Keeping With The Times

Five Things Friday | June 8

Barb — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 14:08:58 +0000

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment. First up, a little May 2018 review from Instagram.

Month of May in Review

Lilacs, anemones, rhubarb, Marsh Marigolds, and pansies filled my feed last month. Trying to post an image every day is quite challenging, but in the end, I love to look back.

On a side note, I’m also starting to ponder the fact that if Instagram disappeared (or more likely my account) I would lose years of consecutive moments …

I’m trying to find my blogging voice again and let me tell you it’s hard. But I need this space, I really, really, need this space! So let me start with some behind the scenes work I’ve been doing on my blog.

I’ve Been Working on Making my Blog GDPR Compliant

The EU’s new data privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation, goes into effect on May 25, 2018 and applies not only to EU-based organizations, but also to anyone who has customers or contacts in the EU.

For me, that means creating a Privacy Policy as well as informing and obtaining consent from existing subscribers to my newsletter that yes, they still do want to receive mail from Keeping With the Times. So a newsletter will be forthcoming. I can honestly say I’ve been paralyzed by all this but also that I’m proud to be working through it all.

What I’m Reading

I became obsessed with the TV series Outlander about a year ago after finding the first season on sale at Target. I remember handing the DVD to the hubs and remarking that “oh, this is supposed to be good”. Little did I know, I was going down a rabbit hole!

After we devoured the entire 3 seasons, I decided I had to read the books as well (I just wasn’t ready to let Claire and Jamie go ;)

So … I can check book #1 Outlander off my list! It’s a huge one and I thought it would take me until the end of August … but nope (I’m already on book number 2 :) I loved it! It was very similar to the TV series and I could see Claire and Jamie quite vividly. A great summer read my friends!

What I’m Loving

Do you use Goodreads? It’s a fabulous resource for booklovers! You can:

See what books your friends are reading.
Track the books you’re reading, have read, and want to read.
Check out your personalized book recommendations. Our recommendation engine analyzes 20 billion data points to give suggestions tailored to your literary tastes.
Find out if a book is a good fit for you from our community’s reviews.

~Goodreads~

What I Discovered

While some people dream of having a fresh flower farm and growing their business, I dream of finding that person with a fresh flower farm and helping them grow their business ;) and find them I did! Woo hoo!

I’m looking forward to getting more local, fresh bouquets.

So that’s it for Five Things Friday for June 8th! If you stopped by, I thank you! xo

The post Five Things Friday | June 8 appeared first on Keeping With The Times.

Book Review: The Alice Network

Barb — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 14:27:51 +0000

Hello friends, today I have a book review I want to share … also, I’d love to know if you’ve read this book and what you thought of it … yay or nay :)

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn: Historical Fiction

Historical novel set in France about two women: a female spy recruited to the Alice Network in France during World War I, and an American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947 after World War II.

The story flips back and forth (by chapter) between “Eve” in 1915 and “Charlie” in 1947 and eventually their two stories overlap.

I enjoyed reading the chapters dealing with Eve Gardiner; cast as she was as a female spy in the Alice Network (a real life network of female spies led by Louise de Bettignies during World War I.) Kate Quinn wove together the fictional Eve Gardener and the real Louise de Bettignies quite realistically.

However, it didn’t take me long to become bored and frustrated with Charlie, the pregnant teen whose search for her cousin led her to Eve. I didn’t mind the flipping back and forth between stories, but I found Charlie and her boyfriend’s story line unconvincing.

My thoughts: I did like the book and found it compelling enough to finish as there were a few things I wanted to see resolved. But truthfully, I wanted it to be done so I could move on to the next one …

3 stars out of 5

PS … do you have any recommendations for great WWI and WWII fiction?

The post Book Review: The Alice Network appeared first on Keeping With The Times.

Stumbling Blocks (and why I became afraid)

Barb — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 14:34:37 +0000

Stumbling blocks (and why I became afraid)

stum·bling block:
noun; a circumstance that causes difficulty or hesitation
synonyms: obstacle, difficulty, problem, hindrance, snag

About a year ago my blogging mojo took a huge dive (in case you hadn’t noticed) and I’ve been puzzling over it ever since. As time went on and no posts were forthcoming, it became harder and harder to show up in this space. I felt empty, depleted.

The good news is I didn’t lose interest in my photography, but Instagram took over my life. Instagram became the perfect microblogging outlet, which in turn, contributed to the lack of posting here.

