JUST IN TYME CAFE, for friendly banter

[purpleferret999]

Folks, it's been awhile. Never too late for good cheer, right?

[birds-lover]

Sherry, she's going to be a year old December 16.  Not walking yet but crawling all over the place, lol.  🙂

[almond_t]

Well congratulations, Claire!  So she's  already working on her second Christmas, ha!

My wee muffin is a week and a half younger; he was due before Christmas, so I had this beautiful  Baby's First Christmas angel stocking.  I got stick-on mailbox letters that read 'MAYBE', and stuck that on the white trim at the top and he/she was the Maybe Baybe !

Christmas Day came and went, and so had to change the 'maybe' to 'NOT'  and when he was born (at home) on the 27th, he was photographed under the tree with his 'NOT BABY'S 1st CHRISTMAS' stocking 🙂

He is not walking yet either, but is crawling and cruising up a storm.  

Life is beautiful 🙂

[purpleferret999]

how lucky you are to have grandkidlets to enjoy.

Hope everyone's 12-12-12 moves ahead swimmingly. 😄

[neatstuffkp]

I too keep forgetting to pop in here and say hello!

Sorry!

Well, the car we rented had no winter/snow tires ... so the trip took longer than planned ... but no further mishaps along the way, unless you count having lousy internet!  LOL

Sherri:  about business ... to make a long story short ... the distributor got involved with her salesman after last year's Christmas order ... husband found out ... big hullabaloo ... she is no longer distributing for us.  He put a stop on all credit cards, etc. and she could not continue.  So no orders this year.

In the meantime ... we've been developing a cream for another company (worlds best cream is what he's calling it).  It has taken almost 4 years from the beginning of this project until now to get it to "almost have the NPN number".  The Canadian government works very slowly ... first he had to find the right people to talk to and even that took him more than a year.  LOL

http://www.tweedandhickory.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/worlds-best-arthritis-cream.html

[neatstuffkp]

So ... in 2011 we did double blind clinical studies ... in 2012 we waited for the government to give us the NPN ... at this point they told us that we have less than 3 months before it is in place.

What that means is ... drug stores can sell it and doctors can prescribe it.

In the meantime, they have been selling it as a "cosmetic" which is just the legal term for a cream that does not have it's NPN yet.  They only purchased 4 skids last year (10,000 jars per skid) and once the NPN is in place that should double or triple very quickly.

We're hoping this goes to a skid per month for us ... then we can purchase the packaging equipment and jar the product ourselves.  Right now, we have a company that is jarring and sealing it for us.  The packaging equipment is going to run in and around $50,000 ... so we wait until the product is actually launched before we make such an investment.

They are taking it to the EU community as soon as the number is in place ... we've already been in contact with the registration person there ... he's a bio chemist and has already done the preliminary testing of my formula ... he calls me with questions and we talk regularly.  LOL  He's in London, England. 

[neatstuffkp]

So the candles are on hold right now ... we have lots more stock on hand than we would like ... but we could not continue to hire people to make candles while there were no sales happening.  Hopefully, we will find another distributor.

The cream works really well and that looks good to go for 2013.

We have made a couple of changes as per the government of Canada ... so the ingredient list will change slightly in the new year.  (once the current stock is sold)

In the meantime, Alex finally has permission for his wife and new son to come to Canada.  She was denied entry originally as they (the immigration people) thought it was a phoney wedding.  *sigh*

So she (Qinxia pronounced "Cheentsia") and Don (2 years younger than Josh) will be here in February or March ... depending on his school schedule, etc.

Marian:  we are looking at a business in Penticton.  Well, a business in the Okanogan was the initial plan ... closer to Salmon Arm.  One that the entire family can participate in, so that Alex & Paul are off the road.  Giving Alex time with his wife and son and the rest of us support him in this.

The candle business kept Paul home (until this year) but never made enough (at least not regularly) to keep Alex home as well.  So we are on the hunt.  I always wanted to move to the valley anyway and Josh is now old enough that we can take him with us without complications. 

[Anonymous]

So nice to see this place busy again!!  Now, to remember to stop in.  I so enjoyed reading everyone ... and thanks for the congrats. 

