notes from a brown house

Sunday afternoon bread project...

2012-02-13T19:55:00.007-05:00

I love cooking projects with the kids... This particular Sunday afternoon I decided to attempt bread. I really think it is a science, as to me it is impossibly hard to master. I have tried a number of times and failed... miserably. I was watching the cooking channel and the 'Barefoot Contessa' whipped up this 'Honey White Bread' like it was nothing! It looked so easy!!

Here are my little helpers (who are quite experienced 'making bread' as they have done it before with Uncle Perry - the bread master) .....

It was a very east bread recipe.. not that much fussing as making bread goes... I love the smell of bread cooking in the oven... fresh and warm with butter I could eat a whole loaf!

And the best way to eat bread? According to the boys with breakfast... so breakfast for supper it was!! Here is the recipe below.. try it out!

Honey White Bread - Barefoot Contessa

½ cup warm water (110 degrees)
2 packages dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1½ cups warm whole milk (110 degrees)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1½ tablespoons honey
2 extra-large egg yolks
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Place the water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. If the bowl is cold, be sure the water temperature doesn’t drop below 110 degrees. Add the yeast and sugar; stir and allow them to dissolve for 5 minutes.

Add the milk, butter, and honey. Mix on medium speed until blended. Add the egg yolks, 3 cups of the flour, and the salt. Mix on low speed for about 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low speed, add 2 more cups of flour. Raise the speed to medium and slowly add just enough of the remaining flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl. Add the flour slowly; you can always add more but you can’t take it out. Knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary.

Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a minute, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl with butter, put the dough in the bowl, then turn it over so the top is lightly buttered. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow it to rise for one hour, until doubled in volume.

Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans with butter. Divide the dough in half, roll each half into a loaf shape and place each in a prepared pan. Cover again with the damp towel, and allow to rise again for an hour, until doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When the dough is ready, brush the tops with the egg white and bake the breads for 40 to 45 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped. Turn them out of the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Rhubarb Adventures...

2011-07-19T18:42:00.004-04:00

What to do with all the Rhubarb from my Gypsy Family Farm shares... Well Rhubarb pie would be the obvious answer except I have childhood nightmares of being forced to eat horrid Rhubarb pie in Primary school in the days of school dinners. I also am not a 'pie' fan... I hate pastry.. It is heavy and the last thing I want after a good meal! So I went searching online and found a recipe for a 'Ruffled Phyllo Tart with Spring Fruit'. (cooking.c om is always a good place to search when you are stuck for ideas!) This seemed really appealing to me, I love the other fruit in it, it is phyllo pastry so not so heavy AND it looks so pretty! The finished pie reminds me of an Elizabethan collar...
So this is how much I disliked Rhubarb... I hated the smell of it cooking... I hated the smell of it cutting it up... and mixed in with the other fruit it just reminded me of snot. Eweee gross right??

I changed the recipe a bit from cooking.com... I used honey and ground almonds instead of breadcrumbs for between the layers.. I thought it may have more of a baklava taste to it.... I also cut the rhubarb into slightly bigger pieces... thus losing the snot texture :)

Before it is ready to go into the oven! Pretty right? It's super easy to make and quite impressive to present to dinner guests...

SO the final verdict?? The apricot was too sour with the sour Rhubarb... We didn't find the fruit combination a good one and my hubby not a big apricot fan... I attempted the tart a second time as I had plenty of Rhubarb to do so and this time omitted the Apricot but added blackberries and strawberries....

This was a much better combination and made the tart sweeter but without losing the tartness of the Rhubarb and without adding a ton of extra sugar to it....

Here is the recipe for my 'Rhubarb & Berry Tart':

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey plus extra for between the layers of phyllo
1lb fresh Rhubarb trimmed and cut into pieces no smaller than 1 inch
1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with cold water
1 cup strawberries
1 cup blackberries
Oil & butter melted together to brush on phyllo
Phyllo pastry thawed (Presidents Choice make it.. it comes in a box and you can find it in the grocery store, freezer where the pie crusts are)
Ground almonds Icing sugar for dusting

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 9 inch pie dish place a piece of phyllo centered in dish... Lightly brush with butter & oil mixture, drizzle with honey and sprinkle some of 1/2 teaspoon the ground almonds on... Repeat with 5 more sheets of phyllo, laying each at a 45° angle to the previous one and sprinkling each with ground almonds & drizzling with honey. Scrape the filling into the crust. Brush one of the remaining phyllo sheets with oil-butter mixture. Place another sheet on top at a 45° angle. Repeat with 2 more sheets. Place the stack on the filling. Fold the overhanging phyllo up around the tart, creating a ruffled border. Dab any remaining oil-butter mixture on top. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake until nicely browned and bubbling slightly, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature (about 1 1/2 hours). Dust with icing sugar.

So I have to say that I have acquired a taste for the Rhubarb that I disliked so much...!

Lovage & Potato Soup

2011-05-26T19:35:00.006-04:00

WHAT IS WITH THIS WEATHER?? Today was windy, cold & wet all day. I was planning to BBQ some pork, have it with a salad, but all day I just wanted soup to warm up! There is nothing better on a chilly day than home made soup to warm you up. I especially needed it tonight after swimming lessons with the kids.. man it was cold in that pool!!!

In my last blog post I was raving about all the great produce I got from Gypsy Family Farm. One of which was Lovage which I had no idea what to do with. Well I did some googling and read all about Lovage and found tons of recipes but the most common one to come up was 'Potato and Lovage Soup'. The perfect day for it... I picked this one because it has leeks in it... I LOVE leeks! I found it on a fabulous blog that I happened to come across called 'You are what you eat'. I have been reading back in the archives of this blog and found some really interesting posts, some of us really don't pay any attention to what we are putting in our bodies, I am guilty at times too... I encourage you to check it out!

When I was reading about Lovage I noticed that it is compared a lot to celery. It was my husband's first reaction to the soup as he hates celery... but as he ate more of it he said he liked it more. (I had to laugh as this was the same reaction of the writer's spouse on the 'you are what you eat' blog) I couldn't disagree more that it tasted like celery! To me celery is bland and has no taste without half a salt shaker on it. Lovage to me had a great flavour and almost tasted a little peppery. When I put it in the soup pot the smell was so fragrant and it made me think of a lamb and spinach curry I made a few weeks back. It would make a wonderful addition to a curry sauce.

Caleb waiting patiently for his soup to warm up after swimming!!

We had soup with cheese bread.. Kids favourite! I made a double batch to plenty for lunch the next couple of days!! Mason (my 4yr old in July) asked me what the green stuff was. So I replied 'Lovage'... He said 'what is that?'... I replied 'something I put in your soup to make you love Mummy more!'...... He wasn't terribly impressed by that answer (I got a look). And he wouldn't eat his soup!

OK I will stop talking about 'Lovage' now :)

First Farm Shares!!

2011-05-24T20:28:00.008-04:00

This year we signed up for farm shares with a local farm Gypsy Family Farm. You basically pay for the season and every week you get a bin full of exciting, fresh produce! Every Friday I would go down to the Farmers Market in Gore Bay, so if I don't get down there because I am working then I won't miss out on all the good stuff!! Our first week we got Maple Syrup (Yum! - my kids already are asking for pancakes), Chives, Asparagus, Rhubarb, Rhubarb Jelly and Lovage.

Now the Rhubarb Jelly Caleb will love on toast in the morning. Rhubarb I always say I hate but I am not sure if I do... I have a childhood nightmare of being in school in England where you have cooked school dinners... I remember having to eat this sour, stringy, HORRIBLE, Rhubarb pie... I remember it to this day... I don't think I have had it since then so this will be a kitchen challenge for me.. and this is what I love about this... Take for instance Lovage. This had to be explained to me as by the look on my puzzled face it was clear I had no idea what it was!

It looks like large parsley leaves. The leaves can be used in salads, soups, sauces and stews as a natural thickener. I googled 'Lovage' in recipes and was amazed by what I found... Lovage soup, butter, vinaigrette, with Lobster, Shrimp, Gammon steaks.... So I will have to post what I end up doing with my Lovage... another culinary adventure!

You are what you eat?

2011-03-28T19:17:00.006-04:00

So here we go again... It's almost April and I have not lived up to my yearly new years resolution of losing weight... AGAIN. Since doing meatless Mondays I have discovered new foods like Quinoa and Bulgar. I love to cook so have always cooked from scratch I just don't have an 'I'm full' meter.. there is no cut off point... I just keep eating... I thought if I ate healthier then I would get skinnier!!

My husband Sean is allergic to yeast. He has had allergy tests over the years but has only really started to notice (or paid attention as to) how it affects his body as of late. You'll laugh but one of the things he noticed was that when he drank Steam whistle Beer he had more allergy symptoms (stuffy nose, itchy eyes etc..) than when he drank other beers. It turns out that Steam Whistle is an all natural beer... other beers are not so natural killing off the yeast content. So we decided to try a yeast free diet and see how it affects him, if he feels less tired, less bloated etc...

So I get on the internet and try and find recipes that are yeast free... There are hardly any!! So I check out Amazon, Chapters etc... and the newest book I can find is published in 2000. There are so many other diet specific books out there but not that many for yeast apparently? then I stumbled across this website http://www.theyeastdiet.com/index.php and her facebook page. I ordered the book and got my questions answered by the author in less than an hour. So I am anxiously awaiting my cook books! I'll let you know how it goes....

In the meantime reading through her website I am shocked by the things you can't eat & drink... Beer, Wine, Spirits.. of course. Bread... mayo, pickles, coffee, any kind of sugar, dairy... What can we eat???!!! - Vegetables, beans, meat, eggs and grains.... My husband is going to hate me. So we may have to try a variation on this diet and try to cut yeast... I don't think he can live without mayo....

I also decided that I need to get 'You are what you eat' and the cook book.... It makes sense.. right? Something has got to make me skinny again.... Skinny & healthy is the goal so this seems like it is the book for me!

Don't forget about Earth Hour tonight!!!

2011-03-26T09:08:00.003-04:00

What are your plans for Earth Hour tonight??

My favorite things for Christmas.....

2011-01-03T15:52:00.004-05:00

Lets see... Uggs, Cozy Pj's......

But I got Two really cool things for Christmas that have to share with you....

1.)

Cake Pops Book by Bakerella

I am dying to try some of these out! I have been a follower of her website for some time and often go there for recipes... but this is so cool! And you don't have to be a fancy cake maker to do them. Most of her recipes use a store bought cake mix and store bought tubs of icing. Watch this space.... Cake pops coming soon!!!

2.)

The Shoes of Salvation by Edward Monkton

The best book ever for your friend who is a shoe shopaholic. I can't even put it into words how great this book is... a lady who buys some shoes because the talk to her and make her realize that her life is not complete without them... I am sure I am not the only person who has had this happen to them.. right..??? So funny, cute, well written, illustrated.. is going next to the bible on my book shelf.

Last line of the book.... "...That sometimes, only GLORIOUS SHOES can SAVE you."

Need I say anymore???

Oh forgot to tell you....

2010-12-30T17:39:00.005-05:00

Remember that cake competition that I put the Thanksgiving cake in that Sean and I made??

Well....

We won!!!!!

I came home a few days later and there was a box on my doorstep from Simon & Schuster with some books in it.... As I love being in the kitchen and 'creating' masterpieces it was brilliant... like Christmas had come early!!! Here is the list of books they sent...

An autographed copy of 'Cake Boss'
Bon Appetit Desserts
Foodista - Best of food blogs
The World Kitchen - Williams Sonoma
Cooking Essentials - Williams Sonoma
Cooking from the Farmers Market - Williams Sonoma
Tools & Techniques - Williams Sonoma

I made some Indian Korma and substituted the chicken for Turkey with an excellent recipe from The World Kitchen.... My only disappointment was that I thought Aarti (Aarti Paarti) would have been in the Foodista cook book. As soon as I got it I combed the pages looking for one of her recipes and much to my dismay there wasn't one!

I haven't quite made my way through all of them yet, I love reading cook books.... but, if you like making cakes, desserts, squares etc... Bon Appetit Desserts is an excellent book to have in your cooking library. I did get a lot of my Christmas baking recipes from it. I have been trying to collect all the Williams-Sonoma collection cook books so I was really happy that there were a few Willams-Sonoma books in there too!!

Thank you Simon & Schuster!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T00:04:00.009-05:00

Merry Christmas to everyone! Hope a wonderful Christmas was had by all! Ours was pretty low key (but I am still exhausted!)... Santa, presents, dinner with the family, building ginger bread houses, waiting for the man in red...

The Christmas tree after Santa & Grandma & Grandad visited....

