Cookie?

Thank you Kate Neckel for mentioning these...YUM! I thought about writing about the weather - it was warm here today +12C - but, I didn't think you wanted to hear how I was debating wearing shorts and how I went to On Second Thought to look for cute little skirts to wear.

I thought I could write about Lent - I gave up Chocolate Candies. Last year I gave up all chocolate and my friends said I was a BEAR! I couldn't do that to my new friends, I just met them!

I thought about letting you know the sad state of my television viewing. No one wants to know that...

So I asked my friend Robin what she'd like to see - she's the reason I started this blog in the first place - and thank you! - and she said she'd like me to write about what I make for dinner. You see, the one thing about me is that I very rarely eat out. One, I have two boys, who like to whoop and holler and I am not so quiet myself so the combination gets a little loud. Two, I can hardly ever justify spending money on something I know I can make myself for either very little money or very little effort. Really, how can you spend $12.99 on pasta with tomato sauce??? I just don't get it.

Anyway, I know I'm not the only one in on this. I know there are more of you out there. I think the hardest part is trying to come up with something that is both nutritious AND will be eaten by my kids. Ha Ha Ha - have you stopped laughing yet? It's not always that hard. Pancakes with fruit (add a little wheat germ or flax seed or whole wheat flour) or scrambled eggs and toast and some sort of veggie thrown in will get devoured. Another die hard is pasta or rice. Hide in tofu, chicken, eggs, and again, some sort of veggie and you've got a winner!

I'm currently loving the recipes of Ellie Krieger of Food Network fame. I'm not a big fan of the show but I picked up a cookbook at the local library and absolutely LOVE the recipes. The Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamane, and Tofu is to die for. My boys each had an extra bowl and thought the tofu was chicken! Who knew??

Tomorrow, after I tackle the loads (LOADS) of laundry in my basement, I'm going to make a treat! I was on Cup of Jo then somehow happened over to Kate Neckels blog who mentioned the delightful cookies you see above. Don't they look FABULOUS?! You can find the recipe here. Remember, throw in some wheat germ (not a lot, perhaps a tablespoon or some flax seed again, don't overdue it or you'll change the taste of the cookies all together) or try 1/4 whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour instead of just all white. You could also try using some chopped up dates instead of all chocolate chips (small changes...).

Anyway, make them, sit down and have a cup of tea and know, I'll be doing the same thing while trying to wrestle at least one cookie out of a little mans hand and at the same time wondering why laundry can't just do itself! (More on this topic to come...)

Dream, Dream, Dream...

South Hampton desk from Target.
Hedda Blom Duvet Cover by Ikea.

Oh, nice rug. Nice wallpaper. Nice curtains.

If you loved the wallpaper from yesterday then you'll just love the wallpaper in our 4th bedroom (oh, don't I sound hard done by?). It's just gorgeous don't you think? The blue, the pink flowers and the medallion shapes have a truly winning quality. Or they did in 1989! Also a might bit outdated. But I've got plans for this room as well. Surprise, surprise!

Currently, it's where I fold clothes so that I don't have to put them away right away... Laundry is kind of an on-going chore in our house. Little boys get dirty A LOT and need to change their clothes dozens of times a day. I don't know why this is but dirt just seems to sneak right up on them (have you ever read Mud Puddle by Robert N. Munsch? You can buy it from Amazon should the need to read arise). I'd like to keep this room as a guest room but also add the office feature - a place where I can pay bills or lay papers out and not have to worry about them "walking off".The existing furniture consists of a full-size bed, 2 unmatching bedtables (ick) and an old chest (bad fake wood colour).

I'm thinking the addition of a desk (like the one above) is necessary -how could it be an office without a desk? - and wouldn't it be cute with that duvet cover (inexpensive: only $39.99 from Ikea). As for the walls, keeping the top cream would make my life much easier but white would just open the room up and make it appear bigger and crisper and below the chair rail I think a big print wallpaper would give the room some character - maybe black and white? Oh, I just looked around the walls and it seems that a little person might have drawn some sort of beautiful design on the cream part of the wall so I guess that will be painted... hmmm...

