end of the week and the thought of cleaning was not what i wanted to start doing, but I rolled up my sleeves and got down to it! I am one of those odd people who does enjoy cleaning, it is such a satisfying job!

And the reward, for me was worth it! It was so nice to come home from work today, to a clean house with everything smelling fresh and sparkling. It was like a weight was taken off my shoulders. It is a nice way to start the weekend!

The Taste of Fall

Fall has many flavours and one of them is the warming taste of butternut squash soup. We made it this weekend and as I was slicing up some warm crusty bread, Mr. Michie ladled the soup in our bowls.

With this one, he somehow by magic ended up with a heart on the top that had a polka dot in the middle! That made it taste all the sweeter.

Ushering in Fall

This weekend has been very cool. The leaves are starting to change, the sunlight is moving, evening is drawing in sooner and all of these little things add up to signs that we are welcoming Fall in.

So today we got up early and placed two beautiful fat little butternut squash into a roasting pan and placed them in the oven. As they began to roast to house filled with the smell of squash, its fleshy inside getting softer as its skin began to brown and caramalize in the pan.

As it roasted, we worked together outside. Pruning back a few plants and I had the chance to plant the golden mum Mr. Michie bought me as a surprise as well as the orange ornamental pepper plant by the front door, I just need a pumpkin now, but it is too soon for them to be ready!

Once the squash was finished, we scooped out its orange pulp and began to create a warming soup that is now simmering away on the stove, filling the house with the smells of autumn.

We Made It!

Cha-Cha-Cha-Chaa-Cha!

We made it through the first week of school! I feel like having a party! But, I am too tired, so I shall have a mini one instead in the form of date night. It is mine tonight and I am off to make homemade pizzas for Mr. Michie!

Have a great weekend everyone!

(Image found here)

10 Years

I couldn’t write this on Sunday, or the day before, or the day after. I couldn’t write on Sunday, because there was, I felt, nothing to be said, it was a time to reflect.

Sunday was a very emotional day for me, as it was for many. I worried if something was to happen again, how would I get home? I pray for the safety of my friends and family every day. I had family at the Towers that day, as well as in Washington and we were blessed to have not lost any one.

The passing of Sunday has not left me. My heart at times has still felt heavy with emotion for all that has happened. I know I am not alone, as my Mom and I were speaking about it yesterday.

Mr. Michie and I watched the news coverage from the States that day as well as the ceremony held in London. It was just too much, so we decided to go for a walk. The fresh air hit our faces and the gentle falling rain, lightly misted our hair and eyelashes as we headed down our chosen path.

We walked and talked and as we did this, we reflected on what we remembered from that day. I was at College and thought that it was unusual as I was heading to my second morning class of the day that the campus was a bit sparse of population.

As I walked in to my printmaking class everyone was huddled around a radio and that is how we learned of what was happening. Without having the visuals of it, my imagination was running wild as I heard all the noises from the day.

Living in such a media based society, it was odd to not be watching this in front of a TV. I could only hear what was happening. That was at times worse than seeing it on TV, it gave me the slightest taste of what my Grandmother must have felt as she listened to the news during the Second World War, her imagination was all she had to “see” the coverage they were reporting as my Grandpa fought overseas.

My Art teacher asked us not to leave, but, to stay and create a piece through our emotions. I excused myself when I could, to try and call home, the line at the payphone was long. But, as the caller finished and walked back down the line, it was like a meet and greet, everyone asked if they were okay, if their family and friends were okay? There were hugs and tears.

I walked in to work that afternoon and again, the same thing. We were all hugging each other, everyone checking on everyone else. As, I walked home, students on campus, who I had never even seen before were doing the same thing, everyone was reaching out.

That is what will stand out in my mind the most; is the generosity of spirit from that day. In the darkest hour, one of the brightest of human acts came through: KINDNESS. We all reached out to let others know we were there and we carried that with us in the days that were to come.