Day 12: White Christmas (We'll follow the old man)

The Grasshopper Martini. I'd like to preface this story by saying that in Ontario you only have to be 19 to drink...

When I was younger it was just my mom and I home for Christmas. My parents were divorced and my brothers were much older than I and had already left home. On Christmas Eve the two of us would make up a platter of munchies, mix ourselves grasshoppers and sit down to watch White Christmas. Till this day "We'll follow the old man..." brings a tear to my eye (alright, I sob).

The Grasshopper we had last night was pretty darn good though slightly different than I'd had before. In the recipe above, they added cream - we added ice cream and milk. I prefer the 'shake' version but the one we had last night was good enough to remind me of sitting next to my mom watching Bing and Danny sing.

Merry Christmas! Hope you have a White one.

Day 11: 'tis Christmas Eve.

Break out the holly and in our case, the shovel, it's Christmas Eve. Hopefully your kiddos are snug in their beds and you're having much needed alone time (or busy wrapping...). To put you in the mood it's time to make an Eggnog Martini. Ah, a true Christmas tradition - or one that soon will be. To make: put into your shaker an ounce of each: vanilla vodka, amaretto, eggnog, and ice and shake baby, shake.

Hugs and Kisses to all of you out there. Have a wonderful evening. And just in case you like to keep track of the man in the red suit (I'm not talking about the RCMP) check out this site.

Food Porn.

I happened upon this site and I just had to share. I apologize. If you'd like to make any of the items shown on any one of the pages I would be more than happy to help you eat it.

Day 10: Mouthwash or Something slightly better?

Hammonds Candy Canes. I hear they are divine. I think I saw them on the Food Network at some point but maybe not... They look good, they sound good (with names like all natural butterscotch and cabernet candy cane...) and so you'd think it would be a good idea for a martini. Honestly, as one who's not big on the whole peppermint idea in the first place, I should have known a Candy Cane Martini wasn't the drink for me.

It's easy peasey to make: vanilla vodka, chocolate vodka (Godiva, mmmm) and peppermint schnapps. Schnapps in general are yummy but alas, not like this. It was all a little strong quite frankly (yes, this is coming from me). I bet if Mr. A had used one of the recipes listed on google (there's got to be a hundred of the things) perhaps it would have turned out differently. Perhaps if he had used the creamy liqueur type Godiva and not the vodka Godiva it would have won me over. But he didn't. And so I bid this drink Adieu. Hope you have better luck.

Day 9: Dedicated to these guys.

They make me laugh - like out loud, with stuff spewing and everything. With the Crantini you can practice your Ninja Kick and fill up on antioxidants at the same time. It's like a miracle drink or something. So by drinking one of these you're just looking out for your health. You're like, being nutritious. Yah, go with that.... Only 3 more days to go.

Recipe (for those of you too lazy to click on the link... you know who you are Karyn) though this isn't the exact recipe you'll find. Mr A. had to do a bit of improvising:

1 1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Lillet
4 oz Cranberry Pomegranate Concentrate (the stuff in the freezer section)

Add all the ingredients in a martini shaker - no need for ice 'cause you were smart and used the frozen concentrate. Then shake, pour into martini glass and if you'd like, add a few cranberries to complete the drink. The recipe above said you should soak the cranberries in vodka first and I think you should listen to them 'cause they know what they're talking about. I think they're professionals.

Day 8: My favourite so far...

Isn't this the cutest? It's even better in person. Might I suggest you run out and buy a whole bunch and celebrate the festivities in style? Each is only $3.49 and they are yummy on their own but even better in a Flirtini.

Day 7: Lime: not just for Margaritas.

It's cold here... cold, cold, cold. And I'm dreaming of a nice beach in Mexico. Thus, we're taking a little detour on the list and creating something that reminds me of the aforementioned beach. Day 7 is a Lime-tini. Mmmm... This one goes down faster than water in a desert! I think you could make it into a highball by adding some soda and crushed ice and I'm sure that will be a often-seen drink on the Oasis this summer. Mr. A mixed this one up and he changed the recipe from the one posted on the Smirnoff site. His is as follows:

1.5 oz vodka (not lime - just regular)

1.5 oz Roses lime juice

add to a shaker with ice, shake and strain. Enjoy!

Day 6: Breakfast Coffee.

I don't know about you but my day does not officially start until I've had my first cup of coffee. While it's brewing I thank God for it - literally! And if for some reason I don't get that oh, so delicious, first cup of coffee I'll have a headache by noon. And I'm cranky as all heck by two. The thing is I always seem to brew too much coffee (yes, there is such a thing). I can drink one cup, maybe two, three is the max and yet, for some reason there is always some left over. I don't know if I'm hoping for the cast and crew of The Wizard of Oz to show up or what, but the pot is almost never empty.

And what to do with all that leftover coffee? Well, I know some people throw it out around noon thinking they won't drink it and I'll love to say that I'm one of those people but you just never know if you'll want a cup of cold coffee around four... No one ever does UNTIL - dun, dun, dun - The Coffee Martini! Yippee. It's cheapskates dream. Okay, that's not entirely true. The recipe calls for fresh brewed Espresso but I tried it with 1/2 day old coffee and it was damn good. Cost effective too! And I didn't add the beans. In truth I didn't want to risk the choking thing. It would have been a real bummer. However, if you happened to go to The Human Bean and order a coffee (might I recommend anything without chocolate - tell them I sent you...), you could always save the chocolate covered bean for your nightly martini... Two birds, one stone...

Day 5: 007, The Right One.

Sometimes it just makes sense to be drinking while watching reruns of Two and a Half Men. So thankfully, we revisited the 007 Vesper and all was quite merry. This martini was Mr. A's favourite. It's also the one that contains the least amount of 'fru fru' alcohol. But it's still good and a great sipping drink. You can really taste the Lillet so if you haven't got any in the house run out and grab some to make this drink. It's well worth the eight dollars.

Day 4: Keeping the Vanilla in Christmas.

