Anne's Art Studio

Just because...

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:21:00 +0000

...that's all.

See more funny videos and Technology Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Anne's Carrot Curry Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:20:00 +0000

I've been in a bit of a cooking funk lately. I end up cooking the same things over and over, and now I want a bit of change. I thought a salad might be nice, but having no lettuce made that a bit difficult. I had some carrots and raisins, and thought a carrot-raisin salad might be nice. Looking at a few different recipes, I noticed that carrot-raisin salad is carrots, raisins and miracle whip (or mayonnaise). I was not in the mood for a creamy salad, so I just looked up different carrot salads. I found a few that sounded interesting, and realizing that they were essentially carrots with a vinaigrette, I combined a bunch of ideas to make my own carrot curry salad.

The curry adds warmth to an otherwise cool salad. Although I have not tried so myself, you could probably omit the curry or substitute your favourite spice for it, such as cumin or coriander. Or, omit the dried seasonings and add fresh parsley or cilantro. Play! The honey could probably be omitted or substituted with sugar substitute if desired. This salad also tastes better when it has a chance to sit for a couple of hours or so before serving.

Anne's Carrot Curry Salad
Serves ~10 -- 1/2 cup servings(I'm guessing; it makes a good amount)

1 cup (or so) boiling water
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/2 pecans, broken (and toasted and cooled if you wish)
juice of 2 lemons, strained of pits (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup neutral flavoured oil (like corn or canola)
3/4 teaspoon mild curry powder
2 tablespoons honey (or to taste)
pinch of salt
pepper
pinch of cayenne (optional)
1 lb. carrots, peeled and coarsely grated (get use out of that food processor now!)
2 small apples, cored, unpeeled and coarsely grated

Toast pecans (if you are doing that) and set aside to cool. Put the raisins in the boiling water and set aside for about 5-10 minutes.

Combine lemon juice, oil, curry powder, honey, salt, pepper and cayenne in a small dish or blender. Using blender or immersion hand blender, emulsify the dressing. Taste, adjust seasonings and set aside.

In a large bowl, put in carrots, apples, and pecans. Drain raisins and add to bowl (they don't have to be really dry, just drained is ok). Add dressing and stir well. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Can be served cool or at room temperature.

This salad is yummy! I even had some for breakfast the next day!

I made Vanilla Extract!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:46:00 +0000

Super easy and super delicious; the only thing it takes is time to steep. Recipe is from "The Ice Creamery" in London, Ontario.

Vanilla Extract

5 vanilla beans, split and chopped (I also scraped the seeds out too and added them)
2 cups vodka
3 tbs. sugar

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Let sit for one month, shaking weekly, in a cool, dark place. Strain and bottle. I personally left the vanilla bean bits in the jar and just use the extract.

This is much cheaper than buying pure vanilla extract at the store!

Geeky video

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen as done by computer hardware!

From the creator:

No effects or sampling were used. What you see is what you hear (does that even make sense?)
Atari 800XL was used for the lead piano/organ sound
Texas Instruments TI-99/4a as lead guitar
8 Inch Floppy Disk as Bass
3.5 inch Harddrive as the gong
HP ScanJet 3C was used for all vocals. Please note I had to record the HP scanner 4 seperate times for each voice

Madeline Kahn in History of the World by Mel Brooks

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:18:00 +0000

I have had this scene in my head for a while, and it always makes me laugh. Totally not PC, but very funny! NSFW

Geocaching!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:32:00 +0000

So, hubby and I have started geocaching! So what is geocaching, you ask? Well, it is kind of like a combination of orienteering (if you remember doing that in grade school) and a treasure hunt. A small "cache" is hidden, and the only way to find it is by using a gps. On the website above, people give coordinates and say what kind of cache they have hid, and you go off and find it.

You're probably saying: "That sounds boring." Well it is not! First off, you get to travel and see places you may never have gotten to on your own, if you even you had found out about them. Next, finding the cache can be challenging as it can be as small as a container the size of two pencil erasers, or as big as a tupperware container. GPS receivers are not super accurate, so a little hunting around the coordinates is required. In the cache is, at a bare minimum, a "log book" where you write your name (geocaching name if you want). The log book can be a skinny piece of paper or an actual pad of paper. If the cache is big, there can be other things like a writing instrument (to write in the log book), or other cool little treasures like stickers, pins or marbles. The other stuff is on an honour system; if you take something, you leave something. So far, we have not taken anything, only because we keep forgetting to get stuff to put in! The people who create each cache also hide it so it is not just "drive to the location and find it". Some caches have been quite tricky; others very creative. There is really few limits to geocaching!