Wow, Jannie.  Sounds like you life is constantly on the swing ...and more on the high side.  Good for you!!

I agree that the grandkids are the best.  The oldest boy is turning 3 on the 28th, and the younger boy just turned 1 in November.  He just started to walk and is going full out.  They are so much joy ..  just wish I had their energy.  I must admit that there are times when I'm glad that their mom and dad take them home and I can relax in peace and quiet. lol

Have a great one!

[purpleferret999]

Thanks for the deets Jane. Wow I have really missed a lot. Thrilled to hear your family might have such cutting edge products. Way to go! I am savouring the last of my soaps from Rainbow.

Hope you get the business and establishment that you want. Salmon Arm is so beautiful although my memories are sketchy. Would love a trip back to BC some day.

As my son's Dad and I are no longer together, the likelihood of my travelling to manitoba are slim.

My life has gone in a new direction and my son and I are embracing the changes. Moving day is Dec. 27.

[birds-lover]

Good morning ladies!

Wow Jannie!  That's great news about the new cream, maybe my DH will give it a try.  🙂

Yes, grand-kids are so precious.....and they get to go home with their parents at the end of the day, lol.

[neatstuffkp]

My grandson is at the marvelous age of 17 ... raising a grandchild teen is just as harrowing as raising your own teens.  LOL

Actually, he's doing quite well, all things considered.

So nice when the kids are young!  Being a grandparent, I mean.

Claire:  the cream is actually working for lots of people ... they offer a money back on it ... they've had two (2) returns out of the 40,000 jars they sold this last year.

Marian:  so sorry that you won't be making it to Manitoba.  It would be terrific to see you again, for sure.

Sherri:  Josh emptied his locker because they were moving them to another location in the school ... I just received the most awesome birthday card yesterday!  LOL Thank you!

Talking about Josh ... he is going to Culinary school to become a chef ... not a cook (he makes sure everyone knows that!  LOL) ... 4 years and then 2 years more to become a Pastry Chef.  We've been buying him his knives for birthdays/sinter klaas/ etc. and we are now on the last one ... the filet knife.  He loves his knives!  So hard to buy for them when they have no direction ... this made gift giving so much easier.  Now what to do for next year????  LOL

[gennalove]

Hello Everyone! Merry Christmas! I was wondering where these type of threads went.

[neatstuffkp]

Merry Christmas!  childless-mama12

[purpleferret999]

April, how are you! Hope life is treating you well. Jane, a pastry chef...wow. Anyone who makes an art out of cooking is a chef to me.

Have a day everyone...again I forgot to stop in this morning.

cheerios.

[s.brake]

Good evening all.

I am so happy this thread is back.  I must remember to check in early in the day.

Jannie, your cream sounds fantastic.  Is it for sale?

It's a long road to become a pastry chef.  I'll bet Josh got some of his inspiriation from you and all your creative endeavors.

Busy day for me. Ravine walking, Pilates and Christmas shopping.  Sure beats yesterday's emergency trip to the dentist to repair a chip in one of my teeth. My God, I hate going to the dentist.

This year I learned how to make pastry from my girlfriend.  Tomorrow will be my first solo effort when I attempt to make lemon curd tarts. Until two weeks ago any pastry effort of mine ended up in the garbage. I borrowed tart tins and a pastry blender from my friend and am armed with a newly aquired rolling pin, pastry cloth and pie weights.

I am not quite sure how those pie weights work when baking empty pie shells. How do you get the pie weights out without destroying the tarts from rough treatment?  Any and all advice accepted!

The crisco is chilling in the fridge and I understand the importance of not over-handling the dough once the chilled water has been added.  At least I know how to make lemon curd.

Wish me luck.  My dream is to serve lemon tarts and my homemade chocolate fudge on Christmas Day.  I could sure use Josh in my kitchen tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

[neatstuffkp]

Susan:  cut some foil pieces that will hold the weights (I just use beans) and that way you can take out your weights without harming the dough.