Yes, by now we're all growing a little tired of vanilla vodka but I'm happy to say I'm completely out. PHEW! The little bit I had left was enough to make a Vanilla Alexander Martini. I don't think I've ever purchased vanilla vodka, however, I think I would just to make this drink. It' s a version of the chocolate martini we had on Day 1 but the shaved chocolate and cream just make it dreamy. This is by far my favourite yet. It's like hot cocoa on a cold winters day... with a shot of something special.

Recipe:

1 oz. vanilla vodka (even better if you've made it yourself...)

1 oz. creme de cacao

1 oz. cream (use cream - you deserve it)

shaved chocolate (Again, use the good stuff. You only need a small amount.)

Fill a shaker with ice. Add vodka, creme, and cream. Shake until well mixed. Strain into glasses and top with shredded chocolate. I bet it would taste even better with melted chocolate around the rim. Doesn't everything? I'm all about extravagance this year.

Day 3: Cinnamon Warmth.

It's gotten a might bit chilly out there lately and I've been feeling the need to keep warm. Now usually that means making a cup of tea, grabbing a good book and snuggling up on the couch with a quilt. Well, I do believe we've taken that one step further with the Chai Tea Martini.

I've got a few tea bags hanging around the house... The hardest thing about this martini is waiting for the tea to get cold. I advise being prepared by having the tea already to go. Hopefully you're a pot tea maker and have some sitting in there from this morning. If not, brew the tea, let it steep for an hour or so and then whip yourself up a Day 3 drink. This one won't let you down.

Recipe:

2 ounces vodka (use vanilla vodka if you've got it)

2 ounces cold chai tea

splash of milk (cream or half and half works too)

Place ice in a shaker. Add vodka & tea and shake. Strain into glasses and add the splash of milk (or cream). Quickly run a spoon through it - just to mix it in but not completely - it adds creamy depth to the drink. To kick it up just a notch, try rimming the lip of the glass with honey.... yeah, if that doesn't make you feel good you shouldn't be reading this blog.

Day 2: For the Chocolate Lovers.

What could be better than a little Kiss? Why one surrounded by vodka and creme de cacao of course! A delightful little drink called, A Chocolate Martini! The recipe calls for just the two items however, if you happen to have vanilla vodka (like the one I made as vanilla extract some time ago) then I highly recommend using that instead. And don't forget the Kiss! A perfect drink for the chocolate lover in all of us. Yum.

12 Days of Christmas Martinis!

Picture from www.martinilovers.com/007 - you can get the recipe from there as well.

I've decided that the Christmas season needs to be ushered in with cheer and extravagance. Since I was too cheap to go and buy the Lego Advent calendar and since by the time I finally thought it made sense to actually get one they were already sold out, I've decided to create my own countdown to Christmas....

How about 'The 12 Martini's of Christmas!'

And queue the intervention...

Day 1: A not-so 007 Martini. After watching Daniel Craig sport some short short I thought there was nothing classier than a martini. If said martini has a fancy ingredient like Lillet in it than it has to be good. Well, at least after the second sip/gulp. I'm guessing that it would be even better if Mr. A hadn't switched the amounts of vodka and gin but hey, maybe not. Not too worry I didn't throw it down the sink (phew). I drank the whole darn thing and by the end there was a very large smile on my face. This was such a freakin' fabulous idea. Sometimes, I'm just brilliant.

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days (original from 1998)

It is not Christmas unless you've heard this song - well, in my house anyway. I'm allowed to blare it and everyone sings along. Hope you're finding someway to get into the season too.

Halloween 2010

Doctor Who - with psychic papers and sonic screwdriver. I personally think he's even more handsome than David Tennant and for me, that's saying a LOT.

Ferb from Phineas and Ferb on Disney Channel. The green hair is really what captures you isn't it?

For the Lovely Mrs. Jules.

One of my favourite pizza dough recipes is this one~it's adapted from The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook's Homemade Pizza Dough on page 248.

2 Cups all purpose flour (or a blend of garbanzo bean (1/2 cup) and all purpose (1 1/2 cups) I use the blend because the gbf gives a nuttier taste to the dough)

1 1/2 teaspoons quick rising yeast

3/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup hot water

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar (or honey works too)

In a measuring cup, mix water and sugar then add yeast. In a bowl, combine flour and salt and then gradually add in the oil. Add the water blend to the flour mixture. Mix to combine and then knead until dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until double in size or until you're ready to make your pizza (sometimes hours later....). Roll out on a floured surface.

I can usually get two pizzas out of this (I roll pretty thinly). Preheat your pie stone with the oven and then when you're ready to bake your pizza sprinkle the stone with cornmeal. It adds a little more crunch to the dough.

Hope your little munchkins enjoy this Jules!

New Favourites!

In case my love for Anthropologie hasn't been made previously (somewhere back in 2008 - I'm not looking for it...), I would just like to state now that I LOVE Anthropologie. Really. I'm not just saying that so Karyn won't be mad at me (or Rob... or Alex...). In fact, I have lust for almost every pair of boots currently posted on the website. The above ones in particular. I think they would look fabulous on me. Yes, now that I've thought about it a little bit more I'm sure of it.

And this cardigan would match those boots perfectly! I'd be stunning. I'd stop traffic - for good reasons, not because I was talking on my cell phone and not paying attention to the darn lights (I digress).... And while I was wearing those beautiful boots with the oh, so lovely cardigan I could lounge on my couch with a glass of The Prisoner in my hand and *sigh* at Benedict Cumberbatch in the new Sherlock Holmes series on PBS. *Sigh* What an absolutely perfect evening that would be. Now, if only I knew someone that worked for Athropologie that could get me those boots at a crazy ass discount... hmmm....

K - got ya smilin' yet?

A Challenge.

While having a glass of wine with my neighbours last night (them, not me...) we had a small discussion on religion. *Gasping* It wasn't heated, no one came away with bruises and no ones feelings were hurt (I think... I hope - sometimes I'm an ass and don't realize it - REALLY). But a great topic was mentioned and one that I think is often overlooked (by me...).