More pics of Molly...

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:25:00 +0000

I think these pictures show more of Molly's personality than the first ones....

Things about Molly

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:12:00 +0000

So Molly has been here at our house for a while, and we have learned a few things about her:

She loves toys, like Kongs and rope toys.
She is a big time chewer. She has not yet destroyed anything with her chewing, except toys.
She is about 9 months old, according to our vet, so she is still quite a puppy.
She likes to jump up. She is getting better at not jumping on us, but we are still working on the "all four on the floor" rule we have here.
She likes to mouth, especially when playing. We are working at this by redirecting her to a toy, and ignoring her until she sits nicely.
She likes Scott's dirty laundry, and my shoes. Nothing destroyed yet.
We had her spayed about a week ago. She is doing fine.
She doesn't like baths.
We are working on "sit", coming to her name, and "no". Obviously she got away with a lot with her previous owners (see mouthing and jumping above), but she is pretty smart (mostly) and is picking stuff up relatively quickly.
She used to not like going in the car, but we have worked with her on this and now loves the car!
She is about 85 lbs, and will probably be about 110 lbs. This is why we are working to correct her habits now, instead of down the road when she can push her way around.
She really is a good girl :)
Roxy has not yet warmed up to her, but she does tolerate her and lays by her.
Scott and I both love her already!!!

Pics coming soon, when I can get some nice clear ones.

How to give a doggy's mommie a heart attack in 30 sec. or less

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:47:00 +0000

Molly is such a good dog and both me and hubby love her to death already. So, hubby was reading the local SPCA website (where we got Molly) and was reading the found section. There was a notice about a dog lost. It reads: "Lost Dog colour Tan Lost somewhere between Rycroft and Wanham. Was riding in the back of our truck. Large dog, approx 100 lbs, has a red collar with "Canada" on it. Looks like the Turner and Hooch dog. Rycroft/Wanham area". When my hubby read me the post, my heart sunk into my stomach. Except for the date lost, this was an extremely accurate description of Molly, right down to the red Canada collar! I was upset and so was hubby. Neither of us wanted to keep a dog whose owners were looking for her/him; I couldn't live with myself if we did. So hubby left a msg. on their machine, and waited. While waiting, hubby was looking in the lost and found pet area of our local Kijiji site. He found the exact same post, but with a pic. and more detail. The dog lost was a neutered male (!!!), and was definitely a purebred mastiff. Although we are sorry someone lost their dog, we were so relieved it wasn't Molly! We can keep Molly with no guilt, only with a bit of anger that someone abandoned her. This experience certainly was enough excitement for one day, and I have prohibited my hubby from looking at the lost and found ever again ;)!

Good as gold and twice as precious...

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:48:00 +0000

...is Molly the Mastiff X!

But first a word from our local "dowager empress":

"I was hoping that my kingdom would remain small and minimal but Mom and Dad decided that I need another subject. I am reserving judgment on my new subject until I get to know her better, but she is big, goofy and in-your-face. Definitely not who I was hoping for, but we'll see how she and I adjust. Meanwhile, I will continue to survey my kingdom from an appropriate distance. Continue with your normally scheduled posting."

Roxy and Molly are not best buds yet, but I am hoping that will change.

Now, Molly!

Molly is quite the good girl, and smart too!

More info to come!

It's been a long, long road

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:08:00 +0000

So. I haven't written anything for quite a few months. I just haven't been up to it. I thought that maybe I could do a little post to get myself back in to writing.

I still love it up here in Alberta. I certainly am having fewer "wtf!" moments, and it is beginning to feel like home. Spring is finally coming. We still have large snow banks and snow on the ground, but the roads are clearing and that is a good thing. It is still too cold for tulips and crocuses, but I hope they pop their heads up soon. I need me some green! I tell myself that when I came in November there was no snow on the ground, so it makes me hopeful that there will be a time when there is no snow!