Josh has been going to foodnetwork.ca and watching the Baking with Anna Olsen videos (they are available all the time) and she has a lot of good tips.  She has an entire show on making pie pastry.

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/ontv/shows/bake-with-anna-olson/videos.html?titleid=272497

That link should get you there ... it's so much nicer to be able to "see" someone else do it!  If that link doesn't automatically show you the pie dough episode ... just scroll down (it's in alphabetical order) to the pie dough and click on the watch now link.

The cream is available here:   http://www.tweedandhickory.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/worlds-best-arthritis-cream.html

[neatstuffkp]

Your day sounds like fun, Susan.

My Day (so far)  Prepare turkey for tomorrow's dinner ... make stuffing and stuff turkey ... make:  sweet potatoe pies, vegetable supreme, boeterkoek, speculaas, stollen, roasted garlic bread, challah, quiche (for lunch), shortbread cookies.  Pie dough for veg supreme, quiche & sweet potatoe pies ... Giblets simmering overnight to make the gravy tomorrow. 

Everything had to be pre-baked because ... we're going to get a car tomorrow (hopefully) so into Winnipeg (1.5 hours) then decide on vehicle (1.5 hour) then drive back to MacGregor (1.5 hours) ... then put everything in the oven ... some for the first time ... some to re-heat ... guests at 4PM.

Josh is going to stay home and baste the turkey ... the rest will wait until I get home.  I've got the vegetable supreme in the oven right now ... sweet potatoe pies are just out of the oven ... man the house smells awesome!  LOL  He'll also have to put the stollen, the garlic bread and the challah in at just the right time ... so he's on a tight schedule too.

Have a fantabulous night and a terrific day!

[purpleferret999]

ooh JAne is having a feast and Susan is into the pastry. Those tarts sound yummy Susan. Ah pastry....took me years to do it right....but I can do pastry. Bread challenges me more, unless it's in a breadmaker.

Love, love, love reading about everybody's lives again. Even though you're mostly my fb friends too, here it just seems more personal, lol.

Wish my holidays were going to be more normal-usual. No Nyw Year's levee even. First time since 1992. Oh well. My hunny's birthday is the 3rd...we'll make it special for him.

Now on to packing.

Have a great day, friends. :-x

[birds-lover]

Good Saturday morning everyone!

Jannie, I ordered your cream for my DH, will let you know if it worked for him **fingers crossed**.

I love to bake but I am not very good at it, pie crust have always been a challenge for me, I prefer to make cake and cupcakes.

On today's to do list;  meatball ragout and dog cookies.

Have fun packing Marian!

[neatstuffkp]

Paul & Alex are going out on Sunday (leaving at noon-ish) so they can be back earlier than usual ... they'll probably get home Thursday night late or early Friday.  Then they're pretty much off until after Christmas.  Josh is going to the movies tomorrow and then off to a school ski trip and then to his Mom's for Christmas.

Actually, it will be nice to have the house to myself and have some peace and quiet for a couple of days!!!  I'm so looking forward to that.  It's been kinda crazy around here and I could use a little down time.

Of course, I'll have Christmas baking yet to do and a few other things that never seem to end.  LOL

We're re-listing the house on January 1st ... we took it off the market because we were just too busy to be bothered trying to keep the house in "show room" condition for showings.

The feast last night (I haven't slept yet ... so earlier today? LOL) went well ... turkey turned out perfect and everything else fell into place.  Mike and his grandkids showed up and Glenn and well, I guess there was about 12 of us for dinner ... rather unplanned (as such a large group) but these things happen from time to time.  It was fun!

Ted will be here on the 22nd and he'll be staying until New Years day ... so (thank God) we'll still have Christmas together ... Josh will be away ... but we do what we can.

[purpleferret999]

Jane down time is so important for some of us. I retreat more often than I used to. The world empties me pretty quickly.

I am having a hard time packing. It will be done in earnest when my son goes to his Dad's on Wednesday. He upsets easy so I try not to pile the boxes around him. This place is just too small; I need to pile them in his room.

I discovered Frog Boxes, a neat idea for packing. Mine come on Wednesday.

Now Mz Night-owl...off to bed!