In the sermon at their church on Sunday the minister asked them to try be grateful every day for something - 3 things in particular. One glitch: you should try to find something great in a situation that may not have been perfect. It's simple but not always easy. In fact, yesterday I was having quite a hard time thinking of just one thing and though I lead a pretty good life it's not always perfect. I probably made it far harder on myself as I didn't want it too be too easy... I thought that when you're thinking of being grateful you shouldn't pick something tangible (I'm so grateful for my lovely dog and his beautiful collar from Target), it shouldn't be something moronic (I'm grateful for my new vase from Anthropologie) and it shouldn't be something totally freakin' obvious (I'm grateful for my Lexus). Note: I don't have any of this except for the dog with the collar from Target... Instead, try to really test yourself. For instance, here's one of mine:

The other day I dropped A. off at work. As I'm driving, I come to an intersection and I have a green light (sound familiar?) and yet, there's someone (bi-yach) walking across the street in front of me. As I'm a calm and totally in control person, I quietly yell (loud enough for everyone in a 5 mile radius to hear), "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT, NOT YOU!" Nothing big right? Except all my windows were rolled down and a university kid is on his bike right beside me. He burst out laughing. True (hangs head in shame). He could have looked at me in dismay but nope, he was chuckling like crazy... and it made me smile. I'm grateful he was there - for so many reasons. Can you imagine if he wasn't?

Canadian Thanksgiving...

Or better yet, "What I did with all that food in my fridge!".

Yes, as another Thanksgiving comes and goes I am again faced with the dilemma of how to transform the leftovers into something fabulous... something that my family will eat... Now, I'm blessed with fairly good eaters and I'm not complaining but that still doesn't stop them from shouting, "Ick, what IS that?" when the plates hit the table. And I think they are on to me - you know, with my 'hiding' of food. Darn kids. Darn husband.

So, I took matters into my hands and tried my best to come up with something edible. I think you'll agree that it's all going to be quite yummy.

1. Mashed Potates: I played around with Robins recipe for Breakfast burritos and now I've got many a burrito in my freezer. Since my mashed potatoes already contain cheese (yours don't?) I just added them to some scrambled eggs, and canned chilies. Now, all I have to do is micro them for a couple of minutes in the morning and breakfast is done.

2. Acorn Squash: An easy one? Yes, I think it is. I whipped up some Pumpkin Spice Cookies. I thought about pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie or even just eating it all out of the dish but I thought this might be a better alternative. I made some changes - adding applesauce and maple syrup and cutting the sugar in half (way to much sugar in this). Since I make my squash with applesauce anyway it should be sweet enough . I'm not sure yet though as they are sitting on the counter patiently waiting to go into the oven.

3. The Chicken and Corn: Mixed with black beans, cheese, and salsa then rolled into a casserole with enchilada sauce and VOILA tonights dinner. Mmm... enchiladas. I think a Margarita is in order don't you?

4. The Stuffing: Nothing yet. I always get stumped here. I've seen recipes for bread souffle and stuffing patties with turkey (I think I made those last year) but nothing is jumping out at me just yet. Any ideas?

5. Homemade Cranberry Sauce: Easy enough to make and easy enough to use up. Cranberry muffins. This helps me out in the breakfast area as well. If you remember I'm trying to cut down on processed cereals (easier said than done) and thus, I'm always looking for easy and fast ways to feed the family. Since Cranberries were on sale last week - go look - I bought a few bags! I don't have a recipe yet but it's only a google away.

6. Broccoli: Soup. I used the carcass (awful word) to make stock and so a very, very yummy broccoli soup will be on the table tomorrow night. With the addition of some bannock (talked about all weekend by my little redhead, A. and now craved by me, T.) it should be a very nutritious and easy dinner.

An Oldie but Goodie.

Pierogi pizza. This is what we had for dinner tonight - again. I can't help it. I LOVE it! I did expand on the idea, however; and added some pine nuts and Trader Joe's Tomato Salsa. Yes, it sounds gross but it works. Apparently, you can throw anything on home-made pizza crust, cover it with cheese, serve it with a cold beer and it tastes amazing. Try it. You'll find I'm right.

Anyway, whatever you're doing tonight I hope you have a good one and while you do imagine me eating popcorn at 'Easy A' and laughing my butthoggs off. Kisses.

If you've read facebook

The Summer Croc. It's a favourite in our house. We all have a pair (or two...). How can you not? They are so versatile.

The winter croc (as it's known in our house). What I don't understand is that you've already mastered a perfect shoe... why mess with it? Frick.

Then please disregard this... I'm ranting again but in a different format so I feel it's legitimate.

Dear People at Crocs. If you're going to make winter crocs could you please (I beg of you) make them exactly like your summer crocs (ie. with the backstrap)? That way I don't have to reason with my son in the middle of the mall. Thank you for listening.

p.s. if you could do that before the snow flies that would be extra wonderful.

A Few Observations.

A word of warning: I wrote these observations after spending way too much time in the car running from one errand to the other. None of which was for me. I'm selfish so just the fact that I didn't get anything out of it was enough to make me incredibly grumpy. And I haven't had wine/beer for a few days so that was just the cherry on the top. Also, I may not feel the same way tomorrow so don't hold it against me or do, whatever.... I still haven't had wine today...

1. You can't text and drive. Yes, I know you think you can but you can't. Even Oprah says you can't - it must be true.

2. To the guy in the green car: The 'tick, tick' sound you've been hearing for the last 6 miles is your turn signal. Frick. Turn it off already.

3. The big red octagon in front of you is a stop sign. Really, I'm not making this up. Generally, it means you have to stop. For those of you new to this concept, it means you have to use that pedal next to the one that makes you go. Yes, that's what that's for.

4. The big red light in the sky, you know, the one next to the pretty green and yellow one? Yah, that means you have to stop too...

5. You can't text and walk either. Especially you there in the black sweater - you definitely can't.


End of Part 1... I'm sure there's going to be a Part 2.

Only a day late...

Alright, after much deliberation between my son and I the dinner menu for this week has been created (I really talk like this). I'm afraid there's nothing too fancy here but hopefully my family will eat fairly nutritiously without breaking the bank - which is a lot harder than it sounds...