A special gift from Caleb that he made at school... some Christmas and tree decorations! He was so excited to give it to us! My favorite day is boxing day. The kids woke up today, we all just hung out and they played with their new toys almost all day. The kids make my Christmas... (that and the fireplace channel on the TV!) they were super excited for the man in red and to get their little hands on the parcels under the tree. I love cooking Christmas dinner for our family. The only thing I hate about Christmas is being so far away from all my family. I wish that I could share the excitement with my sisters, my grandparents and my friends that are so close to me that they will always be family.....
Caleb & Dad enjoying a Christmas nap... had to share. I love my boys :)

Thanksgiving Cake Project

2010-11-16T19:53:00.004-05:00

My husband and I made our first cake together!!! We wanted to do something nice for our family thanksgiving dinner and his Mum's 70th birthday. Sean really wanted us to do something together and was adamant he wanted to help out!!! So I made a red velvet cake and got to practice my basket weave again!!! (sigh) I baked orange coloured mini bundt cakes to use for the pumpkins then we went about decorating. Sean is so good and modeling the fondant and all the little details. I was actually pretty impressed that he got the hang of working with the fondant right away where as it took me a few tries to get the hang of it.

All of the cake is edible... all the veggies (which the kids tried to eat with their dinner instead of the real ones), the basket, the fruit..... It turned out pretty good! There is always the stress when I make these cakes that it will be a complete disaster... and I am turning up with a grocery store slab cake instead!! A friend posted on my facebook wall about a cake decorating contest so I decided to enter our cake! You can vote for it here.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2010-10-06T18:02:00.003-04:00

Join Loco Beanz and support Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

If you click on the link below and add yourself as a friend to the Loco Beanz facebook page. Once they hit 500 friends then they will donate $100.00! Right now they are at 434 friends....

http://www.facebook.com/index.php?#!/profile.php?id=100001107406869

Also starting Friday at Loco Beanz buy a breast cancer cookie for $2.50 or a breast cancer travel mug for $7.50 and $2.00 from every sale will be used to buy blankets from My O'l Blues for the cancer patients at the Manitoulin Health Centre. The blankets are so soft and warm!

For more information call Loco Beanz @ (705) 282-0007 or (705) 368 2261.

A very productive day

2010-10-03T19:04:00.003-04:00

So I had a super productive day today... I made two cakes.... Toopy & Binoo.

Went for a really long walk with a friend EVEN though I was feeling super lazy and just wanted to go back to bed....

Cut the grass... I was hoping I was done with that for this year.... I started pruning my apple tree... My neighbors probably think I am crazy! Especially when I was hanging from the tree 6ft up with my husband's cordless saw in my hand and the ladder tipped over... I hope no one was watching!! I also picked apples so I think next week will be an apple/pumpkin pie making week!

Made ham & scalloped potatoes for supper and I am about to put the kids in the tub and get them in bed before I tidy the kitchen.

Then..... I am going to crash!

Cake Post....

2010-09-26T16:41:00.004-04:00

I spent yesterday making cakes...

This one was for Lainey's 2nd birthday!! Time flies I can't believe she is two already!!!!

For another birthday party...

I just have to make Caleb's now... talking of time flying he is 5 on Tuesday!!! And he wants a Batman cake... surprise surprise...... :)

Meatless Monday - But on a Tuesday....

2010-08-31T18:08:00.003-04:00

Krissy wasn't kidding when she said these were good! Yummy! I made zucchini fritters (except mine had zucchini and summer squash (from Gypsy Family Farms) that I had to use up in my fridge.) They have feta, fresh mint, dill, lemon zest, garlic... I made my mixture then went to get the kids and when I came back the house smelt amazing! Like garlic, lemon and fresh herbs!

I was a little worried about them falling apart when I fried them after the falafel incident but they turned out pretty good! I wish I had some time to make homemade coleslaw to go with my tomato salad and fritters but out of time so packaged it is :(

I am definitely getting more adventurous in my vegetarian cooking. I bought some quinoa at the health food store yesterday.. oh and some tofu! I had never heard of quinoa let alone ate it before I started eating at Island Chill. So I am ready to take on a few different recipies and try some more of it. I kind of scares me though because it is like cooking rice and I am HORRIBLE at cooking rice. It always turns out like rice pudding... pudding quinoa won't be so good for my salad!

Meatless Mondays I am back!!

2010-08-16T18:59:00.002-04:00

Totally inspired today but my yummy lunch at Island Chill (maple ginger tofu wrap & quinoa salad - yes I am getting more adventurous in my choice off the menu!), my girlfriend had a spicy Thai tofu stir fry that looked so good.... so stir fry for supper it is! I decided to stay on the veggie track for Meatless Monday!

It really shouldn't be hard to do with all the veggies I have from Gypsy Family Farms in my fridge. I made a stir fry with the giant summer squash as the 'meat' of the dish... my kids think they look like spaceships so they are always excited to eat them. Threw in some other veggie and over the top of noodles... again a kid favorite, kids LOVE noodles! Of course I got the usual grunting from my poor dirty husband who has been on a roof all day 'is this a meatless Monday thing? humph... would be good with some meat'... I don't think he is going to be turning vegetarian any time soon!

Now for something creative for next week......

Summertime cooking...

2010-08-02T16:22:00.003-04:00

I love cooking in the summer!!! Pitchers of Farquhars lemonade with fresh fruit and ice, BBQ's and of course all the fresh produce!! I love going to the farmers market and coming back with armfuls of fresh locally grown produce. The stuff you buy in the supermarket doesn't even compare! I have been getting excited every meal over which veggie we are going to try today (so has Caleb)... Paired with my Jamie Oliver cook book... watch out!! This meal was super easy it was from my JO cook book... I changed a few things.

I used white-fish fresh from the Purvis fish truck on Fridays in Gore Bay, multi coloured beans (green, yellow, purple, speckled) from gypsy farms, the pesto was from the grocery store (next time I will make my own but the PC one is pretty good) and I added baby Parmesan... my kids love cheese they will eat almost anything if you put cheese on it! All fresh local produce and so very yummy and super easy to make!!!

If I could bake cakes all day I would be happy...

2010-07-16T20:05:00.006-04:00

I love making cakes.... So when C asked me to make a cake for a stag and doe that she was organizing I agreed to do it for her... she figured it would be the perfect gift for the bride and groom and I figured it would be a great opportunity to get to do a cake with fondant. I figured it wouldn't be that hard... I mean I have made a ton of cakes... and I watch 'Ace of Cakes' and 'Cake Boss' all the time... They just roll out the fondant and just smooth it on. Easy! This is what I was going to attempt...
Ok I was wrong. It was not easy at all.... The baking was easy.. but the fondant was stressful!! Getting the right texture. Kneading it enough but not too much..... And the cracking!! Oh the cracking!!!! How they get it on smooth with no cracking or tearing...?? More practice needed!!!! Luckily I had my friend (and expert cake maker) Hilary on speed dial for help and coaching over the phone in emergencies and Lisabeth on standby in case I ran out of fondant!!! I love the decorating.. making all the little flowers, dusting them with pearl dust... the piping although I do wish that I had an easier time with the icing I made. I would have liked to have used a smaller tip but due to time constraints and my icing already bagged it came out a little less delicate than I would have liked. I also decided to do 2 tiers to make it look a little less weddingy. I couldn't believe how heavy it was! It took two of us to carry it to the car! All in all I was pretty proud of my effort... it looked pretty impressive and I managed to cover up the bad spots with flowers and piping... now I am dying to perfect and want to make a 'real' wedding cake that looks perfect!!!!

My stress was some what heightened as I had 3 cakes to make for Saturday.... the stag & doe, Ironman and a Cinderella cake for Mason & Alexandra's 3rd birthday party!

Joining the 30's club....

2010-07-13T08:34:00.006-04:00

July 9th. 1980. That's my birth date which means I turned 30 this year! 30!!! I had to fill out a form the other day and it asked for your age and I wrote 30 for the first time. I squealed as I wrote it... and then had to explain to everyone around why!

My actual birthday (apart from turning 30) was lots of fun... a few weekends prior my friend Leeann organized a surprise birthday party! We went for dinner at Todd and Perry's...... Here is a picture of the boys comparing their pipes before dinner....

... came home to 30 people in my house.... I was definitely surprised and had NO IDEA!! Last crazy night of my 20's.... Check out the cake that Lisabeth made for me! If you know me you know I LOVE shoes! Leeann apparently knows me very well!!

And I even had some friends from across the other end of the Island come for the surprise!

My actual birthday was a lot more low key!! I am 30 now you know!!.. drinks with a few friends.. beautiful flowers from my hubby and my sis.... I got some really thoughtful presents.. a Thai massage from my hubby (20 hours of bliss), a cook book from my friend C... which I have read like a novel! I love Jamie Oliver!!!

Some Pajama Pj's from Audrey... They are so comfy... I want to live in them. Oh and did I mention a Tiffany's bracelet from my sister???

Do I not have the best sister in the world???

How spoilt am I????

I AM Canadian!!

2010-06-30T08:50:00.006-04:00

It's official. After 10 years of living here, two Canadian children... I am now Canadian! Just in time for Canada Day! My dear friend Audrey came with me to Sudbury for the ceremony and of course followed by a major shopping trip to celebrate! It was pretty exciting when we finally got there... of course I had the stress of my car being broken right before and leaving all my documents in my safety deposit box at the bank! There were two ceremonies that day and two islanders with me in the first one and Lynne & Kevin in the second one. It would have been so nice to have been all together and had a picture of the newest Manitoulin Canadians!

We went to an amazing Thai restaurant to celebrate... and I had to have one of these....

It is a key lime pie cocktail.. and if you know me you know I LOVE key lime pie!!!! I can't remember the exact name but malibu, lim cordial, pina colada mix, cream and coconut to finish it all off.... SO GOOD!!! Alcoholic liquid pudding in a glass! Yummy! Need to try and re-create that one! Followed by.... just a few of the dishes... we really pigged out!

BUT!!! The most exciting part of the day... well ok it was a very exciting day (citizenship, completely indulgent I am now broke shopping, alcoholic liquid pudding, yummy food) but....

COLD STONE CREAMERY!!!!!!!!

Just the best ice cream place IN THE WORLD! NOW IN CANADA!! And in Sudbury! I thought I saw a sign the last time I was in Sudbury but soon as Audrey and I were having a great day spending money and stuffing our faces with anything yummy we had to investigate!!! When I lived in Windsor my friend Meredith introduced me to Coldstone Creamery. We drove across the border (a few times at lightening speed) to get some before they closed!

Basically they have all these base flavours which you can try and then add whatever you like to.. they make it in front of you on a cold marble slab. Just the best ice cream EVER!!!!

So to finish.... I am now Canadian, more overweight (sigh) and broke!

Pencil Test

2010-06-10T20:55:00.004-04:00

I went to Sudbury on Tuesday with my mother in law and she said the funniest thing to me that made me laugh. We were talking about getting older - I am having a huge issue with turning 30 and she was telling me about Joan Rivers on TV talking about her boobs being down by her ankles..... anyway, she told me to do the 'pencil test'.

Basically if you put a pencil under your boob and you can hold it there then you are definitely 'past it'. And as you get older it gets worse, forget the pencil do the test with your cell phone, day planner and your purse!!! Man did I laugh out loud! And yes I did come home and try the pencil test not with a pencil but with a sharpie marker and I failed miserably!!! One more thing to share with you....

Dinner at Rocky Racoon!!

2010-06-02T08:01:00.004-04:00

I am so excited that Robin decided to come back this year and open the Rocky Raccoon Cafe in Gore Bay. As much as I love to drive to Providence Bay to The School house or to Tehkummah to Garden's Gate, we were really missing a fine dining place in town to eat. Nothing like being able to sit in the 'red roof' overlooking the Bay and enjoy a good meal! Robin's menu is different from what you will get anywhere else on the Island.. he makes a mean curry and great samosas and maple spiced bread. Last night (I meant to take a picture of the menu) he was preparing two curries.. a chicken one and a venison curry, a veggie stir-fry with tofu, chicken stuffed with goats cheese and wild boar bacon & whitefish. I might have missed a few things.... The only thing I was disapointment about what that some friends went there last night and had wild boar steaks.... It wasn't on the menu last night, I was really excited to try it! But I did try the venison curry. I have only ever had venison in the form of a sausage or a pepperette so I finally got to eat 'real' venison meat!

I had a mango lassi to drink... so yummy. It was like having dessert first! I also had the Thai coconut chicken soup to start... It was a little spicy for me but so good that I ate it anyway! Robin will make everything to your taste so whether you want something super spicy or really mild he will make it just how you like it!!!

