Christine's Blog

The 90's pool party

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Daughtet L's good friend that we have know since childhood invited us all to her pool party recently. There was a 90's theme. I joked that husband M and I still wear our 90's clothes. L found some butterfly and flower hair clips and hair slides that we could wear. I found a polka dot top to wear as well. One guest got a snazzy outfit from the Salvation Army thrift store. Picturing the delicious food and retro candy bar above.

It was a fun party with old friends and grandson C had fun swimming in the heated pool with his mom and the next generation of babies.

Kohlrabi Stir Fry

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

I trimmed the kohlrabi leaves and finely chopped both stems and leaves.

2 cloves garlic minced

onion chopped

3 tbs olive oil

3 tbs lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 c water

Saute onions, garlic in olive oil. Add salt, pepper, thyme, lemon juice. Mix in chopped kohrabi.

Simmer covered 15 mins with a cup of water.

Yummy!

Sunday Smiles and SITAR - Sage Leaves

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Sage Leaves

Welcome to Gillena's Sunday Smiles and to Nicole's SITAR.

I have an interesting fact on Sage leaves and their mosquito blocking properties for you today. For SITAR I painted a sprig of sage leaves for you (ACEO 2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in watercolour pencil, outlined with an acrylic marker.

Enjoy the Civic holiday long weekend in Ontario.

Roasted Kohlrabi

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Happy August!

I roasted some kohlrabi the other day and it was delicious. Even son K liked it with ketchup he thought it was potatoes. It did not have any aftertaste. Mind you he hasn't eaten it since.

I did roast it for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 425F in total as I kept testing it for softness. Next time I will line the pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

4 tbs olive oil

3 tbs lemon juice

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 kohlrabi peeled and cut into chunks as pictured

Roast at 425F in a pan lined with parchment paper and loosely covered with foil for 60 minutes, test with a fork for desired softness.

uncover and roast 15 mins longer until the kohlrabi looks crispy when you turn it over.

Friday Art - Steller's Sea Eagle Portraits

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

This a a portrait of a Steller's Sea Eagle ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in watercolour pencil.

And here is another one that I misplaced and found it after I redrew the one above! It was hiding under my laptop.

Linking to Nicole's Friday Face Off and to Gillena's Art For Fun Friday.

Wild Caught Snapper Fillets

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

I made an error in this post initially putting 'salmon' in the title. I meant to say 'snapper'. Sorry for the confusion.

Husband M bought some wild caught snapper fillets from Costco. He made them for Grandson C, but we enjoyed them also.

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

4 snapper fillets

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 tbs canola oil

3 tbs lemon juice

Season the fillets with salt, pepper, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon juice. Saute in canola oil 4-6 minutes on one side, flipping for 2 to 4 minutes on the other, depending on the size of the fillet. They are done when the fish flakes easily.

Wednesday Memes

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Zucchini Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

I decided to make zucchini soup. I found a recipe here using coconut milk. I added potatoes as well. It was delicious.

Here is my recipe:

4 zucchinis cut into chunks

2 medium potatoes cut into chunks

3 tbs canola oil

3 cloves garlic minced

3 green onions diced

1 small onion diced

1 green chili pepper cut up

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tbs grated ginger

3 tbs lemon juice

zest of half a lemon

fresh basil leaves chopped

1/2 tsp coriander (I didn't have fresh cilantro)

1 can coconut milk plus 2 c water

Heat oil in a large pot. Saute onions, then add green onions, garlic. Add chili pepper, coriander, ginger, zest, salt, sugar, basil leaves, sugar. Stir in zucchini and potatoes. When softened, add coconut milk, water, lemon juice. Simmer 15-20 minutes until potatoes and zucchini are tender. Blend if preferred.

Kohlrabi

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

My friend S gave me this large kohlrabi from her sister's farm. I have made this before. I am thinking of roasting it with carrots and potatoes. Apparently you can eat the leaves as well, either stir frying or cutting them up as a salad. Stay tuned for updates!

Sunday Smiles and SITAR - Candy Cane Snail

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Sunday Smiles and SITAR!

I found this Candy Cane Snail to make you smile today.

Here is my ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in watercolour pencil.

Linking to Gillena's Sunday Smiles and to Nicole's SITAR.

Potluck Party Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Husband M's sister had a fun summer family gathering last weekend. We offered to bring chicken wings. Costco sells a pack of seasoned chicken wings which just requires baking at 425F for 15-20 minutes. We also broil them at the end for 2-3 minutes. It is a win!

smoked sausages

Another family brought these delicious smoked sausages slow cooked for hours and hours. The cook said I didn't have to slow cook or smoke the sausages, the main thing was to marinate them in butter, brown,sugar, mustard, barbecue sauce and broil for 3 minutes.

Friday Art - Monarch Butterfly

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Friday Art!

This is a monarch butterfly feasting on a milkweed plant, ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in acrylic and watercolour pencil. It is based on a photo my sister took, she has a milkweed plant. I tried to capture the monarch's proboscis. That is its straw-like tongue.

Linking to Nicole's Friday Face Off and to Gillena's Art For Fun Friday.