Monday - Beef & Barley Soup...mmmm..... Luckily I made enough for me to enjoy a bowl last night around 8pm and for my husband to have for lunch today. Hurray for leftovers (you'll see more of this roast on wednesday).

Tuesday - Muffins (the homemade kitchen sink variety), cheese, apple and walnuts... and maybe a pretzel later...

Wednesday - Leftover roast (it was big) mixed with rice, corn and tomatoes and put in a wrap with cheese and yogurt! Surprisingly (?) this is one of my favourite things to eat.

Thursday - Baked chicken with salad, roast potatoes and squash.

Friday - White bean & chicken chili.

Saturday - Baked pasta with tomatoes and cheese served with salad and bread. This was voted on by the little people in the house. It's a really easy recipe of cooking your pasta then putting it in a oven ready dish, throwing in a can of tomatoes and some grated cheddar cheese. Put it in the oven until the cheese is all melty and voila! Insta dinner. An idea given to me by my dear Aunt Jane. Love that lady!

Last weeks groceries.... a grand total of $119.69 and I had a gift card for $50.00! Yippee.. I went a little crazy - what you don't see in the photo is the 2 (yes 2) 12 packs of beer. Some things are justified!

This weeks bill came to $87.41. Those pumpkins are freakin' expensive (3.99 - yikes). I did go to Whole Foods today as well ($37.63) just to get coffee and go sampling with E! Problem was we both liked everything we tried. Darn samples.

It took me a week to get my computer up and running again. I could have used Mr. A's but I dislike (hate is such an ugly word) loading my grocery pictures onto his work computer. Nothing like giving a talk to a bunch of academics and having your wife's grocery list pop up! Not that it's ever happened or anything....

Has anyone else noticed that it's getting harder to keep the grocery bill down. I've found that things are getting a little more expensive lately. I'm not sure why that is (no rain? too much rain? too much oil being spilled...) but it's starting to irk me. Luckily the Kraft Caramels are the same price or else I'd be livid. It could also be that I'm having a hard time getting motivated to make items from scratch. Could it be the lack of large junks of time? 2 hour snippets every now and then just doesn't seem to cut it.

I haven't been buying wine lately either. Frick. I knew there was a reason I'm grumpy these days (no PMS has nothing to do with it). I know what your thinking, "Where's all that beer?" It's gone. One case was a belated gift for a friend and the other one can't be expected to last longer than a week. It's just unrealistic.

I seem to have a lot of questions this week. Just noticed that. Who has the answers? Tomorrow I'll give you a list of what's for dinner this week. As for now, I haven't made it up so I can't post it but I can tell you tonight is Beef & Barley soup night. I made a roast in the crock pot last night with a side of sweet potatoes and corn. The temperature is starting to drop and I have a feeling my crock pot is going to be extra useful this year!

Wanna go see the BJ's?

Well, you can! For FREE. Oh, you just can't beat that. It's Blue Jackets training camp time. I'm going to bet most everyone in this city doesn't know that. But now you do. So head down to Nationwide Arena today and check out Gerald Boll doing his slam-bam-thank you-mam (he's currently my favourite BJ). Find out the practice times here. See you soon.

Freakin'!

I was going to check how many times I used "Freakin" as my blog post title but thought it better that I didn't know. My darn computer keeps getting 'stuck' - for lack of better computer tech. lingo. I'm wishing that I lived closer to Robin (not that I don't wish for that often) but today it's cause I'd like Mr. K to come over and fix my computer for me. It's probably not all that technical and I bet it could be solved by throwing it from a 6 story building. And he'd do it for a bottle of fat tire (or maybe a six pack) 'cause he's good like that.

In the mean time I'm typing away at my hubby's Apple. I dislike this computer. I don't like the fake "click, click, blach" of the keys and I dislike all the little symbols at the bottom of the screen. What are those anyway?! I'm an old school PC gal. I wish this wasn't true but it is and because of that I will have computers that get virus' and get 'stuck'. Stupid things. And I'd like to believe that I could live without my computer, without the constant need to check facebook and hotmail and everyone's blogs but I can't do that either. Frick. It must be Friday.

It's White!

Not a green card... an Employment Authorization Card. With an expiration date to boot. The other card should be here shortly or sometime before 2012....

Where'd you go?

It took me awhile to find my groove again but I'm hoping it's here and we're back at it! So hold onto your coffee/tea/juice/wine or what have you and let's get started shall we?

It's MONDAY! That means it's shopping day and meal planning. I have to admit it's been a bit of a smorgasbord sort of summer and I'm done with hot dogs and chips and all the crap I ate. I haven't even been diligent about hitting the farmers market. I know, I'm shaking my head too... However that's all going to change now that I'm back at the blog and feel some sort of irrational responsibility/guilt.

And so, I am happy to report that today's groceries came to a grand total of $58.65. Now, I did forget my list for the week (remembered the coupons - phew) and so I've left off the buttermilk and hot sauce I was hoping to get. Bummer. Maybe next week...

There is a LOT of yogurt on the list - as per the norm I suppose - and a variety of different flours. See? I'm trying my best to stay on that healthy eating thing... Mrs. Ser, I hope you notice I found Graham flour, at Giant Eagle no less and it's relatively cheap - $4.39 a box. For those of you not used to buying "Organic" flours and/or "unusual" flours, they tend to be quite pricey but you get used to it and just try to look for the best deals - if there's any to be had.

Dinner this week is as follows:

Monday: Chicken Soup - we had the neighbours over for dinner on Saturday and I've got a boatload of shredded chicken left. I'd make tacos or something but I think my family is done with chicken sandwiches...

Tuesday: Lasagna. Mmmm.....

Wednesday: Tofu, broccoli and rice with peanut sauce.

Thursday: Goyza potstickers, broccoli with almonds and udon noodles. The potstickers and the noodles were bought last week - sorry for not being with it...

Friday: Baked potatoes with cheese sauce and tuna cakes. This is going to be a hard one to get passed the kids. Mr. S despises all things fish related. I have no idea where he gets it.

Saturday: Perogies! Yes Ser, I'm going to get off my butthogs and cook up some!

