Hey, it's the Weekend!

Yesterday was the first day of autumn, but it was still feeling a lot like summer.  The weather has been fabulous.

The past couple of weeks have seen us eating out more than usual.  I've been feeling sort of lazy and uninspired in the kitchen.

We did a little front door refresh.  Our son did most of the work, and I'm amazed that we raised a child that knows his way around a toolbox.  New paint, lighting, and window inserts....and it feels like an entirely new entry way!

Chrysanthemums are blooming.

And my passport is going to be put to use tomorrow... my girl and I are off to the land of shamrocks and leprechauns :)

Follow me on Instagram to see what we get up to.

Happy Weekend!

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Happy Easter

Easter isn't happening around here this year, unless you count the two bags of Cadbury mini eggs that we've gone through this past week.  We're probably going to order pizza for dinner.

We're organising, list making, and packing.  Because tomorrow morning we'll be on the road while it's still dark out, heading to the airport.

To spend a week in Mexico.

So, luggage, bathing suits, sunscreen, and flip flops have become the focus of the weekend.

This past week we had another ice storm.  It was a lot worse than the one we had a few weeks ago.  We lost power a few times, thankfully less than an hour each time, and the ice build up the next morning was almost an inch thick.

Cadbury mini egg blondies.

Waffles, because apparently that's what one needs to feel better when sick.

 Shopping for summery things while the ice and snow made a mess outside.

My camera and flip flops are ready.  Follow me on Instagram to see what we get up to.

Posts from Easters past here.

Wishing you a happy Easter!

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Hey, it's the Weekend!

The sun is shining, the temperatures are slowly creeping up past zero, and almost all of the snow has melted.  

There's a subtle shift, as spring arrives.

Tulips spotted in stores.

The end of hockey season.

Longer days.

Omelettes, sushi nights, and green cupcakes.

With the nicer weather coming, here's some motivation to get out and walk.

And with Easter just around the corner, how about some centrepiece and tablescape inspiration.

You could make some spotted Easter eggs, and some mini egg fudge.

Or maybe a batch of bunny cookie bark.

And your Easter breakfast needs these caramel egg stuffed croissants.

Happy weekend!

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Hey, it's the Weekend!

Last week's cold temperatures gave way to rain and above zero days this week.  I'm hoping not to see this again anytime soon.

It was encouraging to see the sun setting later - a sure sign that spring is just around the corner.

A shiny new kettle to perk up my stovetop.

The dog, making himself comfortable in the clean towels I dumped on the sofa for folding.  Did he think I wouldn't see him in his camouflage jacket?

Spinach salad.

Making a mess of the kitchen.

Helping a friend turn 50.  It was hard work :)

Cadbury's Mini Eggs are in the stores.  How about some Mini Egg Fudge?

This food tour of Toronto's Little Italy looks like something I want to do!

These Raw Hemp Chocolates look incredible.  Healthy candy!

How amazing is this Instagram Gallery Wall?

Maple Vanilla Nut Latte Protein Bites - yes please!

And this has to be the coolest thing I've seen all week.


One last thing.  Do you use Steller?  I tried it.  I think I liked it.

Thoughts?

Leave me your user name in the comments so I can follow you :)

Happy Weekend!

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Friday, it's Friday!

Oh... hey February!

Wasn't it just January, like yesterday?

It was -43°C this morning.

The sun is setting later.
Snow squalls have rolled through a few times this week.
Cafe Mocha is a beautiful thing, so are Rocky Road Brownies.
Hockey playoffs mean the season is winding up.
Sweet potato fries rock.
Buttermilk pancakes with buttermilk caramel syrup...dessert for dinner.
Teenage boys that aren't too old to hit the bookstore for a Lord of the Rings colouring book.
Post-hockey pizza.
Star Wars Lego figures.  The youngest boy is collecting an army of them.

Other random bits...

Potato Chip Cookies.  We all need these in our lives.

Did you have pancakes on Pancake Tuesday?

I'm loving these walk-in shower ideas.

I tried making sushi at home once.  It was a nightmare.  But these I think I can manage!

And is brown rice really better than white rice?

I want to visit Winnipeg.  But not in the winter.  They don't call it Winterpeg for nothing.

This Almond Cherry Loaf is perfect for Valentine's Day.

And there's a bunch of Valentine's Day inspiration right here.