So to be honest with you my readers, I thought I’d share a few insights as to what has prevented me from blogging (beginning last June)

loss of a family member
minor health issues
blog issues
losing my IT guy and not being able to find another one (my behind-the-scenes blog issues are messy! and I hate that)
SEO pressures … always, always, trying to optimize for Google is exhausting
a few unsubscribes from my newsletter
feeling overwhelmed by other blogs which I deemed were better/more interesting than mine
not knowing what to write about that could possibly be different, and/or interesting
after at least one incident last autumn, I became fearful of people stealing images and content in ways I couldn’t challenge (this is a big one for me)
Instagram is easier and more engaged :(

So there you have it dear friends. I don’t know what I’m going to do about it, but clearly I’m not ready to let my little blog go. A few of my “stumbling blocks” have been resolved (thankfully) and I do feel slightly more inspired these days. So here’s hoping!

SaveSave

The post Stumbling Blocks (and why I became afraid) appeared first on Keeping With The Times.

5 Things Friday | March 9

Barb — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 15:08:31 +0000

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

Hello friends. Today, as I try to get back on my blogging feet, I’m simply going to share a few things I’m grateful for this week (because it’s about all I can handle at the moment.)

As I just had some pretty major dental surgery this week, today I’m grateful for:

modern dentistry
skilled doctors and nurses
painkillers
antibiotics
living in a country where all these things are available to me
friends and neighbours who call to see how I am, and drop by with food

But mostly I’m beyond grateful for my FAMILY who has been with me every step of the way.

I realize this is a lame blog post, but hey … I’m here. And I’ve missed this space … and you.

The post 5 Things Friday | March 9 appeared first on Keeping With The Times.

Cream Cheese and Hazelnut Cookies

Barb — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 15:00:12 +0000

Cream cheese and hazelnut cookies people! Need I say more?

PLUS!! I dipped them in melted chocolate and AGAIN in hazelnuts. OMGoodness.

All I can say is ’tis the season (and maybe if you get out for that daily walk it won’t seem so … so … scandalous ;)

Cream Cheese and Hazelnut Cookies

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 pound butter, softened
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted and chopped fine
1 cup hazelnuts, chopped very fine (to roll logs in)

Instructions

Sift together flour and salt. Cream butter and cream cheese on medium until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in sugar and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture. Mix until just combined (do not over mix). Mix in toasted hazelnuts.
Divide dough into two equal amounts and shape each piece into an 8 1/2 inch long log (about 2 inches in diameter). Roll each log in 1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts.Wrap each log in parchment and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Remove one log from freezer. Cut log into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Transfer to baking sheets.
Bake, switching positions of sheets and rotating halfway through, until cookies are golden around the edges, 18 - 20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool. Repeat the process with remaining dough using cooled cookie sheets.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

The post Cream Cheese and Hazelnut Cookies appeared first on Keeping With The Times.

Homemade Apple Cider

Barb — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 17:16:35 +0000

Homemade apple cider is so easy to make, I’m shocked I haven’t tried it before! But I suppose the only time I’d think about making apple cider is when I have so many apples I don’t know what to do with them—which is what happened this year.Our friends have a mini orchard and I was lucky enough to be given the go-ahead to pick all the apples I wanted! It was literally a windfall … perfect little apples falling off trees by the buckets. I scooped up as many as I could and quickly set about making pies, crisps, and sauce that will last until March. I used the smallest ones to make jelly (which is delicious btw) and I still had apples galore. What was I going to do with them all?

Well, one day I was out and about shopping and found myself at Williams-Sonoma (ha, I actually make a bee-line for that store) but, nevertheless… there I was. And the smell that was wafting about was incredible.

Turns out they were serving apple cider using their specialty spices and apple juice concentrate. I helped myself to a little sample, purchased the spices, but passed on the juice concentrate because I felt it was a bit expensive.

As I made a mental note to pick up some apple juice at the grocery store I had an “aha” moment … why don’t I make my own?!

So that’s how my homemade apple cider recipe was born.I made it for my family at Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit!Perfect for Christmas too!

Homemade Apple Cider

Author: Barb

Recipe type: Beverage

Ingredients

Enough small apples to fill a large pot
Enough water to cover the apples
Brown sugar to taste (I used about 1/4 cup for the entire pot)
Mulling Spices (I used the Williams-Sonoma mix) but you could use:
cinnamon
dried orange rind
whole allspice
whole cloves

Instructions

Wash apples; cut in half and remove stems and blossom ends
Place in large pot and cover with water
Bring to boil and let cook for 5 minutes
Cover and reduce heat
Simmer for 30 minutes
Crush using a potato masher
Let simmer 15 minutes more, adding water to keep the pot full
Strain through a large colander and toss the pulp, seeds, skins, etc.
Strain again through a fine sieve
Line a clean colander with several layers of cheesecloth and strain again (or not, if you don't mind a bit of cloudiness which isn't a bad idea)
Place strained juice in a big clean pot on the stove and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and add 2-4 Tablespoons spices and brown sugar to taste
Let simmer for 15 minutes, adding a bit of water if the juice tastes too strong
Remove spices *see my note
Serve in small mugs with a stick of cinnamon for garnish

Notes

I recommend the Williams-Sonoma Mulling Spices as the blend includes some oils that most likely really boost the flavour (and no this is not an ad ;)

I left the spices in the pot and let it all simmer on the stove as long as there was cider left ... the aroma in the house all day was incredible!

