Recipe for disaster

I am pretty excited at the moment because I received yesterday my Etsy purchase--a hand-made wooden recipe box in an open concept so you can see the pretty colourful dividers. Recipe for disaster? Only because I'll spend more time filling out the cute recipe cards and less time writing my thesis. At least RB will be fed.

Is it weird to be excited about a recipe box?

You can find this recipe box by rfrantzdesign and other wickedly-awesome-rockin'-diy items at Etsy online!

Just in time for Christmas gift shopping! Find something unique for friends and family because after all--we are unique!

Love you all,
Dawn

Oot and Aboot

On this beautiful Sunday afternoon, RB and I took a trip out to see some of the beautiful scenery where we're living here in Ontario. We went to a park here in Guelph that runs alongside the Speed River, and then drove out to historic Old Galt which is one of the three towns that make up the city of Cambridge, Ontario. Old Galt has many individual heritage home designations which adds to the district's sense of place, history and culture. City council for Cambridge is in the midst of trying to get Cultural Heritage Landscape status which is meant to take a "holistic" approach to heritage designation. Rather than just the built landscape or individual building designations, it includes important landscape features such as hills, trees, rivers and everything in between that lends itself to the unique character of a place. While that's a nuts-and-bolts explanation, it's much more complex which is why focus groups and workshops discussing the CHL designation have been ongoing for a few years now.

Here are a few photos that I took today. It's really a beautiful and unique place. You can click to view it in a larger size.

Speed River, Guelph

Park bridge, Guelph overlooking Speed River

Presbyterian Church, Queen's Square, Old Galt

Old Galt, Grand River which is a designated Heritage River in Canada.

More Grand River

This building along the river is said to be haunted.

Looking through the divide on one of the bridges that crosses the Grand River in Galt.

Main Street, Galt.

Carnegie Library, Main Street, Old Galt

What do you think of places like this? I encourage all of you to post an entry about where you live and the places that effect your memory, create the culture and help develop your own 'sense of place'?

Macaroni et deux fromage

I have always been a fan of KD, ever since I was a kid. Original is always great, but I loved the spiral and white cheddar as well. Suffice it to say I have tried every kind of KD there is--but nothing beats the homemade stuff!

This is a recipe I kind of made up on my own. If you know how to make a basic cheese sauce you can pretty much do anything you like to make it. I like to bake mine after with something called butter crumbs. I enjoy creamy but I like contrasting textures and the crunchiness the crumbs give this baked macaroni and cheese is to die for. Literally. I think I die every time. Sometimes I sing to it--"I just died in your arms tonight.."

The Team

2-3 c. pasta (I use spiral but I just love their fun shape! You could use elbow macaroni too!)
3 tbsp of butter or margarine (I use margarine because it tricks my mind into thinking this is in any way healthy).
1/4 c. finely chopped onion (for flavour)
salt & pepper to taste
3 tbsp flour
2 c. 2% milk (OR you could divide 1 c. 2% and 1 c. cream if you think your hips can handle it! Mine can't!)
2 c. shredded old age cheddar (I emphasize the "old age" because I find it gives a distinct flavour boost that mild cheddar cheeses fail to provide).
1/4 c. shredded swiss cheese

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan add butter and onions, salt and pepper and cook until onions become translucent.

2. Add flour and milk and whisk on medium until mixture thickens.

3. Add cheese and continue to whisk until all cheese has melted and becomes a creamy sauce.

4. Put on a pot of salted water to boil your pasta. Once cooked add to your pot of cheesy goodness.

5. Pour cheese-noodle concoction into a greased casserole dish. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Top casserole with more cheese, old age and swiss.

7. Add butter crumbs to the top, shove into the oven for about 30 minutes or until crispy top forms.

8. Serve and Enjoy!

Work

Good evening my possums,

I decided I would go for a part-time job for the holidays as I like keeping myself busy and enjoy the holiday atmosphere in the local malls. It's kind of like crack to me. And I love people and I think it would be good for me to step out of that bubble of academe and associate with non-geeks for awhile. Trust me, it's for my own health. So I applied for a few positions here and there at various shops and received several phone calls requesting interviews. The first one I took right away because I LOVE their products! Ever shopped at Bath & Body Works? Well I hadn't until I took a wee trip to Washington where they have a HUGE store. B&BW hasn't arrived as of yet to western Canada; so far I have only found it in Ontario. We are more familiar out west with stores such as The Body Shop, Lush, and Fruits & Passion. B&BW I consider a boutique but much larger. It's packaging is so glamourous and the products they carry are vast compared to Body Shop yet much more conservatively priced. This me likey.

So I guess a question to start would be Have you shopped at Bath & Body Works? If so, what is your favourite product and I will try it out? Let me know what you think!

Not over a cliff (or the falls!)

I'm here! I haven't left. I've just been on a bloggin hiatus. You know when you just don't feel you have anything worthy to blog about? That was me. But I'm back.

For the past week my baby sister AA has been out visiting me (for the Canadian thanksgiving holiday) and we have done a bit of traveling oot and aboot so she could see how lovely Ontario is in the fall. Photos to follow!

Pretty much this photo sums up my baby sis. We're at Niagara Falls on the Canadian side and it was a beautiful day (This past Sunday!)

Beautiful view of the Rainbow bridge that takes you over to Niagara Falls, NY.

Maid of the Mist

RB and I

Me trying to be artistic.

My favourite pic of this little pain in my rear :)

Canadian side of the Falls

After Niagara Falls I took AA and RB to Niagara-on-the-Lake which is just north a bit on the shores of Lake Ontario. It is vineyard country (Peller Estates for example) and have some of the most beautiful heritage plantation-looking homes ever. AA was in love. It's just lust for me.

What do you think of homes like this? Would you ever live in one? Have you ever been to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side?

Happy Tuesday!