What do I want to be when I grow up?

I have a list of things I want to be when I grow up:

1.) Chef/Restaurant owner - I have ideas and ideas and ideas for menus, different kinds of restaurants, decors, ideal locations it goes on and on.... now if only I could disappear to culinary school without my kids and husband.........

2.) Pastry Chef/Bakery owner - Cakes.. I want to make cakes... birthday cakes, wedding cakes, cupcakes... I am insanely jealous when I read blogs that I follow like Bakerella - she gets to do this for a living - make beautiful cakes and be on Martha, and attend seminars and meet other beautiful cake making people..... (sigh)

3.) Newsreader/journalist... I want on read the news on CNN or I would settle for the local channel and write magazine articles...!!

4.) Teach dance or horse riding full time - If I lived somewhere where I could do this full time I would.... I used to teach riding part time on weekends and evenings and I loved it. My time teaching ballet - loved it too... think how much skinnier I would be doing that then sitting at a desk in a bank all day.... (yawn)

5.) Wedding/function/party planner! I LOVE weddings and parties! I want to go wine and food tasting and pick colours, flowers...... I want to be like JLo in the wedding planner :) ......(sigh) I'll take the hunky man too....

A childhood Fav.

Apparently one of my favorite meals growing up as a child was stuffed marrow... What is a marrow? A giant zucchini.... I think. I was at the Farmers Market last Friday and Our Garden Path had these giant Zucchini's, I mean seriously look at the size of these things!

So I bought two and thought I would try and recreate my childhood meal. Ground beef, garlic, onions, seasoning..... So this is what it looked like.. it was pretty good. A really good comfort meal with veggies, mash & gravy! Not sure if it tasted how I remembered because to be honest.. I really don't remember!

Exciting day!

So yesterday was a sad day... but we also had a little bit of excitement.. Caleb had his open house at school! He officially starts next Wednesday but yesterday he got to meet his classmates, see his classroom, meet Mrs Morrison his teacher and go for a bus ride. I packed his backpack with all the stuff he had to leave there.. I hadn't showed him his backpack yet so he was SUPER excited that it was a Spiderman backpack (of course why would be buy anything else?) At the school they had an OPP officer come and talk to the kids about riding the bus, how to get on and off safely etc... then we got to go for a bus ride (Mums & Dads too!). He is so excited to start school and I will have my fingers crossed for Mrs Morrison.. they have 12 in the class... 10 boys, 2 girls. Maybe I'll say a prayer for her too....

Sad day......

Yesterday we discovered that our poor car Zoe was hit by a car sometime in the night. I found her in the middle of the road right in front of our house. So sad... this was the nicest cat I have ever known. I always have thought with cats it is hit and miss.. you never know what you are getting - if they will curl up and cuddle with you or scratch you eye balls out. I was also never a cat person growing up so I was never really 100% comfortable around them but Zoe made it hard not to love her. She was especially attached to Mason. When she saw or heard him coming she would run to his feet and wait for him to pet her or pick him up. Mason you grab her under her arms and she would just lay there limp and let him carry her around the room, or put her on his bed so they could cuddle together.

We decided to tell Caleb when he got out of bed and let him go and pet her so that he could say goodbye and have some understanding of what happened (also a good lesson - don't run in the road in front of cars). So he did and was upset (I thought Sean was going to ball his eyes out through this part, it was especially hard for him). But I don't think he really has an understanding as to what really happened as he keeps asking if the doctor is going to come to look a Zoe.. then I have to explain the whole thing again and remind him that he already said goodbye. It's a hard one and as traumatic as it would have been I almost think he should have been there when we buried her..? Maybe it would have just made it a little more final for him. It make sme so sad to think about it.. I still expect her to come around the corner outside or curl up with me on the couch.. :(

So proud of my hubby!!