So I totally broke my diet to have dinner tonight, not only did I have a starter, a huge curry, a dessert drink I also had two desserts... Total pig. We went for dinner because it was a friends birthday and the cake they bought out was AMAZING! Girls, I have found what I want for my birthday cake.... It was like a frozen key lime pie but on meringues, topped with a blackberry compote and frozen blackberries. So yummy!!!!!!

And because one desert wasn't enough I had the Rocky Raccoon balls.... yummy cream puffs!

Now that I have consumed all my calories for one week in one sitting I guess I will have to starve myself for the rest of the week! If you would like to get an idea of the menu here is a link to his Owen Sound restaurant, and if you are in Gore Bay make sure you stop in for lunch or dinner! It's too good to miss!

The Meatless Monday posts I forgot to post!

2010-05-28T11:23:00.004-04:00

So I missed two of them I think...??

Ok one day I made a mushroom pasta with sour cream and smoked paprika... hmmm....

As you can tell the boys loved it...!!!

The other meal I made was a spinach and mushroom lasagna... I don't have any pictures because my camera battery was dead. The recipe was from cooks illustrated. Someone bought me the magazine to read while I was in hospital and I thought to myself 'hmm I should try this for Meatless Monday'!

Eat, Pray, Love.

2010-05-24T20:13:00.003-04:00

I was just reading through my blog and I can't believe I never wrote about this book! I felt certain I had, unless I am just missing it... I guess I should start using the labels may be easier to find things after a few hundred posts...

Julia Roberts was on Oprah today talking about the movie 'Eat, Pray, Love' in which she plays Elizabeth Gilbert. Read the book first! They say that they stay really true to the book and I hope they do because I LOVED this book. Although her journey is so personal I felt so connected and really understood the emotions Elizabeth Gilbert felt on her year long journey; and I think if you have had your heart broken, felt completely lost in the world, gone through a divorce or just have dreams that you would love to turn into reality then you'll feel connected to her too. Her message personal yet so universal. I laughed when I read this book and I also cried understanding her pain and wishing that I could hop on the next plane to start a journey of my own... (Definitely eating in Spain and learning Spanish would be my 'Eat'.)

When I read this book I felt like I wasn't alone in the personal journey I went through after my divorce. My husband walked out on me. It's something you never think will happen... when you get married you don't exactly plan the divorce. I never expected that my marriage would end. It was something that I struggled with. I felt lost, a failure, big failure.... I wasn't sure who I was, or if I ever knew who I was. I was ridiculously young and emotionally fragile when I got married not exactly the best foundation but I still said 'I do' to forever. So what next? How do you carry on and look ahead when you feel so hopeless?

As horrible as my marriage ending was I learnt so much from it. So much about relationships, people and most importantly myself. I think for the first time I started to discover who I am and have realized that I will keep learning that. I learnt for the first time to have faith not only in myself but to let myself believe in God. It taught me that I have to be able to set boundaries within my family, marriage, friendships; sometimes I have to lower the expectations I have of people around me.

I am excited to see this movie like I said I loved the book and I also am a huge Julia Roberts fan. Also I wanted to mention that Elizabeth Gilbert has a new book out - 'Committed'. I haven't read it yet and I went to buy it in Chapters the other day but as desperate as I am to read it I couldn't bring myself to spend the money on the hardcover.... I am cheap and will wait for them to get the paperback in.

Anyways something to think about.... What is your eat, love and pray??? (Something Oprah asked Julia) Here are mine below.

My Eat - Surf & Turf... this is why meatless mondays are so hard for me! I love a big juicy steak and I also love shrimp, lobster, crab... whatever you want to put on the side that you pulled from the ocean and is covered in garlic! Yummmy!

My Pray - ...... I need to get back to you on that one still trying to figure out what I got goin' on spiritually.... Let's just say it's still a learning experience for me.

My Love - Hand down my boys.... There is nothing that compares to the love you have for your children and they love they have for you. I can't even describe how I feel when I look in their eyes or when I see them sleeping so peacefully. They are my life, my family and they will always be a part of me. They are truly the loves of my life.

Wanna join my pity party?

2010-05-15T17:49:00.003-04:00

So it's my turn to feel sorry for myself.... I just feel blah..... I don't know why I had a great morning with C and Audrey. We had another key lime pie get together! Yummy!

I had a rough week with feeling good and doing too much... twice. First time I thought I was going to pass out and the second time my tummy was left super swollen and super sore. I am still super sore. I was so frustrated as I feel good that is until you try and do something. So now I am more frustrated. That I can't do anything. And that I am as sore as I was the first week I came home and this is week 3. Damn.

My kids seem a little peaky. Caleb has been having ear infection issues and Mason woke up not feeling good either crying and being super sucky. Iron man the cartoon seems to have fixed that right now.

Sean is working ALL weekend so I am by myself with the kids. He just came back from spending the night in Espanola and spending time with friends and is talking about going again to Sudbury next weekend again... Nice for him huh?

And I am so upset that I was mean to be in Southern Ontario at a wedding today and because I am super sore and can't do anything I couldn't be there. Boo hoo to me.

So there you go... BLAH..... Blogging it out... I could go on but I won't.... Think I am going to have the last piece of key lime pie instead. Wondering what wine should I pair with that???

Meatless Monday - Veggie Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries

2010-05-10T19:57:00.007-04:00

Ahhh Meatless Monday how I have missed you.... I have been out of the kitchen for 2 weeks but watch out I am back! LOL I found this recipe on the food network... I was a little stumped as to what to make this week (blame it on the foggy brain) but luckily I spent a lot of time watching the food network the last couple of weeks and remembered a 'Guy's Big Bite' show where he made veggie burgers.... Brilliant! It looked super easy good way to get started again!
I bought pre-cut sweet potatoes in a bag. A little lazy yes but they were calling my name. I thought if I just tossed them in oil and some seasoning salt and put them in the oven they would turn out like oven baked fries... or crispy roasted potatoes.. or like the sweet potato fries at the Anchor Inn.... Wrong. 1st disaster of the night.

Now as I am putting all the ingredients together I am reminded of the 'falafel disaster' where everything just disintergrated in the pan as soon as it touched the hot oil. Veggies, beans, chickpeas, oats.... I am just dreading the 2nd disaster of the night... I am also thinking to myself maybe I shouldn't be worried about a project like Julia Child's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' when I can't master Meatless Mondays!

My hubby is doing the Atkins Diet which I just don't get... I guess it works for some people but all the meat you can eat just doesn't seem healthy, although granted a 'manly way' to diet. I guess I can't knock it my everything in moderation diet doesn't seem to work.. not counting the half a tub of mint choc chip ice cream with chocolate shell and skor bits I had for lunch. Needless to say he won't be joining us on Mondays for supper until his dieting days are done.

But...... they turned out ok! I probably could have browned them a little more so they were a little bit more golden brown but they stayed together! Don't they look better and healthier than the ones above??? And they tasted pretty damn good too!!! oh and btw I opted for regular oven baked fries to have with it instead!

My Meatless Monday Veggie Burgers! Yummy!!!

Julie & Julia....

2010-05-09T10:20:00.007-04:00

So I just finished 'Julie and Julia'. It took me two days to read it. I love it when I get into reading mode, (I go through phases of reading nothing to reading so hard that I have a migraine) there is nothing like the peacefulness of losing yourself in a book and ignoring everything else around you! I really loved this book, I think as a soon to be 30 year old woman dealing with my own frustrations in life I really related to the struggles and frustrations (although completely different) that Julie Powell endured through her year of cooking! I love that she found herself through this project. I think that is something that everyone struggles with. As a friend pointed out to me at lunch the other day... How well do we know ourselves? Our boundaries? I am almost jealous that Julia Powell had this project to be able to discover so much about herself. Makes me think I need a project! Just when you think you know who you are.. maybe you don't. After all who stays the same? Don't we change and evolve as people constantly as we take all the shit and mind bending curve balls that life throws at us???

I admired her braveness making some of the recipes that she challenged, I don't think I could do aspics or offal. I don't think I could make anything from marrow or a foot (pig, cow whatever) never mind eat it. I have a Jamiacan cook book that my ex-mother in law bought me and I often think of challenging some of the recipes in it. After I read Julie & Julia I flicked through it contemplating cooking everything in it.. Apart from the technical glitch of living in the middle of nowhere and not having a grocery store that would come close to stocking the ingredients I needed there are some recipes that I just knew I couldn't do... 'Mannish Water'. Looks ok in the picture. Stock made from the head, legs, liver etc.. after you have slaughtered a goat for a 'feed' of curry goat. Can you imagine the reaction if I went to Burt Farms (only place I could think of where else would you go on the Island??) and asked for "4lbs of Goat's head, tripe and feet cut into small pieces... please???" Think small town. I think they would pick up the phone and call my family and have me committed! (Not to mention if my husband knew what I was serving him up I think he would run a mile - he drew the line at my Jamaican recreation of Oxtail) Like I said... brave lady.

This book about a lady blogging about her life also made me think of my own blog... What use is it? I guess a look into someone's life can be a learning experience. When I think of the books I read alot of them about someone's life (Debbie Travis, Brooke Shields, 'Eat, Pray, Love', Julie & Julia and countless more that I can't think of right now) I learnt something.. how to deal with a situation, a realization about myself. A form of education. I try and use my blog to do good things... promote fund raising efforts that friends are doing, share my wonderful family and of course the great books I read and recipes I try and cook.... But is that enough? Do I need a project or is my day in day out life enough for this blog??

(On a side note I just realized the bacon I was cooking for my mother's day breakfast (yes, boo hoo to me) was burned and when I took it out of the oven I splashed hot oil all over my hand, which I am trying to balance frozen corn on while I type.... I may eat the burnt bacon anyways... just 'cause I love bacon...)

Read the book... it's great. See what it stirs up for you. I think a good book should stir something up. Make you question something.... or want to challenge an idea.... I am intrigued to see the movie... I always want to read the book before I see the movie as I want to know how it was originally written.. sometimes the movie doesn't always do the book justice. I am also going to hunt down her new book 'Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession'.

Now off to rescue some more bacon..

Time to post some family videos... Mason Quading.

2010-05-08T18:33:00.003-04:00

I have a few videos to post that I keep meaning to put up... This one is Mason driving the quad... when I watch this it just makes me laugh so much. Sean's face is funny but Mason has NO fear! This little 2 year old that is like a bull in a china shop... he just presses the throttle all the way down laughing his devilish laugh louder and louder as he gets faster and faster!!!

I'm a mess......

2010-05-05T08:36:00.004-04:00

So by having the 'big H' as my fellow blogger Jo called it I was hoping to get rid of this.......

Instead I feel something like this......

Let me explain......

Imagine I am the cat, and imagine that the red ball of yarn that the cay is tangled up in is my emotions... That's it. I am a mess. Anything makes me cry, nothing makes me cry. I feel like I am having a panic attack all the time, I feel like I can't breathe and someone is sat on my chest, which of course makes me panic more because I can't breathe. Sometimes I am fine but sometimes I feel majorly claustrophobic. When I went to the doctors office to have my staples taken out the doctor assured me this was normal and it will calm down. But for the moment I feel like I am losing my mind.

Sean took me for a drive yesterday to get me out of the house and to Campbells to get ice cream. I felt a little better after (but a little sore from sitting in the bumpy car) so I am thinking maybe I just need to make more of an effort to get out of the house...

My friend Audrey is however coming to rescue me today and is taking me to the chocolate shop! It is open for the season people!! Time to indulge and I think it is just the medicine I need to calm my raging hormones!

You may have noticed my absence.....

2010-05-04T08:41:00.003-04:00

I have an excuse a good one AND I have so much to blog about, things going on, missed Meatless Mondays, girls nights, chocolate nights, countless photos taken for 'the blog'... where do I start????

Last Monday I had surgery, pretty major surgery. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to blog about it but what the hell all my friends that read my blog know anyways... I had a hysterectomy. During another minor procedure they noticed a pre-cancerous mass on my uterus so with that and a multitude of other problems the end result lead to this! Now I wasn't upset that I wouldn't be able to have kids at all, I know I am done in that area so not upset about that. The hardest part for me?

1.) Panic attacks pre surgery - yes the stress of thinking what if I don't wake up? Or any of the things that happen on Greys, ER, Private Practice that are high drama and lead to death happen to me?? (note to self - less TV in the medical drama department). The last minor procedure I had a endured a major panic attack falling asleep and then waking up... That feeling of not thinking you can breath, of not being able to control yourself... Horrible!