Happy Friday, happy weekend!

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Friday, it's Friday!

How is it posssible that we're almost through the entire month of January?  

And how is it that the relentless march of time still suprises me?

Despite a bit of rain during the week, it's still pretty snowy around here.  I love when the snow sits fat and heavy on tree branches.  I love seeing kids that are never to old to be IN the snow.  I love the pattern of last summer's corn stalks in the snow.

Fresh colouring pencils and a fresh colouring page.

Laughing at the car sensors going berserk in the car wash.  It was like they were screaming WHERE DID YOU LEARN TO DRIVE??!.

Smoothie love.  Banana chocolate peanut butter is all kinds of amazing.

Puzzles.  Disney princess puzzles to be exact.

Kids cleaning out their rooms, and deciding they really don't need all of their trophies anymore.  Looking at the box full of discarded awards almost made me cry.  So many years of hard work and commitment.  So much pride in their accomplishments.  So much driving - soccer fields, ice rinks, baseball diamonds, football fields - so many different cities.  So much money spent.  I found an old bookshelf and squeezed in as many as I could.  It's in the hallway outside of their rooms, and I'm just waiting for (daring?) someone to say something.

Costco.  The dilemma of finding room in the cupboards for all of the oversize boxes, and evidence that a certain 13 yr old was shopping with us.  Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Ritz Cheese Snacks, and Instant Hot Chocolate.  Is any of that even real food?

And speaking of food... hello Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs.

Did you know that you can make your own Mayonnaise?  As well as your own Sweetened Condensed Milk?

My favourite dessert, in cake form!

Farmhouse Rice Pudding, Banana and Chocolate Chia Cream Pie Parfaits, and Salted Caramel Sticky Buns.  There are not enough hours in a day for the number of desserts I dream about making.

Happy Friday, Happy Weekend!

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Hey, It's The Weekend!

The sun is shining!  We haven't seen blue skies for weeks it seems - it's nice to have a break from back-to-back snowfalls.  It makes me want to go outside!

For exactly one and half minutes.

Because it might be sunny, but damn it's cold.

The dogs have been loving the snow.  When they're not running around in it, they're at the back door staring at it.

This week there has been snow shovelling, coffee dates, slow cooker failures, muffin successes, and super smoothies.

And mail that makes my stomach do flip flops at the thought that one of my kids may be going away to school in the fall.

I bought a bag of red lentils, and I have no idea what to do with them.  I thought I might try this and this.

These Sweet Potato Tacos look really good.  So does this Power Veggie Sandwich.

We've been trying to eat less meat.  It's hard.  The kids like their meat, and don't always love their veggies.  But I think it's important that we try.

And contrary to some entertaining memes that have been making the rounds on the internet, milk is perfectly safe and wholesome.  Phew.  We use a lot of milk.

Remember how I was using up leftover egg nog from Christmas?  Here's another good recipe to try, it'll clear the egg nog and the cranberries out of your fridge!

These Toasted Sesame & Cranberry Black Rice Bars look amazing.

These bean dips look easy, tasty, and healthy.

And this brought tears to my eyes.  A gentle reminder to remember how great our kids really are.

Happy Weekend!

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Hey, It's... Wednesday!

I changed the title of this post three times. Originally it read "Hey, It's The Weekend!" Then "The Weekend" became "Monday". And here we are... Wednesday. I just haven't been able to spend any quality time with my computer lately.

Hooray for houses that still have their Christmas lights on!

There's been a lot of cooking and baking.  I'm in love with my new mixer. 

Hockey. And one game where our team ended up requesting four referees, because our history with the opposing team guaranteed that things would otherwise get out of hand, fast.

A breakfast date with a friend, where I had to order the menu item that used the word 'smothered' in the description. Eggs Benedict and I go way back.

Getting back into school routines after a two week break.

A new puppy, that needs constant supervision.

A new planner, and some new reading from the library.  Because it took me exactly one day to spend all of the Chapters gift cards that I got for Christmas.

And lookie what we woke up to this morning.  I think it's safe to say that winter is finally here.

Happy Wednesday!

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2015

Not a single post in December.  Hardly any photos taken.  No personal journal notes.  Barely any time spent on Facebook and Instagram.  I spent a month almost entirely unplugged.