Sunday: Well, I'm not sure yet... Hopefully something yummy that everyone will eat. I'm thinking some Donairs might be on the menu. I haven't made that in ages and I'm getting a bit of a cravin'.

Some Random Thoughts

My kids are playing in the backyard. They're still wearing their school clothes (yes, I kid myself that there's a difference between their 'play' clothes and their 'school' clothes). It looks like an Indiana Jones/Gap commercial - kids swinging across the equipment, kicking each other while wearing polo shirts and plaid shorts.

We made it to Canada this summer! Wahoo! Montreal was awesome. I had delusions of grandeur while I was there - I took many a photo but alas, they have not yet made it to the blog. I'm hoping the next few weeks will allow me to catch up... *sigh*

We finally painted the living room and bought new furniture - like, from a store and everything! It's looking pretty nice but it's not yet finished. I'll post pictures once I deem it blog-worthy (so, like tomorrow then?).

We finally (yeah, we've put off a lot) invested in a KING SIZE BED! Oh, yes, yes we did! And I love it. It all plush and cozy. It's definitely a step up from our old one. I think the kicker was when Mr. A and I woke up with spring marks in our sides - no joke...

I've been awful with the food shopping. You'd be appalled at the crud I've been buying. But now that schools back in I'm back to making 'from scratch' items. I've already made 5 dozen cookies by freezing the dough. I just take them out, cut them and cook 'em.

My youngest - E. - is off at kindergarten this year. Only a half day but it seems awful lonely without him. He's a constant jabberer, singer, screamer, questioner. I'm sure I'll get used to the 2 1/2 hours of quiet at some point.

That's it for now. I'll try my best to keep up with it all. Mr. E. just got squashed by a boulder and is lying on the ground crying so I'd better run. Have a good one.

Wow!

Did you see the time fly by? Me neither! Sorry I haven't posted lately but don't give up on me just yet...

Wine

How is it that I don't have these wine glasses? And do you not LOVE Courteney Cox slurping her wine up?

THE OTHER GUYS

Land of the Lost may have bit (though Mr. A laughed and laughed) but this looks fabulous. It's got Marky Mark for crying out loud! How yummy is that? And the Rock? And Samuel L. Jackson? AND Will Ferrell? Oh, be still my beating heart!

Happy Birthday!

He's such a Canuck! Love you Mr. A!

AT-AT DAY AFTERNOON

This is getting HUGE play at our house! Happy Monday to you.

A bottle of Two Buck Chuck.

A bunch of fresh raspberries and a couple of peaches to make a beautiful bright red jam.
A little too much sage growing in the garden. Well, that is if you're not going to use it to make Sage & Walnut pesto.

Did I tell you how much I'm enjoying summer?

All this and I didn't even mention Eclipse... (Yes I went to the midnight showing!)

Snap, snap - It's a Lego House.

I just finished watching James May's Toy Stories, for the second time. The first was last night. With a glass of wine in hand I snuggled down in my comfy chair and prepared myself to listen to the droning of May's voice. And yet, I was delightfully surprised at how my heart started to quicken. All of a sudden, I sat up a little more in my chair. I put down my wine (gasp) and I actually started to listen to him talk. Yes, I sometimes stop listening to his voice on Top Gear - but then I drown out Jeremy and Richard as well so it's not just him...

And I laughed and laughed some more! And then, I thought it was the most brilliant idea in nearly a century (or whenever they started making wine)! A house, made out of LEGO - and not just the kind my kids make with the 1000 pieces they have, but one made from 3.5 million pieces of Lego. A Lego toilet. A Lego sink. A Lego cat. Brilliant! Who wouldn't love that? Okay, maybe not a Lego toilet but the structure of a house made out to Lego? Why, yes, I believe I'd like two - a blue one and a red one!

And now, my children are downstairs fighting over Lego trying to recreate the house that James made. It's not peaceful. It's not quiet. However, the engineering of their little replications is going to be awesome. I suspect there will be flowers in a pot just outside the door.

Thank you Mr. May for helping millions of childrens dreams come true or at the very least two little boys dreams come true.

Two Parts!

Oh, we all knew it was coming and here it is! The Deathly Hallows Part One. Be still my beating heart!

As an aside: Special hugs being sent out to Robin tonight. I mixed up a batch of the lovely cinnamon tea you sent me, put it in the fridge to chill (for 24 hours), added some ice cubes, simple syrup and vanilla rum and now, I am one HAPPY lady! Stacy liked it. Mr. A. loves it (especially now that I added the vanilla rum). It's absolutely fantastic. If you haven't already done this - DO IT! So very, very yummy. Put it on the list Robin!

SGF - WTF?

Okay, this is funny. I feel bad that I think it's funny - it's just wrong...

Saturday at the market.

CRAZY BUSY! I got there around 9:15 am - it opens at 9. The egg lady had 4 dozen eggs left. I bought two and the lady behind me bought two. So as it would seem today is the day that you don't want to sleep in.

And there were people everywhere. Lolligaggers! If you would allow me to rant for just a moment; the very morning section of the market time should be reserved for those of us who know exactly where we're going and what we want. If you've got mom and dad or grandma with you and you're just 'showing them the sights of Worthington' then please, come later. Like 10. I only need 15 minutes to get from end to end.

Alright, sorry. I'm done... I did get my two dozen eggs so I was quite happy. I even ventured out and got a couple of kohlrabi. No, I've never cooked them before but I thought they would be a nice addition to my vinegar potato salad. Just a little 'crunch' to spice things up a bit. I also bought a zuccini to make a couple of fritters. My kids will actually eat those - even better if I put a little applesauce on the side. And that was it.

I apologize also for not posting dinner menus lately. I've been a slacker lately (translation: it's too hot and humid to eat anything other than peanut butter and banana sandwiches) and meals just haven't been made - aside from last nights hot dogs and baked beans (sooo yummy). I'm slowly adjusting to summer (very, very slowly) and I'm hoping things will pick up this week (I'm out of bananas). I'll try to keep you posted.

