126 posts from 2008

I am not a pet owner (dog or cat) as I am allergic, but anything that I can do to help I try.  So if in the New Year, you're cleaning out your closets and have some extra blankets, towels or sheets, consider giving them to "Blankets for Buddies".

The blankets are primarily used to give shelter animals a soft place to lie down and curl up inside their kennels while waiting for their owners to find them or someone to give them a new loving and permanent home.

The towels are often used for the cat crates as bedding and to wipe up messes, dry off animals after a much needed bath upon arrival, and in the field trucks that pick-up stray or lost animals.

They have several drop-off locations in Southern California, so if you have these items, put them to good use instead of sending them to a landfill. Click here for locations around So. Cal.

I saw this posted on someone else's site and had to share, in case you to smile, or cringe, whichever.

Automatically your eyes jump to the drain, located in the center of the room, only a foot from the toilet. All at once you notice that the floor is a bit sticky and, worse, you are standing on the bottoms of your pant legs.

Help spread the word and help save handmade.

Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months and will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters.

Read what it's about at Cool Mom Picks, they are great and list a ton of ways that you can get involved.  So tell your fellow crafters!

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching here in the U.S.  I have to keep telling people that I've already had my turkey this year, but I was stopped in my tracks by someone asking me the difference.  And I was in total shock that I could not remember my history lessons.  So here's some stuff I found online...

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to an explorer, Martin Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Orient.  Having landed in the Baffin Islands, in the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony to give thanks for surviving the long journey. The feast was one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in North America, although celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops had been a long-standing tradition throughout North America.  First Nations and Native Americans throughout the Americas, organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries prior to the arrival of Europeans in North America.

During this time, French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain, also held huge feasts of thanks. They even formed 'The Order of Good Cheer and gladly shared their food with their First Nations neighbours.

Thanksgiving days were observed beginning in 1799 but did not occur every year. After the American Revolution, American refugees who remained loyal to Great Britain moved from the United States and came to Canada. They brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada. The first Thanksgiving Day after the Canadian Confederation was observed as a civic holiday on April 5, 1872 to celebrate the recovery of the Prince of Wales from a serious illness.

Starting in 1879 Thanksgiving Day was observed every year but the date was proclaimed annually and changed year to year. The theme of the Thanksgiving holiday also changed year to year to reflect an important event to be thankful for. In the early years it was for an abundant harvest and occasionally for a special anniversary.

After WWI, both Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11 occurred. Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays.  On January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed:

"A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed … to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October."

Visit Wikipedia to learn more.

Every month fabulous crafter contribute their wares to Modish, who then raffles them off. That's where you come in. Just visit their site, check out one of their contributors, leave a comment and you're in.

So visit Modish November giveaway

Pecan Raisin Tarts

This traditional nut and raisin tart is the perfect dessert to put out at holiday gatherings. Guaranteed to disappear quickly!

Large egg 1 1 Brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup 125 mL Coarsely chopped raisins 1/4 cup 60 mL Corn syrup 1/4 cup 60 mL Butter (or hard margarine), softened 3 tbsp. 50 mL Finely chopped pecans 2 tbsp. 30 mL Lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp. 7 mL Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. 2 mL Salt 1/8 tsp. 0.5 mL   Unbaked tart shells 12 12

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Beat egg with fork in medium bowl until frothy. Add next 8 ingredients. Stir well. Arrange tart shells on baking sheet with sides. Spoon raisin mixture into tart shells. Bake on bottom rack in oven for about 15 minutes until pastry is browned and filling rises to form a dome. Remove tarts from baking sheet and place on wire rack to cool. Makes 12 tarts.

1 tart: 202 Calories; 10.4 g Total Fat (4.4 g Mono, 1.2 g Poly, 4.0 g Sat); 23 mg Cholesterol; 27 g Carbohydrate; 1 g Fibre; 2 g Protein; 187 mg Sodium

Just added a bunch of Vintage Pulp Novel covers to our store.  Click on Etsy to see what's new.