General – Page 42 – Just An East Coast Girl

Deep fried Turkey Day!

This weekend is Thanksgiving and many Canadians will enjoy family feasts of turkey, cranberries, pumpkin and apple pie. This year we’re switchin’ things up! Oh for sure we are still going to enjoy cranberries and pie and definitely turkey is on the menu BUT …instead of hours roasting in the oven. Tonight, a few days early ( because of family work schedules on the weekend) we are deep frying our turkey in a pot in the backyard!!

It’s been a few years since we’ve done this and our kids don’t remember doing it so, we will give them this fun experience. And…it only takes 45 minutes!! Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside.

Some of the fixins' ready — Some of the fixins’ ready

NOW…it’s out to the back yard to the Turkey cooker.

Dinner is served. Thankful for my Family<3

Deep fried Turkey for our early Thanksgiving Dinner!!

Pumpkin Everything!!

It’s that time of year….yes! You LOVE it or HATE it…it’s Pumpkin spice flavoured everything. From cookies and cakes, pies and cheese cakes, hot drinks, cold drinks, dips, soups, breads, muffins,scones, bars, pudding, ice cream…you name it, it’s available!!! Ahh…it’s Autumn comfort!!

Our family loves pumpkin spice so it’s fun for me to be baking. And a coolish, overcast morning that’s what I did!

Pumpkin Pudding

Pumpkin cookies

with a maple cinnamon frosting, yum!!

Pumpkin cranberry scones

to enjoy with pumpkin soup

And of course pumpkin pie

And one more today… Pumpkin Lush Squares

So delish!!!

I have a few more pumpkin recipes that I want to do but I need to wait at least a few days. Can’t spoil them with EVERYTHING in one day…

Lego Invasion

The Pumpkin People are back in Kentville this October and it is time to get up close and personal with all your Lego favourites!

More than 300 of these pumpkin characters have arrived for their annual October visit. It’s time to experience all the fun characters and get lost in lego land with the Pumpkin people!

Something to SMILE about

Did you know today October 2, 2015 is WORLD SMILE day! It’s the first Friday of October every year. A perfect day…it’s a Friday!

It’s HISTORY

The idea of World Smile Day was coined and initiated by Harvey Ball, a commercial artist from Worcester, Massachusetts. Harvey Ball is known to have created the Smiley Face in 1963. The World’s first World Smile Day was held in the year 1999 and has been held annually since.

After Harvey died in 2001, the “Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation” was created to honour his name and memory. The slogan of the Smile Foundation is “improving this world, one smile at a time.” The Foundation continues as the official sponsor of World Smile Day each year.

The simple act of smiling does far more than just make you look friendly – it can change your life and the lives of those around you.

Just for fun…Here are the top 10 reasons why you should SMILE!

1. It boosts your immune system

2. It changes your mood

3. It lowers your blood pressure

4. It gives you a natural high

5. It melts hearts

6. You’ll be remembered

7. Smile your way to success

8. You’ll look younger

9. And live longer

And….

10. A quote to smile about

“A smile costs nothing, but creates much. It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give. It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.” – Dale Carnegie

Grab your camera, say cheez … and SMILE and take a picture because it’s World Smile Day, and It’s Friday and the start of the weekend…

Now that’s something to smile about!

October 1st

It’s October! The month I’ve been so looking forward to!!!

With the flip of a page on the calendar…it’s October. Want to see something cool? The picture on my calendar for October is the same picture that a young artist painted for us when we were in Beijing, China for the very first time! The painting hangs in our bedroom. It made me smile!!

So cool!!! I didn’t realize it was a popular Chinese picture.

So…OCTOBER 2015

I just know…This month is gonna be AWESOME!!!!

The Backyardigans

Well I can’t believe…the END of September. Where did this month go?

We have finally completed our list for the backyard renovation for this summer. Our list got altered a little bit so there were a couple less projects “to do” this summer and a change of plan for next summer. So even though it’s finished for this year, we will have to start back up in the Spring! phew!