One great thing that has come from the heat is the Shandy. I know I was buying the bottles and yes, they are delicious BUT I went back to the old version - just plain ol' beer and lemonade and I'm even happier now (translation: I checked the bank book and Miller light and a bottle of Minute Maid Lemonade is cheaper than a 12 pack of ready made Shandys). What's your drink of the summer? Are you mixing it up? Making Mojitos and trying to use the mint in your garden? Let me know!

Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me

I'm going to see him tonight. I can't promise I won't faint. So. Very. Excited!

Two Birthdays?! (June 20th)

Happy Birthday Mr. S! I am thankful for you everyday. (insert mom sob style information here...)

And my Colorado partner in crime, Robin - Happy Birthday Lady! Hope you had a good one!

(Note: The above video taping was done by an amateur. She was too busy laughing to put any real effort into the taping.)

Cake.

I'm currently making a white chocolate ganache to go into Mr.S's birthday cake. This is the first time I've ever tried my hand at ganache. I don't want to jinx it but I have to say it's not half as scary as I thought it was going to be. I'll post a picture of the cake once it's done... last year I made a 'pirate ship' cake. The ship caved in before I got it outside. I told the kids it hit a reef and was sinking. They thought it was cool.

I'm also having a Summer Shandy. It's a scorcher out there!

Garden dinners.

I was fretting about dinner on Monday. Then, I took the dog out for a walk and noticed that E.'s peas were ready to go and the sage plant is so full I'm wondering how to use it up. A little inspiration was all it took! The above picture was Monday's dinner - in olive oil. I took the veggies out, being sure to leave some of the oil in the pan, and put the sage leaves in. All was served over the Trader joes medley. Mmm.... super yummy.

Last night was hot dogs at the pool and tonight - more of the peas, some noodles and homemade chicken stock. Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup! It's not just for winter. I'm thinking we go south of the border tomorrow night for a big, gross plate of nachos! You can come too... bring the beer!

To Ser and Andrea.

Happy Birthday! Hope you get the big piece of cake with all the icing!

It bloomed.

*sigh*

The grass is doing well.

The Clover is too and the 10 crows in my backyard tell me that they're all quite happy as well. Unfortunately for most everything else in my garden, the rain is slowing stuff down -or perhaps its the Black Walnut tree. The above is a picture of my radishes. These are the only ones I could salvage. I think that I'm probably lacking a ton of nutrients in my soil - perhaps it's all been washed away by the rain?!

See the little birds nest? Thankfully there was no eggs in it. It fell from my maple tree and landed 'smack' onto the patio slabs. I think it's a nice addition to the little bush don't you? I have a little fairy garden door on the opposite side of the tree. It's all quite magical.

The Dragon's Tongue (I just love that name) is in bloom. I quite like the soft blue blooms next to that vibrant burgandy. It looks even better in person! I'm hoping this spreads and/or they have more of it next year at the nursery.

My two curly garlics are going along about their business. I'd like for those to spread as well - cross your fingers. I'm not sure if they do.... the onions have gone to bloom; see them in the back? And that is a sunflower with the big leaves from bird seed - thanks to Miss K. for taking pictures for me last year! They pop up everywhere! I'm hoping for more - natural birdfood!!!

This is the amaranth I bought in the spring. It's not taking off at a fast rate (again, nothing is) but it's gorgeous just the same. On the tag it said you could use the leaves like spinach. Has anyone tried this? And when can I do that? I expect it to get quite tall - perhaps I should read the tag. Yes, I kept it. I can't rely on my memory or my knowledge of flowers to get me by! I think I'm still waiting for that pregancy brain to go away... it's been 5 years...

My Monday in pictures.

These are the grocery bags I brought in and emptied. Then I realized I should have taken a picture of everything that was in them... oops... Trust me, they were full. Very, very full. I'm hoping that next week all I have to buy is milk and flour. Cross your fingers 'cause there's not much left in the bank account for anything else!

Probably because I bought a LOT of this kind of stuff! It's summer and around here that means there's going to be snacking - and more snacking and probably not a real meal to be found. I try to keep our 'snacks' fairly filling so you'll notice theres bagels, nuts, carrots and tortellini's on the menu. The kids aren't yet aware that most of this is good for them and if any of you tell them you're going to be in trouble!

I just threw this picture in 'cause I was sooo happy to find this in my garden! The peas are up and producing and E and I are eating them faster than any thing. I don't think they'll make it into the house but who can get mad at a kid eating raw peas?! The squash plants are in full bloom now too. The backyard is a sea of yellow flowers. With any luck the squash borers won't get at the plants and I'll be able to have a boatload of goodness. I'm currently battling the slugs - they're winning...

The Weekend.

It rained and rained and then, finally, from out of nowhere, the sun shined. It's still here today so cross your fingers that it doesn't disappear again. We've got big plans for the next couple of days.

Cutting my lawn is not one of them because my backyard is a swimming pool and not like this which is the place where I'll be spending the majority of my summer. The window is still leaking and I'm sure I've got a wet carpet in the basement - I haven't been brave enough to check yet...

We've had tornado warnings already. Worthington has these big sirens that go off when there's a warning/sighting/watch. I fully expect big ol' war planes to be circling in the sky! Jeepers, a little overactive imagination...

Well, that's all for today. A little scatterbrainish - I suspect it's going to be that way for a while. School's almost out for the summer. It's not going to be half as exciting as this but hopefully a lot less creepy. We don't have too much planned as of yet - perhaps a trip North? It's the standard summer trip for us. What are you doing? And yes, eating cheese doodles counts.

Some things make me Happy.

Beautiful purple Water lilies. A friend picked them up for me last year but they didn't bloom. I guess this years rain is making them happy too!
I spy with my little eye... Things pop-up in the garden when you're not even looking!

Little snippets of love in a mist (the white and blue flowers). I just love these and their name.

The peas are flowering on the teepee I made for the kids! No snowpeas yet - my mouth is watering just thinking about them.

It's like a Zen Garden in here.

It's been raining on and off. It's great for the garden, for the birds, for the rain buckets but it's not so great when you've got a leak. Not good at all...

There's a breezeway inbetween the house and the garage. The people who lived here before (I sometimes curse them - is that wrong?) decided to put up some walls and a roof and make that area into an office. Ingenious if you do it right. Nutbarish if you don't.