2.) Recovery - 8 weeks of work.... I am going to loose my mind. Not to mention 8 weeks off without being able to clean my house?? (happens when I am bored, anxious, stressed, angry, having a fight with the hubby) I would clean my house everyday if I could but for 8 weeks I have to sit with the mess compiling around me while my hubby (bless his heart) tries to get a grip of going to work PLUS all the things I usually do... cook, clean (?), take care of kids, dogs etc. etc. etc. I was told that I had to let go of the reins of control and let him do it... as I wouldn't be ale to and am not allowed to..... Then there is the being in pain, not knowing what to expect as I have never had any surgery before....

Notice the theme? The CONTROL theme?? I am OCD, anal retentive, a control freak, always in charge... motto's in life?? no one does it as well as I can do it, might as well do it myself if I want it done properly, I don't need help I can do everything myself... Do you see where I am coming from? It makes me have a panic attack just thinking of it. And it's not that the kids wouldn't be well taken care of with their father it's just that... HE WON'T DO IT MY WAY! Yes people, he has his own way of doing things (imagine.. who knew??), his own ideas for what is good to make for supper, and how he should clean the house (or not), of how often the kids take a tub and they need to change their clothes!

3.) The scary 'C' word. I mean cancer....

The actual surgery was not too bad. I did have a minor panic attack going to sleep but they had the good sense to sedate me an hour or two before heading to the OR. I was wheeled into the OR, spoke to the doctor, confirmed with the anesthetist again that there was no way in hell he was sticking a needle in my spine (yes the morphine drip would be fine thank you) and asleep I go... I have no recollection of anything until Tuesday morning! I had apparently spoken to people on the phone that night... I vaguely remember hubby leaving to get a hotel room but nothing else... Scary. Scary because who knows what I told people!! LOL

Tuesday a whole different ball game. You have to get up and walk like 6 times... (thank god for the morphine drip). But I was home by Thursday somewhat upright, walking - minus my morphine but feeling pretty good considering everything that had just happened the 3 days prior. And definitely ready to be home! That was the longest time I have ever been away from the kids so it was tough. Of course the first day back Mason hops into bed with me and jumps on my stomach (ouch)!!!

I am truly blessed though. I have amazing friends and an amazing husband! Sean was so good in the hospital. He was initially going to leave Tuesday morning, poor guy has work piling up, guys working for him and I was fine with that. I think I said something along the lines of "I don't need you sat next to me staring at me in a hospital bed for 4 days"... Tuesday morning rolled around and without saying "I NEED YOU"... he knew! He got me out of bed, brought me a daily Starbucks, fluffed my pillows, kept my spirits up... Wednesday morning in the midst of my first post surgery emotional breakdown he helped me get up and shower and get my own clothes on and again made me feel much better just being there.

My friend (& godmother to Caleb) Yahaira flew in from Calgary to help take care of the kids while we were gone. Think of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City. She did an amazing job packing lunches, getting Caleb on the bus, taking care of two kids full time - she was exhausted by Thursday. But I wasn't stressed the whole time I was in Sudbury... I knew she would be fine. We have an amazing small group of friends that are like family to us that rally together and help out in times of need. I will say it again that I am blessed and so lucky to have the support from all of you. Thank you.

So yeah back to the control issue.... There are piles of dishes in my sink, laundry that needs to be done and floors that need to be cleaned. I haven't touched them. (aren't you proud of me?) Partly because I can't.... I am still SO SORE... and keep forgetting to breathe so get light headed easily. And also because if I do touch them hubby gets pissed off beyond belief at me. (so cute) He has been getting the kids up and dressed and out of the door (so hard for me to lay in bed and not yell instructions downstairs as so how to pack Caleb's lunch, or what to make for breakfast, or let him know the time because the bus is coming soon....) Insert sigh.... maybe this will be good for me in more than one way.....

Nat - Is this ok for you?? Meatful Monday???

2010-04-14T10:21:00.000-04:00

Funny April Fools....

2010-04-13T17:42:00.000-04:00

My husband got so worked up when I read this.. I think I read that they were breaking ground "April 1st" but he still didn't hear me!! LOL

Meatless Monday - Tomato, brie & mustard tart.

2010-04-12T18:25:00.004-04:00

Mondays always seem to roll around so fast... Bad because it means the weekend is over :( But good as I get to try a new recipe. I love to cook so trying new recipes is exciting! Today's was made really simple as I had a ready made pastry shell so I thought 'what the hell!'... I am a terrible pastry maker.. just terrible. You bake it for 10-12 minutes first empty. You are meant to blind bake it but soon as I had no beans etc.. to do that I just shoved it in.. It didn't rise too much! You smear the bottom with a tablespoon of whole grain mustard, some grated cheese and lay the sliced tomatoes. Lay the sliced brie on top and pour over 2 eggs whisked with salt, pepper and herbs. Bake for 35 mins at 375 degrees.

Yummy!!!

Mason (the little guy) is a super picky eater.. Once you shovel a few mouthfuls in him he usually eats it (once he has realized he has no choice), but if it's not pasta or mashed potatoes you get the usual whiny line 'I don't want that' or 'I don't like that'. But he loved supper tonight! I told him it was egg pie with cheese (not a complete lie). Super easy to prepare and fast! I used an extra egg as I thought it would be a little more appealing to the kids, but it took a lot longer to cook. I also found that there was a lot of juice from the tomatoes. Maybe it depend on what kid of tomatoes you use but we are limited in the grocery store here and I love the flavour of the ones on the vine so that's what I used! Anyways.. very yummy. Give it a try!

Next week: I don't know yet! Any suggestions??

Another one of those Manitoulin Moments!

2010-04-07T20:07:00.011-04:00

I was speaking to my friend Paul tonight in Windsor, and it made me think of how different my life is now compared to what it was when I was living in the city. My oil furnace is broken so here is me chopping wood and lighting a fire in my basement to heat my house.... Girls night... I hop on the quad and ride up the hill to go drinking so that I can leave my car here for hubby in the morning who wants to go to work...Did I picture myself jumping on the quad in my tight jeans and stilettos heading out for a girls night or chopping wood and lighting fires, smelt fishing in the middle of the night then spending the rest of the night gutting fish 6 years ago?? NO WAY!! It makes me laugh when I think about it which I suppose is a good thing that I am laughing and not crying. Mostly I am pretty proud of myself because I think I am a pretty resourceful gal these days!!

Me smelt fishing in my Burberry ear muffs and scarf - hey at least I do it in style!

A few weeks ago I got to enjoy something else that I would never get to do in the city... making maple syrup! Now this wasn't a 'guided tour' or anything like in St Jacobs... this was in our friends backyard while we sat around and drank beer. We decided to go 4-wheeling and ended up driving by to see if the Sheppard family were around for a visit. They have maple trees tapped all over their property for the sap to make syrup. This was all new to me... Sean living here all his life has done this before but for me a whole new experience!!! I felt like one of the kids!! And of course was taking photos the whole time for the blog!!!

the boys collecting sap from the trees....

So next you have to boil it down... I had no idea it was so much work! I was worried about having more than one beer then driving home but was told not to worry about that as we would be there for a while! Obviously I didn't think syrup ran straight from the trees but I guess I had never really put much thought into how tree sap becomes maple syrup! Well you rig a big metal pan and light a fire into it and pour a s*#t load of tree sap into it! The math is like 40-1 or something so you don't get much syrup from all that sap!

Next you boil and stir... with beer in hand of course!!!

So this is how much sap was left after it was boiled down.... I mean to start with there was 2 big garbage cans of sap emptied into the boiling pan... But it's not done yet!

Into the metal pot it goes!! It has to be finished on a propane burner so that it doesn't burn!

The boys taste testing!!!

The finished product!!!!

Is that not the most amazing thing you have ever seen? I mean just look at the colour of it! Tastes amazing too and I just experienced doing something so cool that I wouldn't have done if I didn't live here.... I got to hang out with friends in the sun with the kids having a ball playing outside and made maple syrup! I don't think it gets much better than that really!

Meatless Monday - Wildrice Chili

2010-04-07T19:20:00.003-04:00

Ok, So my Meatless Monday post is a little late.... and I have a confession to make....

Due to family Easter dinners we didn't do Meatless Monday until Tuesday! But I still did it this week... just a day late :) This week was wildrice chilli. It was so good packed full of veggies, beans... I used a mixed rice that you can buy in the grocery store, reason being my kids don't like straight wild rice. Super easy to make and tastes just like chili minus the meat - and healthier and full of fibre! Sean protested initially that it couldn't be called chili if it had no meat in it. But once he tasted it he said 'wow, this is good it tastes just like chili!' (yay I won him over!) I also added a little extra to the recipie like a chopped zucchini, some red and green peppers, mushrooms, canned tomatoes.... Here it is if you want to try it!

Wildrice Chili.
chopped onion
chopped celery
garlic
olive oil
can of tomato juice
1 cup water
bay leaves
2/3 cup wild rice
2 cans of beans (black beans, kidney beans, white kidney beans whatever you like!)
paprika
chili powder

Saute onion, celery, garlic in olive oil.... Add water & juice. Bring to boil & add bay leaves & rice. Stir, cover, simmer until rice is cooked. Add all the other stuff and cook until done! Don't forget to take out the bay leaves!!
We had ours with toast but garlic bread or some other fresh warmed bread would be good too!!

Next week: Tomato & Brie Tart.

My little hockey player!

2010-04-02T09:09:00.001-04:00

For Adrienne - who lives in the middle of nowhere and can't download the photos from her e-mail!

Meatless Monday - Falafel disaster......

2010-03-29T18:15:00.006-04:00

This is our first Meatless Monday. Why are we doing it? Well 3 reasons really...

1.) To be healthier
2.) To reduce our carbon foot print
3.) To expand our horizons!

I first read about this organization in this months Macleans... Funnily enough it coincided with a lunch at Island Chill and new vegetarian eatery in Gore Bay. Now I don't consider myself narrow minded by any means... I have traveled all over the world and LOVE food, so I will try anything! (unless super spicy) I was amazed though when I went to Island Chill that I had no idea what to order on the menu... I had no idea what Tofu tastes like, or a hemp burger? I mean if I am in a restaurant and I have a choice between a hemp burger or an 8 oz steak.. I pick the steak! I felt really silly... I ended up having a Panini filled with home made roasted red pepper hummus, red onions, olives and feta and a bowl of the most amazing veggie barley soup. All tasted amazing, full of flavour and of course fresh yummy veggies! AND HOME MADE!! Doesn't get any better than that!

I decided for my first Meatless Monday to make Falafels. Should be easy right? Grind up the chick peas, fry them stick in pita bread with salad... tadaaaa!!! Not so much. So this is what I ended up with... sludge in the bottom of a pan filled with oil. I tried breading them because I thought maybe they were too wet and needed something to dry them out... (those are the ones with the more golden brown coating - still sludge in the middle) No luck. My cooking skills do not extend to bread or falafels. Luckily however I live across the street from the grocery store and I was determined not to give up on my first Meatless Monday!!!!

Blue Menu Veggie Lasagna it was!!! So I invite you to follow me on Mondays.. I am going to do a 'meatless' post and discover vegetarian cooking! I'll post my triumphs and disasters and I am determined to stick to it!! Even if it means more Blue Menu!!! I am also open to any great vegetarian recipes you may know of that I can give a whirl!

Lights out???

2010-03-28T09:16:00.004-04:00

I was going to blog yesterday about Earth Hour 2010 and remind everyone to turn out their lights.... Last year I also posted pictures of houses in darkness. I wasn't feeling too great, my head was pounding and I basically spent all day on the couch... BUT I did turn out my lights for Earth Hour.... Did you??

Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life! Make a donation!

2010-03-18T20:05:00.007-04:00

My work colleague Nancy is doing the 'Relay For Life' in June in memory of her mother, Marina Sloss that passed away just before Christmas. The Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life is an overnight non-competitive relay that celebrates cancer survivors and pays tribute to loved ones. It's a night of fun, friendship and fundraising to beat cancer.

You can click on this link to make a donation by Visa, MasterCard or American Express. It's easy to donate online (it took me two minutes) and you get a tax receipt emailed to you. Nancy and her team members of sisters and family members have a goal of $1200.00 to reach so lets help them achieve it!

http://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFL_ON_even_?px=3417421&pg=personal&fr_id=5440

Green velvety heaven???