In sadder news, we euthanized our 11 1/2 y.o. boxer Shadow on March 14. He was sick for a month and was not enjoying life anymore. We got his ashes in the mail earlier this week and I still feel sad. No more wet boxer kisses. I miss my bud. I am hoping to do a post about him later, because it is just too hard to do right now.

More to come soon!

Golden Days

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:58:00 +0000

Anyone living in Canada knows the term "January thaw". To me, it is a time of sun and warmth in the midst of dreary days which reminds me that spring will come again. Finally, we got a January thaw here at "the Teepee". The past few weeks (really month) have been very cold (-20C on a "nice" day and below -40C on very cold days). The sun was also hidden by clouds which made all of the outdoors a dreary blue-grey-brown. Rather depressing and claustrophobic, even for a hardened Canuck like me. Late last week, the sun and the warmth came full force. The sun has given everything a warm golden glow, and it has been slightly above freezing, making it easier to get outside without bundling up. I have even been able to open some windows and get fresh air moving through the house, which freshens everything up. I feel so much more alert and aware; it just feels so good! I know spring will probably arrive later here in Northern Alberta than in Southern Ontario like I am used to, but it is just heart-warming to know that it will come!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also received my first disability cheque (retro) on Friday. Most of it went to bills, but I did treat myself to something. I wanted a "signature" bracelet; something that would go with everything, be handmade, and be unique. I found one and bought it on Etsy: here is the link. I can hardly wait to get it! Will keep you updated...

Good morning!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:55:00 +0000

Our glorious sunrise this morning. Yes, everything does look that colour of blue! These pics are not photoshopped in any way. Enjoy!

A Holiday Feast

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:42:00 +0000

Yeah, I know I haven't been blogging much. I have be recuperating from all the craziness of the last six or so months. I hope to get you all caught up on all my news in the coming year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, yesterday was "Happy Ho Ho" Day around here. Hubby and I are not Christian, but we still have a nice holiday meal together around this time of year. I didn't feel like turkey, so I thought I would give a new recipe a whirl. I decided on 5 Cheese Crab Lasagna with Roasted Garlic and Vegetables. The recipe is one I have been looking at for a long time, but is rather involved and expensive, so I waited. I thought it would be a nice treat for us on our first Christmas in our new house. The recipe is quite easy if you follow the directions exactly. I found that the instructions made cooking this recipe an almost no-brainer because everything (including when to turn off the broiler!) is included. The instructions may seem overwhelming, but in reality, they aren't. The only thing I found that was a bit of an oops for me was that 8 oz. of dry lasagne noodle are only 9, and you need a minimum of 12 noodles (plus extra for the ends of the layers for my pan). I did cook a few extra, so one layer was missing a bit of noodles, but, really, with everything else going on we didn't miss them at all. The cheeses all were delicious (including the havarti with dill, who would have thought of putting that in a lasagne?) I used a slightly aged fontina as well (had a red wax rind) and is probably not what the cook intended, but the taste was mild and it worked too. The only thing I omitted was the Old Bay seasoning sprinkled on top; I didn't have any and was not about to buy a bottle for 1/4 t. And here it is, the star of our holiday feast:

I forgot to take a picture of the whole lasagne in its glory yesterday. I arranged the asparagus in a chevron pattern on the top, with the tips touching along the middle, and had one or two going up the center. It looked a bit like a pine tree, and was very festive indeed. The darn thing was also quite heavy; not surprising with the poundS of cheese and pound of real crab meat in there. This is NOT a recipe for: those who don't like cheese, who don't like crab or those who don't like vegetables! ;) I think if you don't like crab, I bet you could substitute 1 lb cooked grilled chicken breast, flaked or diced instead of the crab (and maybe just use plain havarti instead of with dill). The wine I used was Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay 2007 (Australia) ($7.99 on sale at the liquor store). I don't tend to like very dry white wine, so I tend to avoid whites altogether (especially out, since most restaurants seem to think the puckerier the better), but this wine was quite delicious. A little sweet (but still only a 1), and definitely had a "soft smooth finish" (like the back of the bottle says). We drank some with dinner, and both of us quite enjoyed it.

