Easy Toblerone Pastries
Easy Toblerone Pastries
These are seriously my new favourite party food. When you show up with a tray of these at your next party, you will be considered a goddess. Don’t tell them how sinfully easy these are to make!
Earlier in November I went to a party hosted by a fellow blogger Katja Presnal from Skimbaco Lifestyle. This was a fantastic afternoon making crafts, working with Young Living essential oils, and having an incredible feast.
You can read about all the crafts we made, and find the recipes for the food in the latest edition of the Skimbaco Lifestyle Online magazine.
My favourite treat of the day was the Toblerone pastries. The recipe can also be found in the magazine, but here is a summarized version of how to make them.
Start by buying frozen puff pastry. Remember to take it out of the freezer a few hours before you want to make the pastries!
Roll out the pastry, and cut it into squares.
Take a triangle from a Toblerone bar and place it on the square.
Fold the pastry into a triangle, pressing the edges tightly together.
Whisk an egg and brush it over the top. I sometimes skip this step.
Bake according to package directions, but about 20 minutes in a 350 oven.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and if desired, slivered almonds.
Show up at a party with a tray of these. Warm or cold, these are fantastic treats that you must try!
Thanks Katja!
Explore the Abandoned Hippie Houses in Hampton
Explore the Abandoned Hippie Houses in Hampton
In the middle of the woods on the North Mountain near Bridgetown lies two abandoned houses that are fun to check out
Local legend has it that these two houses were part of a hippie commune from the late 60s to early 70s.
Others say that the sci- fi writer Spider Robinson lived there for 3 years and the place is described in some detail in the novel “Time Pressure”.
I couldn’t find any documents to corroborate the information to know for sure. Regardless, it makes a great story and it’s an interesting place to check out.
There has been a lot more collapse of the houses, as the pictures I had seen on other sites showed the building more in tact.
Warning: exploration of the area is not for the feint of heart. There is a lot of damage, broken glass and unstable conditions. Please go at your own risk and use your common sense!
How to Get There
It’s close to Bridgetown, up on the North Mountain.
Go up the Hampton Mountain Road and turn right onto Arlington Road.
Drive until you see two concrete blocks on the right. If you come to Mount Hanley Road, you’ve gone too far.
Park. Walk back up the road towards Hampton Road. You will see the stream on the opposite side of the road.
Walk into the woods following the left of the stream. There is no official path.
The first house is about 5 minutes in. You can’t miss it.
There’s also another house just on the right side of the stream. Cross the brook and head back up towards your car.
The second house is closer to the road.
Apparently, there is a geocache here, too!
From here, head back towards the main road and you will be on the right side of the stream and end back at the main road.
If you are in the area, it’s kind of a cool place to explore!
O’Dell House Museum Annapolis Royal
O’Dell House Museum in Annapolis Royal
We were looking for a museum to visit in the winter, and we found the O’Dell House Museum in Annapolis Royal is actually open year-round!
Here’s What the Website Says:
Located on the Annapolis Royal waterfront in a circa 1869 stagecoach inn and tavern, the O’Dell House Museum is the former home of Nova Scotia Pony Express rider Corey O’Dell and his family. The ground floor of this period Victorian structure allows you to step back in time and explore the inn’s parlour, dining room, kitchen and small office. The second floor houses several rooms of interpretive displays which document the sea-faring and ship-building past of the Annapolis Royal area and the everyday lives of its citizens.
I was really excited to visit the museum because the house was built by Corey O’Dell.
When I was doing the research to write the Kentville Ghost Walks, I read a lot about Corey O’Dell who was one of the riders on the Pony Express, bringing news from Halifax to Digby’s Victoria Beach by horse. This was a 9-month endeavour that was quickly made obsolete with the arrival of the telegraph.
Corey O’Dell’s house was an inn for travelers on the stage coach going from Annapolis to Halifax.
When you enter the museum, it’s stepping into a Victorian home. We were lucky to be there right before Christmas so everything was beautifully decorated!
When you go into the museum there was no guided tour, and nothing was labelled, so we were happy that we researched Corey O’Dell before we arrived.
Outside the museum, to the left of the building, is an information sign with some details. I would advise reading that before going into the museum.
Daniel put together a video to highlight some of the pieces that he found interesting in the museum.
Hours, Admission and Directions
The O’Dell House Museum and the Genealogy Centre are open year round.
- All year round:
Tuesday – Thursday: 9 am – 5 pm
Friday: 1 – 8 pm
Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm
Sunday and Monday: closed
Please note we are closed for the holiday season from December 24, 2016 to January 10, 2017.
Admission is by freewill donation.
The O’Dell House Museum is located at 136 Lower St. George Street in Annapolis Royal
If you find yourself at the end of Saint George Street in Annapolis Royal, take 15 minutes to pop in to see this beautiful Victorian home. It is best suited for children 8+ as there are no interactive activities, just beautiful rooms to observe.
Stand in the home, imagining the days of when it would be full of travelers!
Things to Make with Old Christmas Cards
Things to Make with Old Christmas Cards
Start saving now! Or, maybe you already have a stack of old Christmas cards and are wondering what to do with them!
Here are 2 great and EASY ideas of what you can do with your old Christmas Cards.
Gift Boxes
Memory Books for Grandparents
Do you have other ideas for how to use old Christmas cards?
FAMILY FUN: Plenty of opportunities for families with special needs kids
FAMILY FUN: Plenty of opportunities for families with special needs kids
We are fortunate in the Valley to have a wide variety of programs specifically designed for youth with special needs.
Twelve-year-old Nora Stevenson of Kentville has a rare genetic condition that causes most aspects of her development to be delayed, including her cognitive abilities.
Through Nora, and her role as a resource teacher at KCA, her mom Jody Stevenson is very familiar with available programs and resources in the Valley for special needs youth.
Continue reading in my bi-weekly Family Fun column in the Advertiser…
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies you Will Ever Eat
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies you Will Ever Eat
I’m not joking. This is the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you will EVER need.
Our family is actually famous for making them. During high school, when the guys came to hang out at our house, they always expected a tin of cookies there, and they would sit down and eat the entire batch (it makes a lot).
We used to keep the recipe on the fridge.
I have it memorized, I make it so often. I can now make them faster than the time it takes to warm up the oven.
Go ahead and make them, and I dare you to try to eat just one.
The secret to success is to under bake them. YOU MUST DO THIS! On metal pans, in my oven, I bake them for 11 minutes, and 13 minutes on my Pampered Chef stones.
- 1 C brown sugar
- 1 C white sugar
- 1 C margarine
- 2 eggs
- Vanilla
- 2 C flour (if too sticky, add an extra 1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- salt
- 1 1/2 C rolled oats
- 2 C chocolate chips (one entire small bag)
- Cream butter and sugars.
- Add eggs, vanilla
- Mix in dry ingredients.
- Roll dough into balls and place on cookie sheets.
- Under bake so the cookies are still a bit soft when you take them out of the oven. Approximately 11 minutes at 350F.
- Cool slightly and then transfer on the racks.
- Under bake. That's the secret to success.