Last summer when we came home from living away, all our lawns and gardens were a mess. That’s what happens when there is no one to care for things. A huge lesson learned. Last Fall we built a new deck and cut down trees. This summer we redid the front lawn and gardens and then started on the backyard. Lots of new gardens and shrubs and plants and lots of yards of bark mulch, a walkway, a fire pit, a fence…I call this post “Backyardigans” because here is where we spent a good part of our free time this summer.

And now to enjoy it a little…before the cold weather comes ( and we start inside projects)

Moon rising…

What do you get when you roll a super moon, lunar eclipse,harvest moon, and blood moon all in one?

You get the event that only happens once in a “blue moon”? lol

Last night’s moon was a rare lunar event. The last time it occurred was 1982 and the next time it will occur will be 2033. This is an event that has been talked about for weeks and in Nova Scotia we had a pretty good view.

We took a leisurely drive along the beach last evening when the sun was setting and the moon started to rise…

It was so beautiful! How I wish we could have stayed right here for the whole evening for this spectacular event, my living room window doesn’t have quite the same effect.

And because I don’t have a lens that will capture the spectacular event. Here are a few pics that local photographers captured of the eclipse.

A lunar eclipse causes the moon to take on a reddish tone and many refer to it as a “blood moon.” This year it is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox, making it a “harvest moon.”

And this next week the tides are expected to be especially high because of the close proximity of the full moon to the Earth and the occurrence near the autumnal equinox. We live in an area where the tides are pretty cool anyway so this should definitely be a beach week. For sure the surfers will be taking full advantage.

Will there be change in our world? History shows that any time there is a lunar event like this, there is BIG change. We shall see…I am just in awe of the beauty as we looked to the sky last evening!

Bridgewater gets ArTsY

This weekend, Friday night and Saturday night, Bridgewater is all lit up with CREATIVITY! It’s the Afterglow Art Festival and this year it’s two evenings.

What is Afterglow Art Festival? It is a free art at night celebration of community creativity held in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. For three years the event has brought together artists of all kinds, from budding young artists to experienced professionals from across Lunenburg County to bring exposure to the talent of our community.

This year our daughter Laura is there with Face Forge.

Lots of music and activities and artists…

And my favourite ( other than Face Forge, of course)…

…floating lanterns, LOTS of them, floating down the river

🎵 apples and bananas ( I mean pumpkins)🎵🎵

This post made me think of the kids song we always used to sing when my children were little. And today I really wish we still had small children. What a wonderful day!!!

It was our day in the “Valley”. The Annapolis Valley is located in the western part of the province formed by a trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the Bay of Fundy. The Valley is where all the beautiful farms, orchards and vineyards of Nova Scotia are located.

First Stop… Glad Gardens in Waterville. We have never been to this market but it’s awesome. It just so happens that this weekend they’re hosting the Annual Annapolis Valley Giant Vegetable Growers Competition and Weigh Off. The pumpkins (and other veggies) were starting to arrive when we got there. The main event is tomorrow and it looks like fun!! Pumpkins, squash, gourds, sunflowers…even watermelons. Who grows the largest? Some of the largest pumpkins to date have been 1800lbs!! Whoa Baby! We had fun talking about growing LARGE produce with some of the guys and enjoyed browsing the garden. We even got the Japanese Maple Tree we have been wanting.

Next STOP Berwick. Nova Scotia’s Apple Capital and the whole reason I wanted to come to the Valley! It’s the time of year when all those beautiful apple blossoms from the Spring, turn in to delicious apples and are harvested.

We stopped at Wheaton’s for a few crafts and apple cider and then it was on to back country roads looking for the perfect U-PICK!

And it is here in Dempsey Corner that we found the most perfect spot. And where I wished my kids were little again!!!

We had lunch in the Old Barn. Delicious Squash soup and a homemade biscuit. We chatted with the owner about the history of the farm and what they offer.

We spent a lovely Fall afternoon wandering the orchards, picking blueberries and apples. Tasting peaches & cream corn, sweet peaches and apricots, and pears. We had chickens and a little goat follow us around and we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon! ( just like a pig in mud)