We have a ton of lasagne left over, which I am very glad indeed. Leftovers are certainly most welcome with this dish! I had some today, and it was even better since the flavours had had time to meld. I am going to freeze whatever is left, to enjoy at later dates.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I just thought I would add a picture or two of the view from the front of my house. In November, we had "ice fog"; looks like fog but gives everything frost.

The trees that look covered in snow are really covered in ice fog.

This last pic is just one example of the splendid views I see all the time:

There are times I just can't believe I get to see this every day!

Un-poof

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:07:00 +0000

...Teepee Creek, AB!

I made it! I had no problems at all with the trip out here, and I made it to Alberta on time and in one piece.

So, I've been out here over a week now. What's it like, you ask? Well, it is different-yet-the-same. Same currency. Same language. Same restaurants. Same big-box stores (like Home Depot, Costco, etc.) The differences, well, there are a lot. More pick-ups than cars in the parking lots. Things taste different, in some inexplicable way; a bit like softened well water tastes different than city water. The sky is so big that I now understand the term "big sky country". Going 110 km/hr on the highway (in ON the speed limit is 100). Prices are higher for just about everything except Timmy's.

Living in "the country" is different than living in the city, for sure, but not in the ways you'd imagine. I am quite comfortable with the peace, quiet and solitude. Some things take a bit more getting used to. For example, the aforementioned softened well water. It doesn't taste bad, it just tastes different. The way our house sounds. The furnace is on the main floor, so of course it seems louder than the one we had in our basement. The house water softening system is also really loud and goes off and on at weird times. The way the duct work expands and contracts seems amplified too. I guess we just have a LOUD house now. The noises don't really bother me, and I got use to them quite quickly. Another great thing is our property. I can let the dogs out off leash and not worry. They have been awesome and love going for walks both on and off the property. It is so heart-warming to see Shadow running free with his ears flapping in the wind, without a care in the world.

Well, for now, that is the short version of my adventures in AB so far. I'm sure I will be filling in a lot more details as time goes on. Now it is time for me to sit in front of our big window and look out on my new world.

Going Poof

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:52:00 +0000

The last month has been crazy, and no, I haven't died. My move to Alberta is fast approaching; it's this Saturday! So I am going offline so that my computer can get from here to there. Talk to you soon!

***POOF***

And she disappeared in a blink of an eye, to suddenly reappear in...

I think poking my eye with a crochet hook would be more fun...

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:07:00 +0000

Now don't get me wrong. I am very happy and excited about moving to our new house. It's the getting there that is getting me down. I know the economy is crumbling, but dammit! I need to get my stuff from here to there! I wish someone could just pack all my stuff and whisk it away to Alberta for me, while a cabana boy brings me zombies by the gallon. I would be good with that! But no, I am a responsible, non-magic-performing human. Must pack all our stuff up securely and before October 31 when the moving truck comes. Oh yeah, I still have to book the dogs' flights and get them to the airport too. Sigh.

And we have a winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 01:21:00 +0000

Officially, we now have another house! Hubby had a house inspection done on our new house. Nothing earth shattering was found, which is a good thing. Hubby asked the inspector a bunch of questions about things like the septic system and the well, and they all checked out ok.
I'd show you a picture if I could, but I not quite that organized. However, you can see our "right-angled" piece of land on Google Maps. Go to Google Maps and type in "Teepee Creek AB" and zoom in until you can see as many roads as you can; I go in to about 5 lines down form the "+" sign on the left of the page. Follow road 674 west out of Teepee Creek to the first intersecting road. Go south on that road to the first "T" intersection. At that T we are on the north west "corner" of that intersection. If you flip into satellite mode (button at top right of map) you can see a fuzzy triangular green piece of land south of a bunch of reddish coloured land. It's little, but it's all ours! (Well, more like the bank's, but you know what I mean).
Closing is October 31! Yay us!

Riding the wave

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:37:00 +0000

Lately, life has been simply wild. In the past month, we got a real estate broker, sold our house and Scott has gone to Grande Prairie. I just cannot believe how (relatively) smoothly everything has gone, all things considered. Now all I have to do is pack, and get me and the dogs out to G.P. No small feat, but I am sure I can do it.

