Saturday This and That

I have always shared a special fondness for Ladybirds, or Ladybugs as they are called in Canada . . . those delightful little polka dotted bugs that show up in our gardens most years. I just adore polka dots, and well . . . how could you not adore a bug that showcases them so beautifully!

Did you know that they used to call Ladybirds, "Our Lady's Bird?" Neither did I, until this morning. The red colouring was seen as resembling the cloak as worn by the Virgin Mary in old paintings.



If you count it's spots, you will see that there are seven and they are believed to be a reminder of the seven joys and seven sorrows in Mary's life.

So not only does the humble ladybird hold a special place in my heart, but now I know that it also holds a special place in religious lore.



If we have a sunny day today (hasn't the past week been gorgeous!) I am going to take a little walk through the neighborhood and show you a bit about where I am now living. So many of you have asked about it and how can I resist! I'll show you a bit more of our new home as well.



I finally got the newest of my dolls finished yesterday. My newest creations are a couple! Pat and Pete. I just love them and had ever so much fun sewing them and picking out the fabrics for their clothes etc. I did their noses in wool felt this time and I used actual buttons for the eyes, to give them that nostalgic feel. They're for sale right now in my Etsy Shop. I had hoped that by the time I came back on line I would have a lot more to show you, but drat it! The unpacking and sorting out got in the way!

We're almost finished all of that now. Yesterday we put together the last bit of our bedroom furniture. I think we are getting pretty good at that now! We had it done in almost no time at all yesterday and it looks really nice. We also put together a kitchen trolly for me that we got at Tesco's Home store and what a difference! Our furniture we got from Ikea. The put together instructions were fantastic and very easy to follow. You just could not make a mistake. In contrast this kitchen trolly . . . the instructions were just awful!! You would think that if Ikea can make things a lot easier for their customers, then other flat pack manufacturers would follow suit! Nevermind, we got there in the end and I now have an additional couple feet of counter space to use in my kitchen, which is a real plus!

Tonight there is a Ward Activity at our new Ward, a Munch and Mingle. It will be a great opportunity for us to get to know a few more of the members. I've been asked to bring a cake and I am going to make my Pumpkin Spice Cake. It is a real people pleaser and always goes down really well. I'll share the recipe with you tomorrow. In the meantime . . .

We were in the butchers the other morning and he had these lovely looking Danish Bacon Chops on offer. I could not resist! We had them for our tea the other night, served up with some rice and beans and my goodness but they were delicious. I could have just fried them up of course, but why settle for plain old fried when with just a tiny bit of effort you can have them glazed in a deliciously fruity and spicy glaze! They went down a real treat!



*Spiced Bacon Chops*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Delicious bacon chops with a tasty orange marmalade, mustard and ginger glaze! Very quick and easy!

4 bacon chops, each about ½ inch thick
¼ cup orange marmalade
2 TBS water
1 TBS butter
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1 tsp golden syrup (or corn syrup)
¼ tsp ground powdered ginger



Spray a large skillet with some cooking spray. Place over medium high heat and once hot cook your bacon chops, cooking them for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through, and nicely browned. (Make sure you crisp up the fatty edge)

Place the marmalade, water, butter, Dijon mustard, syrup and ginger into a measuring cup. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute on high until bubbling. Take out and whisk together until smooth. Pour this over top of the bacon chops. Allow to bubble up and thicken for several minutes, turning the chops over and over until they are glazed. Remove from the heat and serve, with some of the juices spooned over top.



And over on The English Kitchen today? Some deliciously scrummy Strawberry and Mint Scones. I'm talking about sugar!