Pencil Test

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!!

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!

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.

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?

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

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....

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.

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......

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.....

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???

Funny April Fools....

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.

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!

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

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!

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

Meatless Monday - Falafel disaster......

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???

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!

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???

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 Bakerella 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!!........