I'd actually prefer a room like anything in Brocade Home or Etoile. Well, since we're at it I'd settle for anything from Anthroplogie as well...

Just want that old time rock n roll...

The entry way looking into the bathroom. Stairs and fireplace room on the right. Front door on the left
The floor. I know, it's not lovely but I like it. I don't know why.

Yes, that's a pink curtain as well?! The living room walls are white but won't stay that way. The furniture isn't staying either.

Remember when Bob Segar used to fill the airwaves? When your mom and dad drove a Royal Blue Ford LTD and it went on and on forever? Do you remember when your mom had that pink and blue floral wallpaper? Yah? I do. I have it in my front entryway and though it was stunning (maybe not...) and trendy in the 80's (some of you dragged it into the 90's), it's really not trendy now. The "Apartment Pink" has ruled a lot of the homes that I've lived in and quite frankly, I'm done with it! It needs to be gone from my life forever...

And so, I am debating if I should tackle ripping off the wallpaper at the front door (is it too early for spring fever). It's a fairly small area and shouldn't take too long (famous last words). The problem is: What do I do with the walls in that area? Should I wallpaper again or just paint? and what colours? The fireplace room is open to that area, as is the front room. I think I'm okay with the fireplace room (a tan/brown colour and done in autumn colours) but the front room is plain white and on my list...it's a long list... I was thinking that since the floor is brown in the entry way (I like the floor, really, I do - it's staying) that perhaps I should stick with browns/tans/creams or plain white. I'm not really into bold colours so nothing toooo dramatic.

Here's a few of the things that I like:

1. These hooks.
   
2. These chicken coops (great for storage).


3. This wallpaper or this wall application though I think they might be a bit busy?


4. This wall colour . Kidding... Kind of. Don't you wish you had thought of doing this when you were 16 instead of tape??? Darn it.


5. I do like this tree - how cool! Wouldn't it look great with the leaves?
   

That's what I've got thus far. Less is more for me not the other way around and I love, love, love storage! Storage is definitely a something you can always have more of.

Wow!

Did you happen to stay up last night and watch the Academy Awards????  I DID!  And I never do.  It was well past 10pm when I went to bed and I don't regret a moment of it (okay, maybe a moment - like when Sean Penn didn't thank Robin Wright Penn... weird).    Hugh Jackman did an amazing job; as did Anne Hathaway in the opening number - don't you just love her?  And the presenters appeared as if they actually read their lines before the show instead of just winging it like they usually do.  

Yes, there didn't appear to be as much flash and glamour as there usually is but I think that's what I liked most about it.  A good old fashioned bit of entertainment.  Perhaps Hugh was right when he said the musical is back... yah, right, probably not, we couldn't be that lucky.  

Someones' Friday.

What do you have planned for the weekend? We've got a hockey game, a birthday party and a trip to the museum on tap. Hopefully somewhere in there I'll fit in a run and maybe even a movie - I DVR'd Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - I'm definitely going to crack a bottle of wine (Cycles Gladiator tonight) and eat nachos with cheese.

Hope your weekend shapes up to be everything you thought it would be!

(Note: I may be back tomorrow...or maybe not...)

How quickly the week passes!

It's Thursday!

As I said in Mondays' blog, this is the day a few friends and I usually get together and head down to the local wine store where Donnie and his staff provide small tastings from featured vineyards. It's relaxed and informal - just a girls night out. We really quite like going there but as with all great things I think it may be coming to an end. Not the get-togethers, we're holding onto those with all of our might, but rather, the roaming downtown and hanging out. We like to chat and relax and once we get into our conversations it's pretty hard to pull us apart. Eventually we lose track of time. And before you know it the store is closing and we're all revved and ready to go... problem is, where do we go after that? Despite the enjoyment of a bottle of wine, or two, we really aren't big drinkers....

And so, I do believe the problem is temporarily solved! For the last couple of weeks we've been meeting at one of our homes (an easy solution, granted). We bring food (not a great idea as most of us are trying to "get healthy") and wine and then we can just sit around and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! Again, this too might not last as the whole purpose was to allow us to get together and not stress about cleaning the house, having food prepared or quite frankly, being at home. Perhaps we'll have to scout out a new stomping ground. One that's not too loud, until we get there, one that stays open late, or at least until we start yawning - around 10 pm - and one that serves us food as well as drinks. I'm thinking summer better get here quick, nothing like a backyard and a patio set to turn an old backyard into a party!