A Touching Story

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

There was a touching story in this past Sunday's Toronto Star. Laura Murphy's fiance passed away from cardiac arrest a month before their planned wedding. She was only 28. It inspired her to write a book to help with her grief. She also has a Tik Tok channel.

I thought you would find it interesting, maybe you would be interested in her book.

Wednesday Memes and Eye Surgery Update

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Eye Surgery Update:

I saw the Eye Doctor on July 20th to check up on my recent Vitrectomy Eye Surgery. It was 3 1/2 weeks at that point. It was a good appointment, she wants to see me again in 4 weeks. My eye vision is still blurry in that eye but improved. I will need cataract surgery after this is healed as this surgery hastens cataracts but will make me see better. She said no rigorous activity for me for now.

Garlic Stems with King Oyster Mushroom Stir Fry

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

My sister got some garlic stems from the Chinese grocery store along with some king oyster mushrooms. She says her family loves them. Here is her recipe. The mushrooms give the dish a meaty taste, delicious!

2 bunches of garlic stems

1 pkg of king oyster mushrooms sliced on the diagonal (she told me after)

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 tbs shaoxing cooking wine

1 tbs oyster sauce

2-3 tbs canola oil

Stir fry the garlic stems for 2 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir fry for another 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic for 1 minute, then add shaoxing wine and oyster sauce. Enjoy.

Kale with red onions and balsamic vinegar

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

I sauteed some kale with red onions, balsamic vinegar and cranberries and was very happy with the outcome.

Kale leaves finely chopped

1 tsp sugar

a handful of dried cranberries

3 tbs olive oil

1 red onion sliced

2 cloves of garlic minced

1/2c water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 tbs balsamic vinegar.

saute onions, garlic in olive oil. Add cranberries, sugar, salt, pepper. Mix kale leaves in. Add balsamic vinegar and water. When the leaves soften in about 4 minutes, it is done.

Sunday Smiles and SITAR - World Cup and on Costa Rica

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

HaHaHa

Enjoy the game!

Welcome to Sunday Smiles, I have an interesting fact on Costa Rica for you today.

For SITAR I drew a Guanacaste Tree, the national tree of Costa Rica, an ACEO (2/1/2" x 3 1/2") in watercolour pencil). It is a huge tree, This tree can grow to heights of 25–35 meters (82–115 feet) with a trunk diameter of up to 3.5 meters (11 feet).

Linking to Gillena's Sunday Smiles and to Nicole's SITAR.

Pandan Leaf Green Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Husband M got some takeout Vietnamese food from a restaurant new to us. We quite enjoyed the food. They offered him a cup of tea while he was waiting on his order. M commented how refreshing it was despite the hot day that it was. The man gave him a bag of this loose leaf tea as pictured above, we were surprised. Google Lens told me it was a Pandan Leaf Green Tea. It says the leaf has a vanilla taste with hints of toasted coconut.

Friday Art - Tripod Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Friday Art! Showing my tripod fish ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in acrylic and watercolour pencil.

Linking to Nicole's Friday Face Off and to Gillena's Art For Fun Friday.

A lovely visit

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Some good friends dropped by to see how I was doing after my recent eye surgeries. They brought me these beautiful orchids and some delicious butter tarts. It was great to see them and have a nice chat as I have been housebound for so long.

Wednesday Memes

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Salmon Fried Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

I made a delicious salmon fried rice recently.

3 cups scented rice

1 salmon fillet baked

2 eggs

oyster sauce

dark soy sauce

light soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

canola oil

2 c frozen edamame beans

2c frozen corn

3 green onions diced

2 cloves garlic minced

Cook the rice (I use a rice cooker). Day old rice is even better. Bake the salmon (I actually had leftover baked salmon). I mixed oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and sugar into the cooked rice. Then I sauteed green onions and garlic in canola oil. Next, I crumbled the baked salmon in and set aside. I microwaved the frozen edamame beans and corn. Then I scrambled the eggs with a bit of salt and pepper and set it aside. Adding some more oil to the pan, I heated the rice mixture. Then I mixed in the salmon, eggs, beans and corn. Done!

Scandinavian Potato Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

I made a Scandinavian potato salad yesterday and loved it. It is a lighter potato salad I think. It uses red onions, dill pickles, dill, Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. I got a recipe from Google AI:

6 medium potatoes

1/2 c Greek yogurt plus 2 tbs mayonnaise

1/2 red onion finely diced

1 stalk of celery diced

2 dill pickles diced

a handful of chopped dill

1 tbs dijon mustard

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

peel and boil potatoes in water with a tbs of salt for 15-20 mins until tender.

mix dressing ( Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper). Fold in potatoes, celery, dill, red onion and dill pickles. Enjoy!

Sunday Smiles and SITAR

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

bull riding

My sister-in-law was at the Calgary Stampede and it looks like a lot of fun.

I did a cowboy hat for SITAR ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in watercolour pencil.

Linking to Gillena's Sunday Smiles and to Nicole's SITAR.

Tomatoes 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

My friend S gave me a bunch of tomato plants this year and a couple of basil plants. I already spotted a tomato growing on one of the plants. The squirrels have been mousing around the tomatoes since they started blossoming. They weren't a problem last year but they have found the spot this year! S says they will get a few but hopefully not all of the tomatoes.