The walls are not insulated. Mr. A sits in there in the winter and grows icicles on his nose (ok, that's funny). We bought a little heater to keep his feet warm. The office is great as a bar fridge in January. But now that the temperatures have increased a little bit we've noticed that the roof wasn't sealed properly either. There's no flashing. I'm not entirely sure what 'flashing' is but I know it helps keep the water on the outside of your house and when it's not there you really, really miss it.

Water is pouring down the office walls. No joke. At the points where the wall of the house and the roofing of the office join, the rain gushes down. I'm not entirely sure where it goes after that (perhaps the floor is not sealed either). Have you ever seen one of those Zen garden rocks things? The water rushes down and pools in the bottom? Yah, pretty when it's in the garden but not so much when it's the wall inside your house... wait, maybe that's what we could do instead of me being on the roof with tar.

Get that picture in your head... me, roof, tar, 80 degree weather, humidity 90%. Can you see the grumpy expression on my face. Trust me it's not pretty.

Saturdays pass all too quickly.

It's already 1:00 pm and it feels like the clock is tick, tick, ticking away.

For those of you in other parts of the world and not familiar with all things American (insert "gasp" here) we're currently celebrating Memorial weekend. I'm feeling a bit delayed. In Canada we have May 2-4 weekend (a celebration of the birth of Queen Victoria). A weekend of drunk and disorderly conduct - alright, not exactly, more like sleeping in and having BBQ - kind of like what everyone else does on a long weekend. And the '2-4' represents a case of beer; 24 beer in a case. *sigh* When I say that here everyone looks at me funny....

We didn't go on a big trip, nor are we having BBQ. We've decided to spend the time in the yard. A place you'll find us on most weekends and it never gets dull. Really, it doesn't. I could do this every single weekend... The new neighbours have given the boys boxes to play in (they were up at 6 am asking to go outside). Up until 5 minutes ago they were playing quite nicely... things are breaking down at the moment...

A. is finishing up the mowing of the lawn. It's a big lawn and since we have an electrical mower it usually takes 2 days to cut the back. I did most of it yesterday. We only have one battery. We need another battery. We need sheep or a goat - darn city bylaws. Just think how green our grass would be... and how small the garden would be...

I'm sitting at the back patio typing away and having a glass of wine. There's cheese, black olives and homemade bread sitting on the table. The breeze is cooling the afternoon down and I have to say there really isn't anywhere else I'd rather be right now. Though I wish you were here. Wouldn't that be nice?

For My Mom -

My Peony finally bloomed! Isn't it pretty? The first one opened on Wednesday and now I've got 3 blooms. And do you see the little ant? Pretty cool eh?

From the Garden!

The 1st strawberry! I'm told it smelled wonderful and tasted even better.

Dinner Menu for the week.

It's been raining quite a bit. There's a lake in my backyard. It seems that there's always a lake in my backyard. I really have to work on that rain garden. It's a might bit soggy over there...

Luckily, the rain stopped long enough for E. and I to walk/run/skip/jump downtown and go to the local farmers market. Today was "Go Green Day". I love our little town and all their little gimmics to keep us all happy.

I didn't spend a whole lot, never really do and that's one good reason to shop locally! The potatoes you see were the same price as the bars of soap ($1.00 for both). The soap is made by a place called Marvin Goods. It's glycerin and so far it seems lovely. No scent, pure glycerin and rain water! Fabulous! If you interested you can email them at: clanmarvin@gmail.com and remember it's only 50 cents a bar. I'm also looking into rain barrels from a guy who lives down the street. They deliver and each barrel is $70. Not too shabby.

I'm hoping the plants I got will make it to the fall. There's rosemary, eggplant and a black pepper plant. Cross your fingers! I'm dreaming, dreaming, dreaming of veggie lasagnas and caponatas - as I watch a squirrel dig through the herb garden. Darn squirrels.

Anyway, I ramble... Here's this weeks dinner list. I'm not sure what order they'll be in. Tonight might be roast chicken but I'm currently feeling a little sluggish so it could be nachos and cheese instead...

1. roast chicken, rice and asparagus (from the market today).

2. pizza w/ chicken, spinach and camembart cheese.

3. lentil burgers with salad (lettuce from the garden, shredded apple and carrots).

3. quiche with ham and spinach (also from the garden).

4. chicken soup w/homemade bread (I'm putting flax seed, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in the bread in hopes of lowering A. and my cholesterol levels).

5. chili

6. baked potatoes with chili and cheese.

And that should take us to next Saturday - market day. The first week in June is the first day of our new Tuesday market! Oh, I'm so excited. Until the garden comes in it really does make it easier to have two market days. I go through a ton (TON) of eggs in our house. I asked the local egg lady if they are going to be at the market... they don't know yet though they are really hoping to be. They make an awesome chicken chorizo. Mmmm.... hungry yet?

Too many thoughts.

Following in the foot steps of most of the bloggers out there, I thought I would write down some of the random crap that's been floating around in my head or just random crap I've been doing. You might want to go grap a cookie and a tea - the cookie 'cause it's a cookie and the tea to keep you awake! Nothing profound has been going on here....

- My garden looks like crap this year. I'm not sure if it's because it's only the middle of May and things just haven't popped up quite the way they should be or if it's because my garden has gone to crap (lots of crap around here....). I seriously think there's waaaaaay too much purple and my feeble attempt to correct that has been eaten by the bunnies/squirrels/deer/chipmunks.

- I'm making a cake. It's one of those 'better than sex' cakes. I'm quite excited. This one has pineapple and coconut. I expect Ser at my door around 5pm. ;)

- I love my kids but they're driving me batty. Mr. E. has learned to talk without breathing - about nothing and repeatedly. Like this Family Guy episode. My husband thinks that part of the show was freakin' hilarious. It gave me a twitch.

- I have an abnormal love for potato chips baked with blue cheese. It's an obsession really. I think it has something to do with all of the above...

- I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of disorganization. I can't imagine why.