2010-03-16T18:11:00.006-04:00

With St Patty's day being tomorrow I thought I would make something green! I am not really into (green) beer and green wine somehow doesn't seem really appealing... we have company coming and I am making Irish Stew so green cake it is for desert! Caleb decided today that he wanted to stay at the baby sitters, now that he is in school I guess he is not getting enough Jeanie time! With Caleb gone for supper it is the perfect time for me to do something fun with Mason just the two of us! A little while back I made a shamrock cake for someone's birthday so I had the cake pan already. Perfect!! A few posts back I made red velvet cupcakes and they were amazing ( so when I was blog surfing the other day I noticed Bak erella had made green velvet cakes substituting the red food colouring for green. Look familiar??

So I decided to make a green cake for supper and a batch of cupcakes for the kids at Jeanie's tomorrow topped with cream cheese icing and of course (the best part if you are a kid) green sprinkles!Get ready to drool Nat!!........

One last post before bed...

2010-03-15T22:46:00.004-04:00

I have to share something else yummy with you!! I just baked a warm gooey apple pie.... It's not for me though, a birthday treat for someone else! I never even liked apple pie before I met the Laing family at Cidermill Farms. They make the best pie ever and I am always trying to create it just the way they make it! It is piled high with apples and topped with a brown sugary crumble. I worked for the Laings on their farm, they are now my closest friends, family and I miss them like crazy. Whenever I visit I always say... 'I only came for the pie'. I stuff my face with it when I am there and make sure I bring some home too! (and I wonder why I am so fat!) I have two huge apple trees in my yard so I tried to pick, peel and cut as many apples as I could (before I got bored) to freeze so that I could make some pies. I always do this very ambitiously picking crates of apples which I then end up giving away as after peeling 2 Ziploc bags full I am kinda over it.

Apple pie the way I make it is really easy... I think the worst thing about making pie is fiddling with pastry. So buy the crust.. just get a frozen tenderflake at the grocery store. Next I pile in the apples with sugar, cinamon, fresh lemon juice and little flour and at this point I either freeze it or load it into the pie shell.

Crumble topping - super easy..... 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour & 1/3 cup butter. Pile on top! No fiddly pastry on top... see? super easy!!! and super yummy!!!

Bake and that's it! It's not quite a Laing pie... But it's as close as I am going to get until my next visit!!Ok now I am going to bed!! Goodnight!

Dinner with NO KIDS!!!

2010-03-15T22:28:00.004-04:00

I love my boys dearly... let me just say that but do you know how great it is to get some 'grown up' time?? We went to Todd & Perry's for dinner on Saturday night.. just the two of us!!! Walkin' down the street, holding' hands... and not screaming "don't touch that" "come back here" "do I need to count to three??"... it goes on and on you know the drill right? 3 hours of dinner, wine, buzz quiz and more wine in peace :) And... Perry made my fav.!!! Chinese food!!

Check out the funky 'beginner' chop sticks!

And... I am sure he knows by the amount of photos I took that I am going to blog about it! LOL Have you see the latest Food and Drink magazine?? It's got to be the best ever... It's got some yummy cupcake & desert recipes made with Baileys, different liquors... I spent hours drooling over it with my coffee on Saturday morning thinking up events and dinner parties that I can make all these yummy deserts for.... my sister would be in cupcake heaven!

The one recipe that stuck out in my head was a drink with ice cream, Tequila Rose, vodka and blended with ice.... Soon as Todd and Perry happened to have all those ingredients I promptly went about making it....
Hmmm I have a whole new love for Tequila Rose... See even my hubby traded his manly beer for a girly drink!!

Getting back to the night with no kids, we are very blessed to have two wonderful friends and even when we don't realize it, they know that we need some time away to kick it & relax with the 'grown ups'! Thanks guys :)

Boys will be boys...

2010-02-28T11:17:00.003-05:00

Just had a major disaster.... Sean got up and lit a fire in the wood stove, we're sat watching TV and I thought that it smelt funny in the house.... I went over to one of the wood stove vents and it really smelt funny! Sean couldn't smell anything at first but finally he realized what was going on! There are two vents in the floor for the heat to come up from the wood stove, the kids have been dumping their toys down them, the one had pretty big holes to fit things in... He realized that there is actually something on top of the wood stove (which is encased) burning. As soon as he realized that the smoke that started coming out of the vents in the floor was crazy. I can now imagine what it would be like if your house was burning down... Just as all this madness is going on Todd walks in for a coffee and thinks we have a chimney fire.. we are now all in panic mode!

They rip the metal off on the front wood stove off and there melting away - an offending golf ball. Not only had the little shits been dumping toys down there but all my OPI nail polishes, I now have one left and a colorful pile on the floor in the basement....

This one's for you Nat!!!

2010-02-24T19:18:00.003-05:00

My sister, after 4 1/2 years of blogging just discovered my blog.... She read the entire thing and is now bugging me for a blog post for her to read. I have a huge headache and am not feeling terribly inspired to write anything so I thought I would post a few pictures from hunting season on the Island. Luckily I had my camera as I was running into the grocery store this day and I thought as I snapped this shot "only on the island"!! So Nat this is for you.. Just to gross you out (and I know it will)!!!!

P.S. Someone did give me a venison roast to try out so I am going to cook it and I will post about it when I do. I have never had a venison roast or tried to cook one so it will either be great or a disaster!! I saw a Jamie Oliver show on TV where he cooked a venison tenderloin and it looked amazing so I made sure I got my hands on one!

RIP Tugboat

2010-02-21T20:38:00.008-05:00

Wednesday is hockey night!!

2010-02-17T22:01:00.007-05:00

Wednesday is hockey night.. I have to post some videos because these kids are so cute!! This one is an exercise they do where they line up and have to shuffle sideways... I love this one because you can see how little they are with all their hockey jerseys almost at their knees!! So cute! FYI Caleb is #3 and he has blue socks on! May help you recognize him!

I laughed my head off when I caught this one on camera. They are doing a squatting exercise but I think when it was demonstrated Caleb thought he wanted a hug (?).. what can I say he is a love!! But the funniest thing is that all a few of the other kids seemed to think it was a good idea and joined in on the hug fest! SO funny!!

Ok so the last one is Caleb shooting the puck in the net.. Too cute!!!

A Tug Update.....

2010-02-13T21:00:00.004-05:00

So we went back to the vet on Friday... The vet thought he looked like a completely different dog. She thinks he may have been having muscle spasms or a pinched nerve the other day which is why he was howling in pain as he is now moving around better. She thinks he still has cancer and he still has blood in his stool. She gave us some medication to try for a week to see if he has an ulcer that is causing the blood in his stool. If we can fix that good news, if not then bad news and we may be saying goodbye to him. It is going to happen soon, but for right now she said he is not ready to go and is not in pain or suffering so he gets to get spoilt and pampered before we have to say goodbye to him. Either way it is going to happen and probably sooner than later.. I guess we will see what the end of next week brings....

Red Velvety Heaven...

2010-02-13T20:13:00.007-05:00

I decided tonight to make Red Velvet Cupcakes with the boys for Valentines Day. Usually we would just make sugar cookies so that they can go crazy with the sprinkles but I have been DYING to make a red velvet cake! Cupcakes are always easier with the kids, the perfect size for them to eat and decorate. Also I don't have a huge cake staring at me in the kitchen begging me to eat it. Cupcakes can be handed out to Grandma and Grandad, the Uncles and anyone else leaving less for me to eat in the kitchen!

I looked on the Internet for a recipe to use and found a ton... so I picked two trusty ones, a Martha recipe and a Paula Deen recipe. I figured you can't go wrong with one of those! I was feeling pretty brave to bake cupcakes with the kids and an alarming amount of red food colouring!

Isn't that colour great!! I read online that you can substitute the red food colouring with beet juice... I might try that next time.

The best part about baking - licking the beater!!

Mason making sure that he doesn't miss any of the cake batter, good job the stove top isn't hot!

Out of the oven and ready to cool for icing! I made the bream cheese icing but I also found another recipe online that had a meringue icing that looked good.

Here are the cupcakes... I have a ton of cream cheese icing left over so I may have to bake another batch tomorrow!! :)

If I told you how bad my day was yesterday you wouldn't believe me....

2010-02-11T18:38:00.007-05:00

Still reeling.. I am an emotional roller coaster. The last two weeks has been rough.. I have been sick, the kids have been sick, a week later Mason is still sick. I had to sit my citizenship test yesterday so while in bed with a vomiting child I sat up until midnight the night before just to make sure I knew everything in the book. I would hate to fail and get kicked out :) So I get up bright and early - it's snowing... drop the kids off and head on my trek to Sudbury. I had my father-in-laws car it a little Aveo. Tiny shoe box thing.. great for around the Island and great for long need to be gas efficient trips but in the snow I would rather take the gas pig 4x4 Escape. I get into the Espanola hills, about an hour and a half from home, in a snow storm, no cell coverage and my car starts chugging. Really badly and shaking and I am thinking "I am not going to make it to Espanola.. I am going to be stuck on the side of the road with no cell phone, in a snow storm and a broken car" I am now also balling my eyes out.

I do however make it to the Canadian Tire in Espanola where they fix my car and get me on the road by 10am! Great staff there, they dropped everything for the hysterical balling woman with the "chugging" car (they actually put "chugging" on the form they gave to the mechanic) who was hysterically talking about being in Sudbury for being sent back to England.. They got the parts from Northern Ford, and had me flying out of there so that I could get to Sudbury on time!

Got there, passed the test.. yay for me. 1st drama for the day done.

On the way back after, Sean called me very upset. Tugboat our dog has not been doing that great this week... It all happened so fast that he seemed fine, then it looked like he hurt his leg or maybe had some arthritis in it... Took him to the vet and they thought he had torn ligaments and needed $2000.00 surgery. Sean took him back for x-rays while I was in Sudbury and it turns out he has cancer - bad. There is a mass affecting his hips and cutting off his intestines and affecting his colon. They think it may have started as Lymphoma. After a bad experience with his time at the vets he is resigned to the fact that he has to be put to sleep. Tug is the sweetest dog in the world. He is so gentle with the kids and so good, always obedient. It is so sad, we are all devastated that we are losing a member of our family. Caleb (after the cat incident) is still trying to grasp it and asking lots of questions as a curious 4yr old does... some that seems impossible to answer. This is really hard on all of us, but really hard on Sean that he is losing his 'buddy'. He keeps flip flopping from knowing he has to put him to sleep to somehow saving him or waiting to see what he will be like tomorrow in case he gets better.... It's so hard because it happened so quickly it's so hard to wrap your head around it... He was fine last week. So I balled my eyes out all the way home. I was so distracted that I pulled out to pass a car and there was a car right in front of me. I wasn't on a hill I was on a straight stretch I was just so distracted that I just didn't see it.

Rush home, take Caleb to hockey, get home, make supper, kids in bed.

An hour later Mason is crying... and there is vomit ALL OVER his bed.... AGAIN.

Can you guess what happened next? Yes... I am balling my eyes out... again.

Worst day ever and unfortunately it's going to be a rough weekend for our family.. :(

Saturday was key lime pie day....

2010-02-08T14:23:00.002-05:00

Did you know that Saturday was Key Lime Pie day? If so you missed out! I LOVE key lime pie and have been searching for the perfect recipe that mimics the key lime pie that they serve at Garden's Gate in Tehkummah. There really is nothing quite like it. Girls day at Audrey's and she found an amazing key lime pie recipe...

Good job Audrey! It was so yummy! Just give me the pie plate and a fork! I think for my 30th this year I should find someone who would make me a giant key lime pie. Seriously, no cake.. just pie.

The other great thing about Saturday was that I actually got to meet a fellow blogger. When I first started blogging I was mainly just doing it so that my family overseas could keep up to date with what we are doing here in Canada but it has kind of transformed into not only a McLaughlin family update site but also my place to rant and rave (the good and the bad), review books, music, FOOD! I really enjoy reading other people's blogs too but I never thought I would actually make friends through the blogging world AND get to meet them! I met C from 'Random thoughts and musings from the Island'. We started reading each others blogs as we were both on the Island and realized we had a mutual friend - Audrey. After making 2 cakes for C, phone calls, blog posts, face booking... I finally got to meet her! Had a great afternoon and am looking forward to our next key lime pie/girl time session!!

The house of sickness...

2010-02-05T12:07:00.003-05:00

This is my new best friend:
I have just used it all over my house... I used the liquid version to clean my floors, and the spray bottle version all over my bathroom, kitchen and tables. I am DE-GERMING!!!!

There is a nasty flu bug going around. I had it last week... it knocked me on my ass for a week. This week it is the kids that have it. Caleb wasn't too bad he started at 4am and was fine by the end of the day. Mason started last night at 8pm and was up all night vomiting. You feel so helpless as a parent... I mean there is nothing you can give them to make it stop and they look so pale and scared.. it just breaks my heart! But I did say to Sean this morning that we have actually been VERY lucky as far as illnesses go with the kids. They have had their fair share of fevers and colds but this was the first time they actually vomited. Pretty good considering Caleb is 4 now!

