The Houston Family ...

Oh my goodness ... what has happened to our family ... !!!

Can't wait to get the other pictures ...

thank you for sending this from your phone ...

luv it ... !!!

Trick or Treat ...

Have a Spooktacular Day ... !!!

Rollin' the Cabbage ...

October 15, 2014

It was the perfect day ... to use this huge head of cabbage ...

that was given to me from my neighbour ...

I decided to make Bavarian Style Cabbage Rolls ...

(Oma's recipe) 

The cabbage leaves were perfect for filling and rolling up ...

placing them in a roasting pan ...

and covered with the Sauerkraut mixture ...

then baked in the oven ...

Oh ... how yummy they smelled ... just couldn't wait to have dinner ... !!!

There were plenty to share with Oma ...

plus put a few into sealer bags and freeze ...

to be eaten at a later time ... 

They were absolutely delicious ... !!!

(The rest of the cabbage ... was used to make a pot of soup...)

mmmmmmmm

Quiet Moments ...

October 18, 2014

A special place to reflect and remember ...

up here on the mountain ...

on a beautiful fall day ... 

In Our Thoughts ...

In Memory

Those we Love remain with us, for love itself lives on.

Cherished memories never fade, because one loved is gone.

Those we Love can never be, more than a thought apart,

for as long as there's a memory,  they live on forever in our hearts ...

Strong Aroma ...

October 12, 2014

Well ... it was time to harvest some of the Horseradish ...

it felt like I was digging down to China ...

those roots were everywhere and really deep ...

After washing ... peeling the roots ... cutting them into pieces 

they were placed in a food processor ...

to be ground up with a little salt and vinegar ...

With all the doors and windows open ...

because the fumes were so strong ...

 the jars were then filled and processed ... 

Let me tell you ...  

it definitely cleared my sinuses and watered my eyes ... !!!

BUT 

Oh so worth it ... it is delicious ... !!!

Getting Closer ...

October 12, 2014

Bringing in bunches of parsley and the last of the dill ...

freezing and drying them ...

Bunches of carrots were also picked ...

enough for a few jars at this time ...

With the weather being so mild right now ... and no frost ...

the rest will be harvested ...

As it gets closer to the end of October ... !!!

Garden Salsa ...

October 10, 2014

This is a busy season with harvesting and preserving the garden treasures ...

today from the kitchen is my 

Garden Fresh Salsa 

There was enough to make a double batch ... 

Yummy ... !!!!

Patrick Thomas (PT) Knight 

February 15, 1922 - October 20, 1995 

Forever in our hearts 

and memories ...

Canning and Baking ...

October 6, 2014

First of all ... there were tomatoes ripe and ready to be canned ...

While the tomatoes were processing ... there were ripe plums to be dealt with ...

decided to make Plum Dumplings ...

Once they were boiled and cooked ...

they were rolled in lightly toasted breadcrumbs with sugar added ...

A delicious meal with homemade soup for starters ...

then some of the leftovers were packaged and frozen ...

to be enjoyed another time ...

plus a container full was to be shared with mom ...

Still had lots of plums ...

so I decided to make a plum cake ...

with streusel topping ...

Thank goodness for a Cherry Pitter ... 

I decided to try it on the plums ...

was amazed how easily the pit came out ...

then cut in half to place them on the cake batter ...

Freshly baked Plum Cake ...

It was a very productive day in the kitchen ...

Thank you mom for all these delicious recipes and more ...

that have been passed down thru the generations ...

In My Thoughts ...

May 29, 1926 - October 18, 2008

Remembering you is easy Dad,

I do it every day,

And missing you is something

That will never go away.

Your nature was loving and giving,

Your heart was made of gold,

And to us who truly love you

Your memory will never grow old.

Tomatillo Time ...

October 5, 2014

Tomatillo Plant 

Early this morning ...

all the ingredients from my garden ... were gathered together ...

to make and process my Tomatillo Salsa ...

Another delicious batch to snack on ... !!!

Thanksgiving Celebration at Joseph Creek ...

Enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving buffet dinner ...

with mom, Burk and Rose ...

on Thursday evening ...

and again yesterday ... being served Turkey and/or Schnitzel dinners ...

Mom and I usually order one out of the selection each ...

so that we can share it and get to taste it all ... !!!

Grateful for the many blessings in my life ...

Hoping Mike will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with us next year ...

A Day To Give Thanks ...

Thanksgiving is a time ...

to be Grateful ...

and

to think about all the special people ...

who have touched our Lives ... 

Have a wonderful blessed day ... !!!

A Special Day ...

It's hard to believe that 25 years ago today ...

I stood by your side ...

and witnessed your marriage ...

I remember it well my friend ... celebrating and having a great time ...

Wishing you and Jim ...

a day filled with love and laughter ... !!!

Happy 25th Anniversary !!!

Little Surfer Dude ...

October 4, 2014

Daigen had the opportunity to go surfing at Galveston Beach ...

The organization Waves of Impact ... 

put on these special surfing days ... and is sponsored by Billabong ...

All the trainers are volunteers ... Brittany was Daigens trainer ... and she loved working with him ...

I believe that he is going to be taking private lessons next ...

Daigen was just a natural at it ... he loved every moment of the weekend ... 

He was not ready to go home ... at the end of it ... !!

Nixon ... our little "Iron Man" ... just loves his costume ...

beware on Halloween ...

he will be in your neighbourhood ... !!!

So adorable ... !!!

Daigen At School ...

October 3, 2014

Daigen took part in the ceremony ... 

for Jane Stewart ...

Founder of Westview School ...

Stepping stones to enrich these children's lives ...

Daigen putting on a blue ribbon ...

in honour of this occasion ...

Last Picking of My Tomatoes ...

October 4, 2014

After being away for a few days ...

thought I better pick the last of the tomatoes ...

before we get a killer frost ...

The weather has been so beautiful here ...

 still warm and sunny ... 

to give them the last bit to ripen ...

Decided to tackle one of the huge Horseradish plants ...

dug up a couple roots ... to make fresh sauce ...

also picked the rest of the Tomatillos ...

and some Swiss Chard ...

Still have carrots ... beets ... and lots of Kale left ...

I will be harvesting them soon ...

eventually getting the garden all cleaned up ...

and ready for the next planting season ...

It's been an exceptional year for growth in my little garden ... !!!

In The Driveway ...

September 27, 2014

After the rain had fallen ... the sunshine appeared ... 

and with the sun warming up the ground ...

these Shaggy Ink Cap Mushrooms ...

started to pop up ...

all over the parking area of the driveway ... !!!

Hockey Season Begins Again ...

Spent a few days with the grandchildren ...

was able to watch James at his hockey practise ...

amazing how well he is doing ... 

 after living in Mexico for over a year ...

Craig and Ella were goofing off ...

playing in the empty concession room ... 

at the arena ...

I had brought a few of my garden vegetables ...

the kids loved the carrots ... at dinner time ...

Ella bit down on a carrot a little too hard on her wiggly tooth ...

While we were at the arena ...

her tooth was bothering her ... I kept saying I could just pull it out ... 

then Craig asked to see how loose it was ...

and when Ella grabbed it with her finger it just fell out ...

She was pretty excited ...

knowing that the Tooth Fairy would be paying her a visit ...

She said that those were the best carrots ever ... !!!

The kids had made a Zip line ...

off the play centre ...

using tie-down straps ...

they were having a fun time ... !!!

Travelling back home ...

on the backroads ...

was surprised to see so much snow already ... !!!

It was a beautiful site ... 

I was grateful to get home though ... to sunny and warmer weather ... !!!