Headed out to Lorne Lake tonight for supper & a swim at Mike & Alice's place. We met Mike and Alice when they hired Sean to finish their cottage. When he first went and looked at it, it was just a wood shell, so he finished everything from the shingles on the roof, installing the bathroom & kitchen to the dry wall, painting and the custom trim & stair case that he made. This was a really great project as it gave him lots of room to be creative. Mike gave me a copy of 'Homes & Cottages' magazine once we got there and flicked through to an article written about their cottage and some of the features that it was finished off with complete with pictures! I am so proud of Sean!! There aren't a lot of before photos that I can find but I included a few... bad quality as they were taken from a palm pilot....

Drywall hung, temporary stairs & bridge built...

Kitchen down below, bedroom upstairs..

Custom Trim work...

Walk way Sean had just built....

Walk way finished!

Sitting area...

Custom staircase....

I can see why Mike and Alice love their waterfront get away... it is so peaceful and relaxing. We had a yummy supper (Lemon pepper pork chops from Burt's Farms), pasta salad, boiled new potatoes & cheese bread. To drift a little bit.... tomorrow is Monday so I am back on my diet again... I kind of fall off the wagon a little bit on the weekends but try to really stick to it during the week. I haven't weighed myself so I don't know if I have lost but I 'feel' like I have... so I guess that is all that really matters. Anyways some pictures from this afternoon, the boys on their boat ride and bike ride!!

Dinner at 'The School House' - Happy Birthday Ashley!

We are very lucky on this small island that we don't have to travel too far for a great meal.... Want to go out and treat yourself to a good meal???.... well this is the place to go! We headed to The School House on Friday night for a meal for Ashley's birthday, soon as it was so nice we got to sit outside which I have never had the opportunity to do... we must always go at night or when the weather isn't too good! This resturant is housed in a century old schoool house - the original Providence Bay Elementary School. It is quaint, relaxing and they make fabulous food!

When I go out for dinner somewhere were I know I won't be disappointed I always scour the menu for something different and definitely something that I usually wouldn't cook at home (if you know me though there is not much I won't tackle in the kitchen).... there are just some things that are better when they aren't cooked by you. For me one of those things is definitely Lamb... I LOVE lamb. Something I very rarely cook myself.......... So of course that's what I had for my main course. My appetizer... a very yummy crab in a creamy sauce served in a ramekin and for desert......

My all time weakness in life... Creme Brulee!!!

Notes from a hot hot house!!

So I have a feeling that when my husband comes home from being on a roof all day and the house is 45 degrees because the oven has been on and I serve him the hot soup I made today he probably will think I am crazy..... But I was feeling a little inspired to cook tonight...

I was watching restaurant makeover and the chef on the show made this soup that looked AMAZING! It was Roasted Cauliflower soup. I made it with a few changes.. really simple. Toss the Cauliflower in olive oil, salt, pepper (I also added Thyme as I had some fresh) and roast in your oven... when done add to a pot with red onions and veggie stock ( I put half veggie, half chicken and added some sweetcorn - a fave with the boys) and simmer.. then blend! Voila you have thick, creamy yummy yummy soup!!!

When we first got our satellite in this house I cheaped out and got the basic package. I have since upgraded and included the cooking network. I don't know how I went so long without it... When I was pregnant the channel never changed from it (which may explain my being over weight now!). Now I draw inspiration from a few other places... Since I started blogging I have found so many amazing blogs and met some pretty cool people. I read blogs that I have bookmarked most mornings with my coffee but the 3 below are ones I look at when I am stuck for something for supper, a dinner party, what to do with left over blueberries or what to make for a bake sale.... Check them out.... Who needs the food network anyways???

http://www.aartilla.blogspot.com/

http://www.lovintheoven.com/

http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/

http://basilandthyme.blogspot.com/

The out of control muffin top......

The conversation went a little like this

Running into someone I haven't seen for a longtime, pleasantries exchanged then.....

"Wow!!" Reaching and patting my stomach "You're expecting again!!! When are you due??"

I mutter something about actually not being pregnant and stare at my feet...

(awkward moment & Perry's jaw hits the ground breaking the silence)

"I am so sorry" she is now bright red.

Oh no no it's ok....