I just hope this is it, Sean doesn't get it and I killed all the germs! I don't think I can handle any more of this!

Judgement day!

2010-02-03T15:18:00.003-05:00

So I was reading an article in the Jan. 25th Macleans and it really struck home. You may have heard about a lady in BC Jenny Manzer who was kicked off a BC public transport bus and had to walk 14 blocks home carrying her 20 month daughter. The bus driver pulled over and asked her to get off the bus because her daughter was crying and shouting 'no, no, no'. He told her she had to learn how to control her child!!!!! What makes it worse - as if this is not shocking enough is the reaction people had to this story once it hit the press and the Internet, calling her child spoilt, calling her names, judging her and telling her to go to college so that she could buy a car..... read the article http://www2.macleans.ca/tag/jenny-manzer/

It left me really shocked. I know as a mother there are times when you feel like your head is going to spin off and you just want to rip your hair out, times like when your children decide to have a temper tantrum in the middle of the restaurant, or at the hockey rink, or on a public transport bus.... I think my kids are pretty good, and I am not just saying that because they are my kids but sometimes they are SPUN and I hate that feeling of having to make the excuse 'he's not normally like this' as I am starting to sweat.... You know anyone present is sat judging you are thinking 'yeah right' and have already formed their opinion on your bad parenting skills before you can whisk them up under your arm and run out! I hate that feeling of panic and anxiety as your child screams and you are frantically tying every motherly trick known to man-kind to pacify them... as you are swearing in your head that you will never eat out or venture out in public again with your child!!

I am sure even the most angelic children have their devilish moments but why do people judge you as a parent??... I'll admit to it.. I have been guilty of it too! If you have children or have ever been around them then you know that at some point in time it is bound to happen. They don't want to sit still and quiet in church for an hour, or on a plane for 7 hours, or wait in a restaurant for food at lunch time when they are hungry and nap time is approaching! Babies are born impatient... it's a natural survival instinct! So when my child is throwing a temper tantrum and you are looking down at me with your 30 or 40 years of adulthood on my toddler I suggest you start looking the other way or invest in a pair of ear plugs!!

Most upset....

2010-01-11T12:27:00.002-05:00

I was laid in bed last night checking e-mails etc.. on my new ipod touch and decided to reply to some comments on the blog. Then I thought I would write a blog post... it didn't work!!! it won't let me click in the part where you write and type anything. Maybe it's just me and I am technically challenged but how disappointing is that??

I still love my itouch though...... :)

I have the best hubby ever.xx

Blog schmog... yeah yeah I know it has been a while...

2010-01-07T11:36:00.004-05:00

Man do I have some catching up to do.... Christmas, winter, books to review, things to gripe about! It'll take me a while and soon as I have to go to work in an hour so I will keep it short and sweet more to follow I promise!

I have to write a music review though... if you believe in the power of music you have to buy this album. Susan Boyle .. she was one of the contestants on Britains Got Talent... same show as the have in the states (America's Got Talent) It is magical and beautiful! This woman can sing, her voice is so powerful get so comforting and gentle. Every song is great, it has made me cry, laugh and reminisce and also remind me that I have to stop slacking off and start going to church again! (Track 4 - How great thou art... one of my favourites!) Caleb loves singing along to Silent Night!

Buy it!! You can get it anywhere.. itunes, chapters, amazon you name it. You won't be disappointed I promise!

My list of 10 honest things about myself....

2009-09-21T17:44:00.003-04:00

1.) I can't say 'NO' - I try and do everything because of it which is why I am grumpy sometimes.. it drive my husband crazy!
2.) I am insanely emotional - and not just when I am PMSing.. I ball my eyes out at movies, sad stories, weddings..... anything!
3.) I love working - even though sometimes I don't think I do (Monday mornings) I like being busy.. and it is a different busy from being a Mum...
4.) I can sometimes seem confident and stand up for myself but deep down I am a big chicken :)
5.) I am very frustrated with my life from a career/education stand point - I know I can do more and be more successful, it's just doing it.
6.) I am a designer snob - I know what I would spend all my money on if I won the lottery... Designer clothes, shoes and purses...
7.) I loathe bad customer service - I will leave empty handed and never return.. it really doesn't take too much effort to be polite and courteous...
8.) I love shoes - I think you could wear sweat pants or a garbage bag and still feel incredibly sexy with a pair of amazing heels on.
9.) I hate public washrooms and won't pee for days if I have to use a public washroom... ok well maybe a slight exaggeration but you get the idea! (this is why I don't camp)
10.) I really feel like I have let myself go... I mean not in a majorly way. I still dress up to go to work and try and buy nice clothes but the days of new clothes every season, mani pedi's, a new hair do every 3 months, facials and heels are gone... now I am just 'basic'.

So that's it people!

An award from C

2009-09-15T13:36:00.003-04:00

My friend C gave me this award..... I got one before from Kavita but wasn't sure really what to do with it so I will have to go back and look at it... anyways this is what is required of me for this one!

The award has two components. You have to first list 10 honest things about yourself (and make them interesting), and second present the award to seven other bloggers.

I don't actually know that many people that blog so nominating someone else shouldn't be too tough.... the list of 10 honest things?? That will be the next post... I promise.

Sorry to go on.....

2009-09-15T13:29:00.003-04:00

BUT hmmmmm french fancies....

This is what I am having for lunch today...

And yes the pink ones are the best!

All things great and British!

2009-09-13T15:45:00.003-04:00

My sis just came over for a weeks vacation... one of the most exciting parts of the trip for me? When she unpacks her suitcase and hands over bag after bag of delightful junk food from the UK that we can't buy here! Ok so all of it not technically British foods but just stuff that you can't get here that I fill my grocery cart with when I am in the UK.

My list:
1.) Jammie Dodgers - shortbread with strawberry jam in the middle
2.) Toasty Toppers - comes in different flavors, spred it on toast, broil until warm... yummmm...
3.) Penguin Bars - Chocolate covered biscuits, best soaked in hot tea then whipping out of mug and putting in your mouth just before all the chocolate and biscuit falls to the bottom of your mug!
4.) Mr Kiplings French Fancies - mini cakes with sugar cream and dipped in icing... pink ones definetly the best... MAJOR weakness in life.
5.) Ready Brek - add powder from box, add milk, zap in microwave... hmmm creamy porridge!
6.) Cadbury's Fudge - only 15p.. they still put that on the package! Fudge covered in chocolate..
7.) Cadbury's Curly Wurly's - braided caramel dipped in chocolate.. why you can't get this here I just don't know!
8.) Marmite - black stuff that you spread on toast. For me it HAS to be white toast or bread with lots of butter!
9.) Poppets - chocolate covered caramels, raisins.... one box missing, I think my hubby swiped it will have to have words when he comes home!

Other things not pictured here: Foxes candys, Barretts mints, Oxo cubes (you get the packets here but in the UK you get all kinds of different cubes) Pickapepper sauce (ok so again not really british but you can't buy it here!).

Off to make myself some tea and penguins!

What do I want to be when I grow up?

2009-08-30T08:47:00.003-04:00

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.

2009-08-27T12:25:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-08-27T12:20:00.005-04:00

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......

2009-08-27T12:05:00.004-04:00

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!!

2009-08-16T20:32:00.006-04:00

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!

2009-08-15T15:20:00.004-04:00

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!!

2009-08-13T18:15:00.003-04:00

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......

2009-08-04T17:32:00.003-04:00

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....

Never judge a book by its cover... literally....

2009-07-14T18:35:00.007-04:00

I hate Debbie Travis. I find her voice annoying to no end and I can't bear to watch her on TV. I am not into all those decorating shows to begin with. Another annoying one - Candice Olson. I mean it bugs me that anyone can be that enthusiastic about decorating. (side note - I feel the same way about some cooking shows, I mean are they really going to spend 30-60 mins cooking a dish then taste it at the end and screw their nose up in disgust???)

I mean sure, if I won the lottery (and had someone to do it for me), but how many times are you excited about painting a room, you get half way though it, loose steam and it is SUCH a chore to finish the rest - have you seen my front porch lately? half yellow, half ugly paneling. It also does not help that I am not creative in a kinda do it yourself way - cakes excepted. If I can't buy it, I don't want to MAKE it!...... My husband however, Mr Handy do it yourself-er PVRs all these shows and I have to on occasion sit through them before I am allowed to turn it to SYTYCD or 90210....

So when my friend Audrey show up with a Debbie Travis book (birthday present) called 'Not Guilty - My guide to working hard, raising kids and laughing through the chaos'.... I am thinking in my head 'great she paints and now she is also going to tell me how to raise my kids???' I am also thinking this will make its way into the box of books in the basement - sorry Audrey... but wait... keep reading this post....
....
......
........

I love this book!! I started reading it yesterday and today I am almost done. It is so funny and is full of stuff you can relate to as a parent. Screaming toddlers, the days when you loose it on your kids then feel guilty for days to come... and even the teenage years. I already know what kind of parent I'll be... yes I will be the parent that stays up to midnight baking cakes for the bake sale or finishing the school project. I mean I am already up till midnight typing my husbands invoices and baking cakes for the church, same difference? Maybe. She covers so many species of mothers - The competitive Mums... I can think of a few and I am not on the side lines of the soccer fields having to deal with this yet. I just listen to other peoples nightmares!! Yummy Mummys.. have I really lost myself because I leave the house wearing sweats and usually with no make-up?? The domestic diva - I think I struggle so hard to be this one!! I am just lacking in the organization and time department. The volunteer vulture - hello?? I am struggling to be the domestic diva and vacuum my floors everyday do you really think I have time to volunteer too????

I think one of the things that has stood out most to me is that we sometimes struggle as women and mothers. I mean the guilt of not staying home or staying home. Not having enough time. I mean does anyone else hate the fact that the babysitter spends more time with our kids than we do?? Guilt. But then there are some mornings where I can't get them there quick enough to have a moments peace before work! Guilt... again. I books like this where there are experiences in someone else's life you can read and relate to and laugh at how they dealt with the same situation you have been in or think 'hmmm... I could have handled that a little better'. I read Brooke Shields book 'Down came the rain' about post partum depression and there was so much in that book that I related to about how I felt or how I was dealing with things and people around me with all those CRAZY BABY hormones!!!

Read it!!! Whether your kids are little screaming tantrum throwers or calling you collect for money after you just wrote a cheque for the college bill. There is something in this book for every parent and a lot that made me laugh and think that maybe I am not so bad at this whole mummy thing after all!!!

How many times did I fall out of the boat tonight??

2009-07-07T21:31:00.000-04:00

o

Yay for me!!

Maria - the non-sailor......

2009-07-07T17:00:00.004-04:00

My birthday is soon so ages ago I told Sean for my birthday he could pay for me to do the sailing course put on by the Rotary Club. I figured I could learn how to sail a little better without my husband teaching me - this may save our marriage. Then, when we go sailing I would know what is going on and what to do to be a useful 'crew member' on the boat - again to help save our marriage! So off I go last night, for July it has been pretty un summer like and the water - freezing! So I am not too happy about that. I was also hoping I wouldn't actually know anyone on the course then I wouldn't look too stupid. Anyways down to the beach where a guy called 'Laser' and his assistant 'Star' teach us how to rig the boat (5 minutes), tell us how to right the boat if it capsizes (5 minutes) then send us down the dock to hop in and 'go at it'. You're kidding right??? No apparently they weren't. No class room time just get in the boat and go. This is what I am meant to look like.....

So this is what I looked like after I was smacked in the head with a mast (before I even go in the boat).... and after I capsized 6 times in 2 hours. I was exhausted and so cold that I couldn't feel my fingers or toes. It is pouring with rain and I have to go and do it again now.... this is meant to be fun?? Seriously???

'Date Day'!

2009-06-09T18:03:00.006-04:00

Hubby and I decided to have a 'date day'. With two kids, work, ballet, the house, life.... it gets kinda busy and time to talk just seems impossible. It always seems to be as I am falling asleep and I may or may not have any recollection of it in the morning! So we left the kids at daycare and off we went.

Well it wasn't all date day, we had to run errands at Prov. Home Hardware, go to Beacon Images and order signage for the trailer, vehicle etc.... BUT soon as we were over that end of the Island guess where we went for lunch??? Hmmmm Garden Gate!!! I was reminded by C's blog the other day how delightfully dreamy (yeah that's right I said it) their Key Lime Pie is.. hmmmmm... So I had a salad which made me feel less guilty about the pie I devoured! So good! (To get side tracked a little I am looking for a dreamy Key Lime Pie recipie... send it my way if you have one.)