Just one of those days.

It's raining here today.

It's not one of those big full on rains that send people running from their cars (which I adore) but the incessant dripping that makes your mood grumpy and your head droopy. And when it gets like this I find I get cold and melancholy and I start yearning for spring or summer... I start dreaming of sitting on a balcony somewhere, preferably the South of France, drinking a nice red wine and watching the sun set. Of course, it's warm so I'm wearing the perfect sundress and I've got a shawl wrapped around my shoulders to fight the chill in the night air. One of my children has fallen asleep in my lap. Every now and then I reach to the table to grab hold of a grape and just enjoy the taste and the peace in the moment.

But (and isn't there always a 'but') more realistically, the kids are both running around screaming and though I have a glass of wine (this time a label called: Charles Shaw (Shiraz) - lovingly called, "Two Buck Chuck") there are no grapes on the table and my head is not full of clouds and the heat and moisture of the evening. There is no balcony, no France, just the hockey game playing in the background and my husband stepping to the Wii trainer. Perhaps, if I close my eyes I'll still be able to hear the crickets chirping and smell the salt of the sea in the air. Don't I look all calm and serene in my bunny jammies?

If you're looking for those views in the pictures above you can RENT them from: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/index.htm

The first picture is just a puddle in my driveway.

You say 178?

This summer we purchased our first home! (Happy Dance)

I love it! I do! I can see us owning this home for the next 30 years or more. The problem arises when you put two non-handy people in a house that needs a little work and will continually need work. Nothing major - currently the walls are intact and the roof is still on. It's an older home, not old, just older and as with all new homeowners there are little things that we'd like to change to make the house our home. And how do you do that when the thought of ripping something up makes you nervous? And on top of that how can you read blogs like D16 or Haus Maus and not want to make a difference? Something lighter perhaps, with a splash of colour?

So, we're doing a little at a time and doing our best to make some sort of change. The rugs are still there, there's no new furniture and we still have some sort of pink flowered wallpaper at the front door. Perhaps this summer? Any suggestions?

Our List (Dream/To Do):

• rip up rugs in family room, ensuite bathroom and bedrooms
• paint, paint and paint some more
• fix shower (what is up with that drain?! ohh, that's another post)
• peel that stuff off the bathtub (did the old owners paint the tub?!)
• replace the storm pipes (all the ice this winter caused them to come tumbling down)
• move the washer and dryer in the basement and rip up the rug (see a theme here?)
• fix the shelves in the livingroom (they're nice just not what I want...)
• paint.....

And for the Wine part...

I've only recently decided to drink wine... or rather, taste wine. I'm certainly not an aficionado or anything but I like wine. My friends and I have taken to a particular place in town due to its variety of wines and it's enchanting staff. They are most helpful with recommendations and lucky for our little town, they hold wine tastings every Thursday. Why more places don't do this type of thing I'll never understand. I have to admit that after going there for a few weeks my taste in wine has altered significantly. I used to like Merlots - who doesn't? - and I used to really like Chardonnays - again, who doesn't? - however, I now enjoy a Shiraz or a Pinot Noir. The one I'm drinking this evening is by Sketch Book (Napa Valley). A lovely label to boot! It's a good wine - I judge this on flavour and whether it makes my mouth pucker or whether it smells like stinky feet or whether it pairs well with chocolate (really now, that's important). A few of my other favourites include: Barrel of Monkeys, Leese & Fitch, and Cycles Gladiator. There are others and as I come upon new ones I'll be sure to keep you updated.

178 and Wine

This is my first post...

If all goes well there will be rockets flying and acrobats twirling. I'm exaggerating. If all goes well this will turn out to be something you'd like to read. Perhaps you'll check back once a week to see how life has changed or just to see what I've admired today. If for some reason you lose interest than feel free to skip it all together.

Thank you. Have a nice day.