I now have to go... E. is calling... he wants to play pictionary. i have to pick up A. at the airport in 20 minutes... it's a 20 minute drive... i think my head is going to explode soon or that cake is going to be gone in 15 minutes. i'm hoping for the exploding head 'cause it takes a long time to work off that cake....

Note: yes, there's a lot of grammatical errors in this, i don't care.

Groceries.

Alright, so I didn't actually go get groceries today and with any luck I won't have to go any time this week. I did however make a trip on Friday and spent $65.60 on stuff like ice cream and coffee creamer. I'm a little relaxed - chillin' out and all that...

Actually, I've got tons left over from last week and all I really needed was yogurt, wraps and milk. How I ended up spending more than 20 dollars remains to be seen! I think it might have been because I was hungry or because I thought that the english muffin sale was just too good to pass up. I may have also taken upon myself to keep the dairy farmers in business. I'd really hate for them to start feeling the effects of the recession.

So for your reading enjoyment, here's the list (yah, just a list today) of what went into my reusable bags:

Ice cream cones - sugar variety
Klondike bars (4) - 100 calorie each!
Edys frozen yogurt
Yoplait yogurt. Nothing nutrious at all in these ones.
Silk almondmilk (I'm trying to lower Mr.A's cholesterol)
Baileys coffee creamers - vanilla and original flavour - NEW and yummy!
Gallon of skim milk
Old fashioned oats - time to make some more granola
Unbleached bread flour
Cage free eggs
English muffins - cinnamon and whole wheat
Flour tortilla - omega 3 variety
Boathouse Vanilla Chai Protein Juice.
Bananas
Cored Pineapple - cause it was on sale and my kids will eat it.

Get it before the rabbits do!

The picture is a might bit dark. In my defence, it was dark.

Last night after a day of gardening and entertaining the boys, I went to my over flowing lettuce patch and made me a big ol' salad in one of my silver bowls. The assorted lettuces are getting too close together to grow and so, I may have taken a bit more greens than any one person needs in one sitting (or even two). Add in some shredded lettuce (thank you people at Kraft) and some of those edemame (my new favourite) and "VOILA", dinner!

This is why I love summer and gardening soooo very much. Did I tell you my potatoes are up - about an inch already! I feel like I just planted them ('cause I did).

Outdoors Again.

The rain stayed away today making it a perfect day to plant a whole bundle of stuff. I purchased way too many plants at Oakland Nurserys' this week and they were starting to wilt/die.

There was no rhyme or reason to what I picked out - kind of like everything I do isn't it? However, I did try to stay away from anything that was purple. Really. You wouldn't believe the amount of purple in my garden right now. It's almost embarrassing. Not that I don't like purple but really, there's a lot of purple...

The thing is, if everything I've planted actually thrives then I'm going to be bursting at the seams. Oh, yes, that means a new plot is going to be coming soon! I'm not entirely sure where I'm going to put it though. Perhaps I'll make a chart of the backyard and you can give me a little bit of advice as to how I might spruce it up.

Anyway, the plants I bought this week are:

Sweet Potato Vine (Blackie) - dark purple/black leaves and light pink flowers

Amaranthus - Early Splendor - this one has the best leaves - gorgeous

Coleus - 3 varieties: Volcano, Black Dragon, and a Carefree Mix (ahh)

Purple Cornflower - the flowers look like birdies (the kind for badminton)

Black Eyed Susans - a two tone flower and a staple to any garden

Lobelia - Blue Moon (good beer - totally unrelated topics...)

Marigolds - yellow - I didn't pick them E. did. He thought they were pretty.

Centaurea - Amethyst in Snow - gorgeous flowers

Avens - Mrs. Bradshaw variety - nothing fancy just like the colour

Lobelia, Cardinal Flower - Queen Victoria - even the stems are nice

Balloon Flower in Blue - this was on my list (hurray). pretty little flowers

Coral Bells - for the shaded areas

Foxglove - also for the shaded areas. I love foxglove.

Coreopsis - tickseed. nothing fancy.

Lemon Verbena - also picked out by Mr.E. I think he thinks it's going to grow lemons.

Petunias - miniature pink - yes, petunias. I potted them and I love them. I used to really dislike them but there's something to be said about their colours.

Dahlia bulbs in orange and yellow. Don't judge me.

Wednesday

A very special blessing goes out to our Papa today. He's in surgery right now. If you've got a minute could you stop to say a prayer. Thank you. Oh, and if it's not too much to ask can you say one for a friend of mine - she too is in surgery today. It's cloudy and rainy - seems appropriate.

OMG time flies.

Mondays shopping trip $108.78 - a trip to Trader Joe's and a trip to Target (for peanut butter. Skippy is on sale for $4.74). I still have a few pantry items from last week (carrots, celery, zucchini) that I had to use up. It went well as a meat sauce for last nights penne and it'll be extra special in the lasagna for this evenings meal (Mr. A is dancing at work right now just thinking about it). Tomorrow is a night out at this house (or at least there better be some sort of take-out) and then Thursday and Fridays meal will be homemade chinese (see the dumplings and the shu mai) and polenta fries with some sort of salad - respectively. We're hoping for a sunny Saturday and/or Sunday as my neighbour has promised me a meal of tortellini salad and sea breezes!

The left side of the above picture. See those potatoes? I'm dreaming of an Italian Potato Salad. Mmm.... (Italian Potato Salad is boiled potatoes, chopped onion, and a salad dressing made of red wine vinegar, the above pictured olive oil, s&p, and dijon mustard.)

The right side of the photo above. The kids cliff bars are for S.'s lunch. I'm trying to branch out a little more for him. He hasn't bought his lunch once this year (poor thing) - just homemade stuff - so I thought he deserved a treat. My kids are suckers for these granola bars - me too. I love the chocolate brownies. Mmmm....

See the Edamame in the picture? I've never made it before. I'm not sure my kids are going to fall for them. They're a little green to sneak into a wrap but perhaps if I mush them and make them into a dip? Any suggestions? The kids haven't had Fondue either! Oh, doesn't that seem like it would be fun? Hot cheese, kids with sharp sticks and an open flame.... I'm shaking with excitement!