Enjoy!

PIN for later

The post Homemade Apple Cider appeared first on Keeping With The Times.

Pasta Sauce with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Butternut Squash

Barb — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

This pasta sauce with roasted tomatoes and butternut squash is rich, creamy, and delicious, and sure to be a hit with your family.

It’s so simple, yet so delicious, that it astounds me! It’s one of my all-time favourites. All you need are a few fresh ingredients and a bit of time. A Sunday afternoon might be a good day to try this, as the longer this roasts, the richer it becomes.

Think tomatoes, onions, garlic, and Italian sausage … Mama Mia! Mangia Tutti!

A couple hours in … and we’re getting there:
As this was roasting away in my oven, I stepped outside for something and then came back in. As I did, the aroma greeted me at the door and I felt like I was stepping into one of the finest Italian restaurants around.

Suddenly, I wanted to grab a glass of wine,put on “Gira Con Me” by Josh Groban and nibble on some crusty Italian bread ;)Wondering where to find the cutest pastas at an affordable price? Well, HomeSense is the place! Who knew! I’ve been able to find all kinds of Italian brands with different shapes, sizes, and colours. They also have great egg noodles!

I urge you to give this a try!

Pasta Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes and Butternut Squash

Pasta Sauce with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Butternut Squash

Author: Barb Brookbank

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

8 cups cherry tomatoes
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp dried basil
4 Italian sausages, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
NOTE: I like to cut the sausages partially frozen as they keep their shape better
2 Tbsp olive oil
Sprinkle of salt, freshly ground pepper
1-2 cups baked butternut squash (to be added to sauce later)

Instructions

PREHEAT oven to 375F
SPLIT open the butternut squash, remove seeds and pulp, arrange on cookie sheet, cover in foil, and place in oven to bake alongside the tomato mixture
PLACE tomatoes, garlic, onion, sausages, olive oil, basil and salt and pepper in a large Dutch oven
ROAST until the tomatoes, onions and sausages are lightly browned and smell a.ma.zing (I've found this can take 2 - 4 hours depending on your pot, your oven, and your tastes)
REMOVE sausages from pot and set aside
COOL tomato mixture slightly then in small batches, whirl in food processor (I use my Vitamix)
SCOOP out butternut squash from skin and add to the last tomato batch and blend
PLACE everything (including sausages) back in Dutch oven and reheat gently
BRING a large pot of water to the boil, add your pasta of choice and cook until al dente. Drain, and rinse with hot water. I splash a tiny bit of olive oil on it to keep it from sticking
PLACE pasta in individual serving dishes, top with the sauce and sprinkle with fresh basil if you like

Notes

Rich, sweet, and flavourful.

You might want to try some Homemade Ice Cream to finish off this wonderful meal.

The post Pasta Sauce with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Butternut Squash appeared first on Keeping With The Times.

Mountain Ash Bliss

Barb — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 14:28:20 +0000

Good morning! We’ve been under a heavy snowfall warning since yesterday, but so far it hasn’t materialized… apparently it’s still coming.

At any rate, it caused me to rush out and snip a few leaves from our Mountain Ash before the snow came and demolished them …

When I posted this to Instagram so many people said they’d never seen one! Shocking! (the things I take for granted ;)

Today you’ll find me inside drinking hot coffee under a warm woolly blanket (not so bad:)

Have a lovely one my friends!

If you care to learn more about Mountain Ash in my area check out this article from Salisbury Greenhouse

The post Mountain Ash Bliss appeared first on Keeping With The Times.

Bath Salts DIY and a Free Download

Barb — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 17:16:45 +0000

Here’s a little bath salts DIY for you! I know, I know, there are tons of ideas for bath salts on Pinterest and yes, I even went there myself ;) but every recipe is a little different and I thought I’d add mine to the mix because I actually use and love it (plus I have a label download for you.)

It all started the other day when I was browsing my favourite book store (a bookstore that shall go unnamed) and I came across a display of spa products. They were absolutely delightful and I spent several minutes sniffing my way around the bath bombs and various soaps.

And although I enjoy smelling the smells, I don’t really love using scents myself (strong ones anyway.) So when I spied the bath salts I started to get a bit more interested. The packaging alone was enough to draw me in. But then I saw the price and (gasp) over $20.00 for a little test-tube size bottle (I kid you not!) of what really amounted to Himalayan Pink Salt.