It certainly feels like life has come along like a huge wave, picked me up, and decided which way I am to go. I feel like I could try and balk, but then I would drown and it wouldn't help me anyway. I am trying to simply go with the flow and ride the wave, enjoy the view and hang on for the wildest ride ever. I am actually really excited now that the hardest parts are over. Scott still needs to find us a house, and I am sure the universe will help us find something. So far, he universe has been pretty good in helping us with everything else!

Bats and other Nocturnal Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:51:00 +0000

Scott is working nights these days. Sometimes, after he leaves, I go and sit on our porch and watch the world go by.
I am a "night person", and enjoy the night-time. Tonight, I was just sitting and watching. Bats were clicking and flitting by. Crickets were chirping. One lone cloud in the shape of a heart drifted by. It is humid out, so I didn't stay long, but a few people walked by, either going to or coming home from work. A few teens on their bikes were chatting down by the corner. Our neighbour two doors up from us was out for his late night stroll with his dog Jack.
All of these things were so familiar to me: the humidity, the night creatures and the sky. I was wondering what things in my life were going to be like a year from now. Do they have bats and crickets in Alberta? They probably do, and I am hoping they will be similar enough to feel comforting.
I remember the first time I saw a bat. I was just a kid, and out for a walk in the neighbourhood. Other kids saw this bat and had told some adults. It was flapping and fluttering in a panic. An animal control man was trying to catch it because it might have rabies. It wasn't until I moved here to London that I saw bats again. They are always out in the summer here, and curiously, I was not scared of them. They fly like those little white butterflies that seem to have no sense of direction and cannot fly in a straight line. The bats here fly that way too, and I wonder how they get their prey or whatever else when they are flying like that.
Tonight I just feel wistful and content knowing that for right now, things are still comforting and the same. I just wonder what the future will bring.

We are heading to Grande Prairie AB!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:31:00 +0000

Scott took a few pics of Grand Prairie while he was there. Although the view is not terribly inspiring (in other words "industrial"), Scott says that these pics are only one small part of the town, and you can actually see the Rocky Mountains in the distance (those blue blurs on the horizon).

It is definitely feeling more real AND more do-able.

The dizzy speed of life is now making me sick

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:09:00 +0000

Ya know the previous post where I said I "was at peace"? Well that changed in a helluva hurry. Panic Panic Panic!!! And yup, it is making me feel like crap and now I can do even less. I am trying to take care of myself, but there is so much to do, I get so overwhelmed.

So how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. It's all I can do, except maybe drink. Does merlot go with elephant?

Whoa. Getting dizzy from the speed of life

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:26:00 +0000

So. (hmm... seem to be saying that a lot lately) Hubby is going to Grande Prairie to check his new job out. He leaves on Saturday and comes back early Tuesday morning. Flight booked, car rented, hotel booked; check, check, check. I've started on getting the house organized for moving and selling. Whoa.

With all the craziness going on, I feel strangely at peace and not panicky. I do as much as I can, and don't get upset if I can't do more. I really do feel this is *right* for us. It's all good!

Changes they are 'a comin'

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:28:00 +0000

So. Life has all of a sudden started moving faster than light speed. Hubby sent out ONE resume out to Alberta, and got a job offer! Yay that he has a job! Not-so-yay that he starts in 4 weeks and I stay here to get the house ready to sell. Oof. I will so miss my hubby! I am a little concerned about doing everything here by myself, while still going to therapy as long as I can. Oh yeah, forgot to say that I don't drive! So getting things like groceries or packing boxes are that much harder to get without hubby. Oh yeah, and I am adjusting my meds. And I am worried about getting a therapist out there. Never mind I still have all the day-to-day issues of my PTSD to deal with too. And my laptop with all my bookmarks and documents isn't working correctly. *Sigh*

Tonight, I am going to take it easy and not do anything but watch tv and read. Tomorrow, I start the attack!

Travellin' and Cookin'

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:01:00 +0000

So, I don't get to travel as much as I'd like. I cook pretty well (as I am sure hubby would attest to). Anthony Bourdain gets to travel *and* cook. I always like to watch "No Reservations" on Mondays. I get to "get out of the house" for an hour a week, with a cynical chef as my travel guide. Today is the start of the new season, and can hardly wait to see what Tony has been up to in his travels. At least I am able to travel vicariously through him!