We then made our way to JD's Garden Centre.....

My husband who hates flowers and shopping at garden centres surprised himself! He walked away with 2 pear trees, 2 Christmas tree looking dwarf trees and a flat or two of flowers - which I have killed since then :( This is a great garden centre and I highly recommend it. It is well worth the hour drive across the Island. Everything I have ever got from there grows beautifully and always looks wonderful. Also the staff there are super helpful and extremely knowledgeable.

On the way back we stopped at this Falls view area. I have driven this highway lots of times and never seen the sign. We stopped to admire the beauty of where we live.... but some idiots had left garbage bags there, on the rock there was an empty bottle of booze, an empty drug container... so so sad that people choose to dump their garbage and/or not pick up after themselves.. Anyways we snapped a few really cute pics of ourselves... I like this one!!

Cute video....

2009-05-28T22:19:00.003-04:00

I love my boys :)

The Garden is in!!!

2009-05-28T22:09:00.003-04:00

Yay! I finally got around to planting the garden. After months of tending to these little seed pots it's a relief to finally have them in the ground and I don't have to worry about them too much. It's rained the last two days too - bonus! And my hubby even built a make shift fence out of bright orange snow fence around it to keep the deer out :) When he eventually finds the time to do it (downside of being married to a carpenter) we are going to put a fence around the whole back end of the house to keep the kids in. When they play outside they seem to always be attracted to the road. Funny how that works! We made a good start by setting the posts and one of these days Sean might find the time to get the boards on it! Then we can relax in the sun in our yard and not have to stress about the kids. The boys did get to have some fun with the tractor when Dad was ripping out trees and drilling the post holes :)

Where have I been for the last month??? Well let me see.....

2009-05-22T20:52:00.003-04:00

Oh where do I start?? First of all things just got busy and once I get out of the habit of taking time to blog it snowballs... Summer is here I know because it is 9pm on a Friday and my hubby is at work and he won't be here Saturday or Sunday.. make hay when the sun shines... Isn't that the expression? One of the downfalls of where we live is that the season is very short, soon all the holiday people that want work on their cottages will go home and then it will snow and my husband will be here ALL the time driving me crazy (with love of course:)

I have also just been feeling down right lazy and a little stressed out! I have an exam on June 17th - a boring banking thing... So I am trying to work on that which is hard with kids, ballet, work etc etc etc... Ballet has been busy organizing fundraisers, exams, performances and our big end of year recital. Taxes - how long did it take me to do that?? Too long! Need to be better organized for next year! House garden renos - trying to paint my front porch, veggies still not in the ground but I did however sprinkle some grass seed around (not very ambitious I know). Family feuds.. errrrh say no more.

So there you go.

Garden Patch Update

2009-04-20T17:33:00.003-04:00

We need to get these in the ground... SOON.....

Time for me to go to bed...

2009-04-19T18:13:00.007-04:00

Yes I realize it is 6.15pm but I am exhausted! To think I used to party all hours of the night.... aah the good old days... I went smelt fishing Friday night and am still suffering from a lack of sleep as a result. What's a smelt?

Smelts are a family, Osmeridae, of small fish found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They are common in the North American Great Lakes, and in the lakes and seas of the northern part of Europe, and run in large schools along the coastline during their spring migration to their spawning streams.

It is one of the few fish that sportsmen are allowed to net, using dip nets, either along the coastline or in the streams. Some sportsmen also ice fish for smelt. Smelt are often fried and eaten whole.

They run very late at night, so off we go at 11.30am with our nets. This is all new to me... and this is where the 'city girl' on Manitoulin really presents itself. Off I go dressed warm in my Burberry (and my new Burberry ear muffs!) with my farmer boots on ready to do this thing! Sean (hubby) rolls his eyes at me, states he is not going (smart man). The fishing part was fun, there were TONS of them which I guess it hasn't been like that in a few years. When you looked into the creek all you could see is fish! One scoop and we were done which mean you didn't have to sit around and 'fish'. We were out of there in 10 minutes!

OK so the catching them is fun, also the eating... the cleaning?? Not so much! I guess you have to sit and clean them that night or they are rotten by the morning? Can't we just freeze them? or put them on ice and do this tomorrow?? Although I really wanted to fish and have the satisfaction of cooking something I had caught I was super grossed out by this whole cleaning process. For starters there is no way I am putting my hand in this bucket to pull out a handful of these things... Secondly I am not sticking my fingers in the guts and pulling out all the yellow eggs (that looks like puss) and guts etc... So I cut the heads off with scissors and cut the guts open but that was it. (Do you see why Sean didn't want to come now?) Oh and we got really excited about the fish and came back with 2 5 gallon pails full.... 3.30am... still cleaning fish.... I am thinking in my head... is this really happening? I mean I was meant to be in England this weekend for a family reunion.. I could be sat in some swank restaurant with my super hip sister but I am here covered in fish guts hoping that I don't squeeze the damn thing too hard and the stuff doesn't squirt out all over me!!!

It was fun! I had my Manitoulin experience.. and I would go again as long as I don't have to get up in the morning and do 3 hours of ballet then cook for 10 people as we had people coming for supper... See why I am exhausted??? BUT we did have the smelts as an appetizer and they were great! I forgot to take as picture, but tossed in seasoned flour, fried in a little butter and oil... yummy!!! SO worth it!!!

Call me crazy!??

2009-04-13T19:50:00.002-04:00

I was reading in a magazine about this woman who is the new budget chief in Alberta and she was asked how she learnt to manage her money. She said by entering the sweepstakes! She won all kinds of things... a brand new car, a sail boat, $2500.00 in cash which she used as a down deposit on her house... Check out the atricle.. What's my new hobby??

Entering sweepstakes!

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/04/07/picking-winners/

So what did I do today??

2009-04-13T19:16:00.004-04:00

Oh yeah get stuck in the mud out in Burpee in the bush some where with no cell phone service... Actually my hubby got us stuck.

We were heading out to Prov. to go to the hardware store and he had the idea after that we should go and measure another roof he has to do this summer.... Except we didn't quite make it that far.

We got stuck, moved two fallen trees out of the way and needless to say never made it to the cabin or got his measurements....

Caleb's First Garden Patch..

2009-04-10T19:52:00.004-04:00

I decided I would plant a garden with Caleb this year... since we are not in an apartment anymore and have a lot of space in our yard! Also after last years pumpkin carving we agreed if nothing else we would grow pumpkins...we kept the seeds. We decided on Pumpkin, Onions, Watermelon, Carrots and Cabbage to start. Now I have never done this before and no one told me (until after the fact) that I was starting way too early! Now we have huge plants and no where to put them as it is still in the minus degrees at night (lesson learnt for next time) I honestly didn't think these seeds would even grow - my thumb is far from green! So here we are on week 4 I think???

Caleb watering his planted seeds!

Newly planted

Now.. Onions transplated into a bigger pot...

Now... Pumpkins in really big pots! Cabbage in slightly bigger pots...

So watch this space!!!!

Monetize what????

2009-04-10T19:48:00.002-04:00

So I noticed this new button to click on today... Ok ok I haven't blogged for a while... (taxes to do, course to read, kids to run around after) So I might be a little slow on this one.. So I click to put some ads on and I get a cheque in the mail?? Is this the general gist of this? So I work in a bank and I have seen these cheques from google.. yes they are real and do exist. So why not??? If I don't like them I can always remove them, so lets hope some people click and the money starts rollin' in !! Mwwaaahhhhhh!

Just a little self diagnosis....

2009-03-29T19:31:00.004-04:00

So I fell over at ballet... I jumped and landed (not so gracefully) on the side of my foot. I thought I had just twisted my ankle and it seemed ok so I kept going, taught a class, came home... then I couldn't walk. So ever since I have been sat down with ice on my foot or a tensor bandage but it hurts like hell to put weight on it. I decided to research on the internet and this is what I found...

http://www.zfootdoc.com/ganglion.htm

My bump isn't that big so maybe I just burst a blood vessel and twisted my ankle a bit?? That ganglion thing makes me feel a little nauseous...

Maybe I should go to the clinic tomorrow!?

Houses in darkness..

2009-03-29T15:35:00.005-04:00

So my last post was my 100th post!!! Yay!! Here are some houses in the dark for Earth Hour.. Although this year was hugely successful internationally, as we were looking out of our windows around town it was sad to notice how many houses were still lit up. We did something during Earth Hour that we never seem to find the time to do... TALK! We lit some candles, Sean had a beer and I had a glass of wine and we spent two hours chatting about all kinds of things. Life gets so busy with work, kids etc.. the evenings seem hectic with getting home, getting supper ready, getting kids in bed, tidying up.... that we forget to take time to do something so simple. We just end up exhausted and stuck in front of the TV. So we made a pact to take time out more often to sit and chat and enjoy each others company! Anymore pictures I can add to the collection? email me.

Todd and Perry's apartment block, Gore Bay ON

My Mum & Mark's place, England UK

Our house, Gore Bay ON

REMEMBER EARTH HOUR!!

2009-03-28T15:54:00.007-04:00

Don't forget to turn off your lights tonight! 8.30-9.30pm. One hour that is all!!!

Here are 10 different ways to spend Earth Hour and reduce your carbon footprint:

1. Attend a local Earth Hour event or organize your own by throwing an Earth Hour street party with your neighbors
2. Gather family & friends for a night picnic in your local park and look at the stars
3. Enjoy a family dinner by candlelight
4. Organize a treasure hunt in the dark
5. Take the dog for a night walk
6. Have a candle-lit bath
7. Sit in the dark and share stories
8. Organize a family night playing board games
9. Share a romantic night in with your loved one
10. Upload your ‘on the night’ photos and videos to flickr and YouTube respectively, and then add them to the Earth Hour flickr group and the global YouTube Group.

Check out the website for more info.... http://www.earthhour.org/home/

Welcome spring!!

2009-03-22T15:41:00.003-04:00

1st official day of spring, picnic table and BBQ out... look what happened...

It snowed!

Subject: Join me in fighting poverty!

2009-03-18T22:55:00.002-04:00

Hi,

This may look like any other email, but it is actually a crucial piece in the fight against extreme poverty.

I’m taking action with ONE, to help spread the word about the difference we can all make when we join together as one in the fight against extreme poverty. While there are many great organizations delivering direct assistance in Africa, ONE is an advocacy organization focused on making sure policymakers and politicians do their part in this important fight. Tens of millions of lives are at stake if they don’t.

So far more than 2 million people around the globe have joined ONE, and more people (like you?) are joining every day.

You can get involved by visiting:
http://www.one.org/

ONE members are making a difference by convincing world leaders to take the simple steps necessary to help the poorest people in the world work their way out of extreme poverty.

I hope that you’ll join me.

Thanks!

Best present ever!

2009-03-17T13:56:00.004-04:00

My friend Audrey got me a composter for Xmas. Let me tell you I am very excited about this! It's a cute little stainless steel bucket that sits on my counter, when I opened it I thought it was an ice bucket!! (sigh-eyes rolling..) There is a small green cone composter in the garden. Now this is all new to me but as I am trying really hard to not only be greener but be an avid gardener that has wonderful flower beds and grows fresh vegetables I thought I would give it a go. Note to you: I am a horrible gardener but I try REALLY hard every year and put my self through the money and expense to produce, well nothing really, everything dies.. Luckily I have a thoughtful friend who not only got me a composter but a handy book to tell you how to do it!

Now that I compost and all the paper/burnable stuff goes in the fireplace.. wow am I every shocked at how much less garbage we are dragging to the dump every week! We would have to go twice a week now if we skip a week it's not a big deal! Due to the climate we are living in it seems that there is not really too much composting going on right now as everything appears to be frozen so it seems I will have some more figuring out to do once the ground thaws and the sun reappears with some warmth! Who thought I would be so excited about a composter???

Kids Fishing Derby 2009

2009-03-15T20:19:00.004-04:00

Last year Hugh (my father-in-law) took Caleb to the kids fishing derby.... He decided that he would take him every year and that would be their 'thing' they do together. Saturday was beautiful, warm and sunny so he comes to pick him up loaded up with a trailer of fishing gear, ice shack, quad and off they go. Unfortunately they forgot fishing rods so I had to run out with them and we took the opportunity to take some pics and make a video of Caleb fishing.

