nellyglass studioStained Glass Artist
Our very good friends from St. George, Glenn Ketchum and Judy Barrio-Ketchum, joined us on a foggy Saint John afternoon for a long over-due jolly of drinks and stories, lots of laughing and some deeper revelations. Monica pulled out all the stops to create a wonderful southern-themed dining experience. We ended the night with Kahlua-coffee and a promise to do this more often… a promise we are honored to keep.
Our Son-in-Law, Matt Calloway, gave us a gift certificate to Ta-Ke Sushi on King Street. Monica and I enjoyed an afternoon city walk-around to see the new container village and snap a few pics. Then home to enjoy the dynamite roll, caterpillar roll and california rolls. Domo arigato, Matthew!
Monica and I enjoyed a week away in Nova Scotia to celebrate her 64th birthday and our 38th wedding anniversary. Four nights in Eastern Passage, one night in Yarmouth and one night in Windsor were just enough to sate our wanderlust. Mixed weather didn’t stop us from exploring more than a dozen of Nova Scotia’s spectacular beaches in search of the elusive sea glass. Great food, quaint accommodations, long walks and peaceful reflections were just what we needed to recharge and reconnect. We didn’t find much glass, but oh, those beaches!! I took nearly 500 photos but narrowed it down to these 130 highlights.
A mother like no other… just ask my children!
It’s April and time for some spring cleaning. Monica and I spent the day in Fredericton to help Ryan muck out his apartment and put on a fresh shine. To show his appreciation, he bought us take-out dinner from J’s Asian Kitchen: Unagi roll, Crazy Girl Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Chicken Chow Mein and Bulgogi. Thanks Ryan, your place looks great. Love your artwork!
They say French cuisine is less about the food and more about the experience. Well, it was all that as Monica worked steadily in the kitchen for 12 hours on a dinner recipe from famous chef, Julia Child: 
Coquilles St. Jacques with authentic french bread and Cherries Clafouti for dessert.
What a fun day we had chatting and working together, taking photos of the process and clinking glasses with each successful step. It was a wonderful meal at the end of an epic day, all of it recorded in photos. Here is 12 Hours with Julia Child.
March 25th, 2022, marked the 45th anniversary of our first date (1977 – Mount Allison – movie King Kong). Our wonderful children, Sarah and Ryan, gave us as a Christmas gift this year; a one-night stay and dine package at the renowned Rothesay Shadow Lawn Inn. This included the master suite, a welcome bottle of prosecco and a 5-course meal called the “Flavours of New Brunswick”.
This 150 year old historical beauty was built in 1870 by James Robertson, partner in the MRA department store in Saint John. Today, its original grandeur is preserved as a 4.5 star inn and restaurant. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and raised a glass to 45 years of dating.
I will miss winter, sort of. What I’ll miss is Monica’s winter recipe adventures. And I’ll miss taking photos (I often hover about while she is creating). For my own amusement I created a Google photos album. If you are bored or interested, it’s a delightful scroll down through the 68 photos in the album. If anything catches your eye, each photo has a descriptive comment you can open and read. (otherwise, I’d never remember).
Thank you for viewing our 2022 Winter Menu
Monica dreams of travelling to Vietnam to experience the culture and food. She is practicing with this delicious salmon Banh Mi recipe from NB Chef, Dennis the Prescot. The intrigue is with the strange coleslaw and spicy mayonnaise. Keep on dreaming, Monnie… keep on dreaming!
While Monica is exploring the alluring world of bread recipies, my bathroom scales are declaring a state of emergency. Here’s why… none gets wasted.
I’m supposed to be losing weight after Christmas! That’s not easy when Monica is making incredible meals like this… homemade tourtiėre using pork, veal and venison (thanks brother-in-law Leigh). Her legendary crust is matched only by my appetite and my appreciation.
Monica is at it again… searching online recipes for something interesting to try in her kitchen. This time, she followed Andy’s East Coast Kitchen for a biscuit recipe to go with her Italian turkey soup. I’m so glad Mon loves to cook… lucky me!
It is -20° and windy on this Saturday in mid-January. Definitely a day to stay inside. Monica decided a southern meal might spirit us away to warmer places. Something with a little Cajun zip… like Jambalaya! We enjoyed our afternoon adventure to the Mississippi delta. We pretended it was really nice there.
Friday night pizza is usually my claim to fame, but I can’t even pretend to do what Monica does. Here is her entire process which ended deliciously.
Monica and I, at Nellyglass Studio, wish for all of you a very Merry and Bright Christmas this year.
It is the winter solstice. The sun set today around 4:30 right on the end of our street (compared to over the back yard in summer). For some comfort food, Monica and I got take-out from Ta-Ke Sushi on King Street. Mmmmm. So good and then we crashed in front of the fireplace… happy.😊
As this COVID pandemic develops, so does Monica’s culinary prowess. I love making these food posts … as a way of counting my blessings.
After more than 30 years living in Saint John, Monica and I are still finding interesting things to see and do. Only 10 minutes from home, the Boar’s Head Nature Preserve in Saint John’s north end is one of the few remaining undeveloped and protected areas along the convergence of the Saint John and Kennebecasis Rivers. About a 4 km round trip, it is a good workout of climbing and navigating the rooty path. The reward is the river view at the end of the trail… spectacular.
Monica and I were invited to the home of long-time friends Glenn Ketchum and Judy Barrio for a balanced evening of down-to-earth conversation and haute cuisine. Glenn’s culinary confidence! Judy’s artistic home decor! …always an extremely delightful experience. Thank you, Glenn and Judy, we are so lucky. The rest of you can just be jealous… sorry.
Early October saw Monica and I steal away for 5 glorious days around the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec. The same way that comfort food satisfies the anxious heart, this was a comfort trip for us… sort of a pandemic pilgrimage. We sought our favorite things: the rugged beauty of Eastern Canada, the fall colors, waterfalls, lighthouses, covered bridges and great food. Mission accomplished and gratitudes applied. Nice, eh?
Here are the highlights.
nellyglass studio 