I’ve never used plain old salt for bathing, but I always use Epsom Salt:

Epsom salt, named for a bitter saline spring at Epsom in Surrey, England, is not actually salt but a naturally occurring pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate (Saltworks) (this site has a ton of interesting information about bath salts.)

There are many claims made of Epsom Salt and it’s health benefits and I cannot agree nor dispute any of them. I just know that when I use a cupful of these salts in my bath it makes the water feel softer and I’m not squeaking around in the tub ;) so it’s more relaxing. I also throw in a squirt of unscented body wash.

So I’m thinking … I already have Epsom Salt and I also have a bag of Himalayan Pink Salt which I picked up at a discount store, and that I use in cooking, and I also have some fresh Rosemary still growing in the garden. Time to get my DIY on!!

DIY Bath Salts with Rosemary

1 cup Epsom Salt
1/4 cup Himalayan Pink Salt
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped finely (if you don’t have fresh rosemary, just leave it out)
Combine and throw into your bath as the water is running. Add a squirt of your favourite body wash, ease into the bathtub, and enjoy!

This would make an awesome hostess gift or dare I say (Christmas) gift! Just don’t put any fresh herbs in the bottle if the salts are not going to be used right away.

You could include a small potted rosemary plant with the jar of the salts and when packed in a pretty jar with a hand printed tag like mine * your recipient will love it (you:)

Include directions on how to use them together.

*Please feel free to download the tag (for personal use only please :)

There are two versions: one with rosemary, one without.

Label #1

Label #2

Pin for later ;)

The post Bath Salts DIY and a Free Download appeared first on Keeping With The Times.

Five Things Friday | September 22

Barb — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 14:59:58 +0000

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

September 22 was our Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere! It began at 2:02 pm MST and I welcomed it with open arms.

Our trees are just beginning to turn colour and a few leaves have fallen. But this image is where I’m at right now—bringing plants indoors to save for a couple more weeks. I love this geranium basking in the sunlight on my garden table. It was one of the first plants I purchased last May … a zonal geranium (Pelgardini Vancouver Centennial.) I like the variegated leaves and how the flowers remind me of fireworks.I’m so grateful for the abundance of apples (from our friends’ orchard)
.. and I love baking with them …

Five Things Friday | September 22

What I’m Reading

Since my last “Five Things” post, I finished A House in the Sky. It’s a tremendously well-written powerful read, and at one point, so hard to take I had to skip a chapter (near the end.) Having said that, I truly recommend reading it. She does get rescued, and she does go on to live a life helping others. Her actions that led her to be captured became controversial and thought-provoking but I’m on her side.

I also read The Picture of Dorian Gray … now that’s a weird read … enough said ;)

What I’m Watching

Lately I haven’t had time to sit down and watch anything, however, I’m starting a list of shows I want to watch:

Law and Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders on NBC on September 26, I love everything Law and Order, and I love Edi Falco (from The Sopranos)
This is Us (of course)
60 Minutes (you laugh!) but Oprah!! ;)

What I Discovered

Caution (brag alert): one of my photos was featured on Instagram. Insert every shocked-face emoji you can imagine. My account had been absolutely stagnant for months and months and suddenly I was inundated with new followers. Yes, some are weird (some are not.) But hey … I was featured on Instagram.

But what I discovered is that the growth (while amazing) was not meteoric. And contrary to popular lore, the minute I posted another photo my followers did not fall off like flies. I’ve probably lost about 5. It’s a strange experience. I could hardly sleep the night it happened, but life goes on and it’s practically over… my fifteen minutes of fame is over. Side note: my photo on Instagram got more likes than Steven Colbert (lol ;)

What I Love

My hair. At my age there isn’t much to love anymore ;) but seriously I found a hairdresser who gets what I want and she sticks to the plan. I did show her a few photos at first so as to have no confusion. You just cannot beat a good haircut ladies.

What’s Inspiring Me

My daughter and her husband have a new blog This Big Adventure and it’s chock-full of valuable information on travel etc.

We are the Rooneys, an Albertan family of five. We believe adventure can start the moment you step out your front door. From exploring our hometown, taking day trips, weekend camping excursions, or long haul vacations, we love to do it all! Stick around as we set you up with all the tips, tricks, and hidden gems that we find along the way!

It’s amazing how first-hand advice about something can make a world of difference in making travel easier and I highly recommend checking it out!

So that’s it for Five Things Friday for September 22. Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you have a lovely weekend.

If you liked this post, you make also like these:

The post Five Things Friday | September 22 appeared first on Keeping With The Times.