Firstly I got to drive my car right onto and across the lake... VERY cool for a city girl that grew up in Dubai and has never experienced all these winter activities! So there is a picture of my car below on on the right of the photo you can see the causeway. Caleb was ok when we got there but then started crying and then realized it was because of the fish Annie (cousin) had caught. He went fishing last year and caught a fish so why he was scared this year I am not sure. But he was pretty sure the fish (which weighed in at 22 grams) was going to bite him. And everytime the fish moved.. he squealed! Now I have married into a family of hunters/fishers, so as you will hear Hugh remark on the video.. he will need to toughen up!!! Caleb also asked which you might hear if we could take the fish to the doctors... Sean missed that the first time but when we watched the video back boy did we laugh!! Despite his crying he did not want to go home and was easily pacified by a ride on the 4wheeler and went back to fishing once Mum and Dad were out of sight! He didn't catch anything else which was a shame as he set out to 'catch a big perch for supper'!!

Our vehicle on Lake Wosley

The offending fish...

VOTE EARTH

2009-03-11T02:17:00.004-04:00

http://wwf.ca/earthhour/

http://www.voteearth2009.org/home/

The big reveal...

2009-03-09T17:23:00.006-04:00

It's like being on one of those TV shows where you walk into your house after a few days and it has been miraculously transformed! We watch a lot of those shows, my husband PVR's divine design and a handful of others that I usually have to sit through... SO anyways I go away for the weekend to Meldrum Bay to see the Featherstones and my husband while I am away takes it upon himself (with the help of Todd, Perry, Sue & Scott) and paints the downstairs of our house. Now I am not expecting anything like this and I am thinking it will be years before anything gets done as ripping out lath & plaster, insulating and dry walling is not in the budget, nor do we have the time. Did I mention really old ugly wall paper??? It is amazing what a few cans of paint can do!!!

Anyway here are the pictures.. and yes I love my hubby very much. Just when you feel worn down, underloved and appreciated he make a grand and thoughtful gesture like this!!! and.... we are blessed with truly wonderful friends :)

Dining Room Pre Makeover...

Tada!!!!!!

Entrance way when we 1st looked at the house...

Entrance way and stairs....

Living Room.....

Living room.. still have to hang pictures and make shelving unit in original doorway..

Here I was thinking no-one read my blog....

2009-03-08T13:47:00.003-04:00

Well except My Mum, Kavita and Adrienne......

The other day someone else from the Island posted a comment on my blog.. YAY! A reader.. She mentioned that she had found my blog on another one.. http://ourmanitoulin.blogspot.com/

Sure enough there I am listed on there... 'Favorite Manitoulin Blogs' as well as a few others I follow...

Makes me a little more inspired to update more often!

Our new addition....

2009-02-26T14:18:00.002-05:00

Sean feeding the cat hot dogs... Tug hoping the cat doesn't like them!

So Sean came home with a cat yesterday from his brother's barn. It's a 'no name' cat right now as we don't know if it is male or female (let's hope it doesn't start spitting out kittens). It's cute and really quiet, good with the kids... I guess it is used to noise and movement as it was on a farm with horses, 3 dogs and 4 kids running around. Tug loves cats, he always cuddles up with them, he is pretty mellow and relaxed (in the picture above) but Billie however would like to eat the cat.... We are trying to keep them in separate rooms until they get a little more acquainted... The first meeting didn't go very well... The cat was sat on the window sill and we put Billie next to it (he/she/him/her), they were really quiet for about 15 minutes just checking each other out.

"maybe they'll get along this should be so bad after all"

Famous last words, the cat went to move and as soon as it's back was turned Billie went after it. So now the cat is trying to run away, Billie has the cat's tail in his mouth... I am freaking out!!! So now we are going at it a little slower... I did some research on the Internet and we are following the suggestions by The Humane Society of the United States.... It's what came up on google!

I can hear my Mum groaning now.. she hates cats... I am not really a cat person. I find they are very unpredictable.... Sean grew up with cats so he is in love with this little creature. I did remark to Sean though that if I had come home with a cat he would lose it.... It's alright for him to drag stray animals into our house but I am sure that if it was me.... Hmmm lets just say I don't think he would be very happy.... We'll see how it goes and if Billie will give up his prey instinct to chase and eat!

Food, food, food and more food....

2009-02-24T16:43:00.009-05:00

Friday night has traditionally become wing night. It started off as pizza and wing night then has become just wing night. Todd and Perry joined us this past Friday and I had to post a picture of the obscene amount of wings we cooked.... and of course of the boys chowing down with their hot sauce and beer! So there you go if you come for dinner at our house on a Friday night you know what you'll be having!

Saturday night was our themed dinner party which was so much fun! After all the agonizing I did make a lemon syllabub. It was a great meal.. there was Macaroni and Cheese from Perry's Mum. (he cheated and his mum made it)

Pot roast & veggies from Sue & Scott and Denise made what she calls 'Prison Food'. A mixture of ground beef, potatoes, peas and basically gravy (it was so good - I am a gravy monster!)

Hmmmm my plate full of yummy goodness!!! And for dessert I made my Dad's Lemon Syllabub.. so easy to make! Here is where I found the recipe, although my Dad said he used Brandy to make it instead of wine. As soon as I tasted it I remembered eating it. We would have it Sundays after a big roast dinner and he would serve it to us in a wine glass.. we felt so grown up!!

Other desserts were Perry's Mum's rice pudding (which he made himself ha ha!) and Denise made the most amazing apple torte it had almost a buttery shortbread base, then a cheesecake filling with jam spread on top then a layer of apples. AMAZING!! I went to Todd and Perry's place Monday on my lunch break and raided their fridge for a leftover piece. I even went as far as to leave a note on the remaining pieces on the fridge to tell them they were not allowed to throw it away, I will gladly eat any pieces left! After much agonizing for about a week and a million phone calls to my Mum it was a fun night... and now for the next one. We are having a Kraft Dinner pizza night? at Sue's place.. it apparently a Canadian thing and one I can't miss out on.. Incidentally did I mention I had hamburger helper for the first time in my life the other day??

Saturday's Dinner Party....

2009-02-18T21:21:00.002-05:00

Our good friends Todd and Perry decided that we don't get together enough for dinner with our friends. We always seem to be caught up in life running at a million miles an hour and now with the 'wonderful' recession we don't go out for fear that if we spend these pennies we work so hard for there might not be any more to spend... so we just stay home. Sound familiar??

So we are having a dinner party with a theme... (bearing the recession in mind and the need for comfort food in trying times) comfort food your parents made you growing up. Actually it was comfort food your Mum made you growing up, but my Dad cooked to so I made them change it to 'parents'. Except now I am trying to rack my brains to find something before Saturday... I can think of things but bear in mind we live in a REALLY small town with a REALLY small and understocked grocery store to trying to find anything that strays away from REALLY basic requires a two hour drive out of town. I mean I went in there today and they had no frozen pizzas... nothing... not one..??

My options so far seem to be this dish that is made with Kielbasa (that Sean hates), Beef cobbler, stuffed marrow (a veggie like a zucchini that you can't get here)... so beef cobbler it is now I need to find how to make it. I always remember this desert my Dad made called a Lemon Syllabub so I think I will make that too!!

You have to watch this!

2009-02-17T19:37:00.001-05:00

After obsessively watching The Tudors every night we finally got through Season 1. I LOVED it!!! Now I have to buy Season 2!!

What's in your purse?

2009-02-16T17:10:00.006-05:00

So my friend Kavita did this on her blog and I thought it was fun. Especially as men I think are mystified by what we lug around with us, and why we lug it around with us!

This is my purse from the Coach website....

This is my purse stuffed full of crap.... (hmmm not so pretty)

This is the contents of my purse....

My purse I got this summer from my sister for my birthday (best sister in the world who realizes the importance of having a designer purse.. unlike my husband).. I am not going to say how expensive it is but just that I have the best sister in the world and I am very spolit :) And as for the contents:

1. Day Planner (my bible)
2. Wallet (Ugly green old Guess wallet - must buy a new one)
3. Matching coach change purse with a lottery ticket inside it :)
4. Cell Phone
5. Cheque Books (yes there are more that one in there)
6. Pile of bills that need to be paid held together with a clip :)
7. A day planner of bills (when they are due, how much needs to be paid - what can I say I try to be organized??)
8. Passbooks (yes... I carry them all with me)
9. Gum (the little thing of sticks just wouldn't cut it)
10. Mints (in a really cool little case)
11. Pills - Tylenol and Iron Supplement (I carry them with me so I remember to take my iron everyday)
12. Mitts
13. Camera & case
14. Mini Ice scraper (that I have never used)
15. Various feminine products
16. MAC Compact
17. 2 MAC lip glosses
18. 2 notepads (in case I lose one)
19. 2 pens (what?? one matches my day planner!!)
20. Random keys

And missing the day of the photo shoot... my ipod, telephone book and keys to my work place!

WOW! I have also recently take some stuff out of it... Like pictures of the new appliances we just got (yes I am a loser for carrying them around)... What would I do with a smaller purse? At least I no longer have to carry diapers around with me!

oHHHHH I suck.....

2009-02-16T16:49:00.001-05:00

Yeah it's been a while (my Mum reminded me)...

I'm in a winter blah......

Registration Day...

2009-02-03T16:12:00.008-05:00

Caleb registered for school today!!! In August he'll be off to JK Monday, Wednesday and every other Friday. We filled out forms then he got to see his classroom he'll be in... he was pretty excited. Painting stations, Mr Potato Head centre, computers, puzzles, games.... He didn't want to leave!!!

On another not so happy note Mason had his needles today... When he screams it is the highest pitch noise I have ever heard! Wow.. and did he scream!!! Poor baby boy. It didn't help that it was in the middle of nap time so he was cranky to begin with... :( No more now until pre school (4-6) hopefully by then he won't scream with such a high pitch! Caleb came to and was telling everyone in the office that Mason was here to have his 'noodles'. May have been a little more enjoyable for poor Mason if he went to the doctors office for some noodles :)

Mason Talking....

2009-02-01T12:38:00.005-05:00

This was yesterday, Mason was at the kitchen window pointing out Daddy... I am also daddy, as is the babysitters husband... But I still thought it was pretty cute!

Caleb woke up this morning and asked if he could go to church! His grandparents (McLaughlin) will be so proud! Of course he doesn't actually sit through the whole service but goes down to Sunday school, but I was still happy that he wants to go! Unfortunately we didn't make it as we were a little slow getting dressed and getting up this morning. I know a poor excuse soon as we live across the street....

For Adrienne & my Mum...

2009-01-31T16:26:00.002-05:00

How to post comments on a blog.. the beginners guide..

Go to this link:

http://darraghdoyle.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-comment-on-blog-beginners-guide.html

I think on mine you have to click where it says '0 comments' and then you can write it in...??

Hope that helps!!

New do...

2009-01-31T15:58:00.003-05:00

So after a few years of torture and abuse to my hair I finally decided to get it cut... yes I know this is not the normal me... hello... biggest spa fan.. lets just say after practically back to back babies I have been in a pregnancy rut..?? Also finding a new hairdresser is the scariest thing in the world. Despite the picture above (which are not terribly flattering) I have INSANELY curly hair and it is easy to turn me into a prized poodle..... But I seem to have found a good hair dresser in our tiny little town. Hurray!

Manitoulin on a snowy day...

2009-01-29T14:48:00.003-05:00

Coming into Gore Bay

Ice Lake Causeway

I have decided that I will share a little of Manitoulin with you. We drove to Little Current (across the Island) for Caleb's speech therapy appointment today and it was snowing. Now I realize if you live in England this may be a huge shock that we drive in these conditions but for those of us that live in the great white north (does Manitoulin qualify?) this really is nothing, if it were 'bad' I wouldn't drive in it. I do find it however really hard to concentrate especially at night when the roads are like this as it all just kind of blurs together.. roads, fields... it just all looks white!! I find it particularly mesmerizing when you are driving into the snow... then all I seem to focus on are the white chunks coming at my windshield!

Billings Stretch

Somewhere near Honora Bay?

Caleb Skating 18/01/09

2009-01-26T18:31:00.004-05:00

So I thought I would post a few videos of Caleb skating last week for all the people that won't use facebook! (my Mum, Adrienne just to name a few :) He did really good considering this was his first time this winter skating. We went this week too and he managed to stand up by himself once he wiped out which was kinda cool... All his friends from daycare were also there and they are a few years older than him so it was really cute to watch them try and pick him up when he fell over!

Ok so it's taking too long I'll post the reast tomorrow or something I am going to bed... and my husband is in the basement like a man man with his big table saw going cutting up god knows what as we ran out of fire wood and didn't get a chance to get some more this weekend. When I get up in the morning I may come downstairs to find we are missing a few doors...... (FYI we also have electric heat and an oil furnace for heat in the house so if the wood stove goes out, we won't freeze...)