It was kind of nice.  And it was also sort of weird.  After falling off the face of the earth, I'm ready to re-engage.

This past year literally flew by.  December was a busy month of getting ready for Christmas.  There was shopping.  Hockey and homework.  Baking and wrapping.

Adjusting to being newly unemployed.  Not so bad.

The continuing challenges of having a new puppy in the house.

It was a green Christmas, thanks to some wild warm temperatures for this time of year.  We didn't get our first real snowstorm until the 28th of December.  It's snowing today, so maybe winter is finally here.

I have half a dozen recipe posts waiting to be finished.  And I'm ready to see the world through my camera again.

Happy New Year!

Top Instagram Pics of 2015

Most Clicked Recipes of 2015

Just Like Starbucks Lemon Loaf // Oven Baked French Toast // Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Authentic New York Style Cheesecake // One Pan Mexican Pasta // Genuine East Coast Donairs

Gingerbread Biscotti // Homemade Vanilla Coffee Creamer // One Pan Italian Sausage and Pepper Pasta

And hey, I managed to get a few books read!

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Friday, it's Friday!

In keeping with my focus on gratitude for the rest of the year...

Grateful for a new puppy that is smart and surprisingly well behaved.  And now as tall as our six year old Cockapoo.

Irish pubs and amazing pub food.  Perfect for celebrating a 50th birthday.

Colourful, windy, autumn.

Monkey bread.

Our son's creative girlfriend, who made us an amazing Thanksgiving centrepiece, and a wonderful batch of cupcakes.

Kids that will eat a cheese platter for dinner, when dinner ended up taking four hours more than I thought it would.  Hello, who knew butter chicken needs to marinate first?

Discovering that acorn squash seeds taste just as good as pumpkin seeds.

We're getting ready to re-create our annual Halloween Window Display.

We're excited to be able to cheer on our Toronto Blue Jays for another series.  Cue all of the game foods, like Spinach Dip and Buffalo Chicken Dip.

 

I'm still looking for ways to use up all of the apples after our apple orchard outing.  I'm thinking about Slow Cooker Bourbon Apple Butter.  Yep, bourbon :)

And I found these Spiced Almond Butter Chocolate Cups.  Like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, but for grown ups.

Show your dog some love with these Cheesy Sweet Potato Treats.

Show yourself some love with No-churn Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream.

You know how all those awesome casserole dishes always call for canned soup?  We all need this Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe in our lives.

These Oreo Truffle Bats are the coolest Halloween treat I've seen.

And this Deathly Hallows Cheese Board blew me away.  I have never seen anything like it.  Wow. just wow.

In other news, we're under a snow squall warning for tonight and tomorrow... AND we turned on the fireplace for the first time last night.  Maybe it really is time to put my flip flops away.  It's all downhill once that happens.

And hey, did you like my Facebook page yet?

Happy Friday, happy weekend!

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Friday, it's Friday!

In keeping with my focus on gratitude for the rest of the year...

I'm grateful for lakes on beautiful fall days.

New books.

Growing kids, even if it means more new clothes.

Time in my kitchen to try new recipes.

Apples, fresh and crisp, right off the tree.

Puppies.

Hockey.

Time for coffee with friends.

I'm also thankful for my hard working husband, who's turning 50 today :)

We went apple picking last weekend, and we've already eaten our way through almost one bag of apples.  There's nothing like a freshly picked apple, and I've got a few ideas on how to put them to good use.

I made this Buffalo Chicken Dip again, I think we're addicted.

I think my cabbage roll loving hubby might like this dish.

I love hard boiled eggs, I hate peeling them.  Easy to Peel Eggs - thank you.

I love these DIY Fabric and Burlap Pumpkins!

THIS twisty pumpkin pastry, awesome!

Our daughter wants to go to Ireland.  I think I need to go with her.

How cool is this Black and White Halloween Topiary?  And how is it that Halloween is only three weeks away??

This is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada.  I haven't planned or prepared a thing, so tomorrow will be a busy day for me.  See my old Thanksgiving posts here.

And I've created a Facebook page for this blog.  I tried resisting the commitment to more social media, but what can I say, I gave in to peer pressure.  

*Sigh*  

Likes appreciated.

Happy Friday, Happy Weekend, Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Friday, it's Friday!

Instagram this week.

Wasaga Beach.  My feet are really white.

Dusk and storm clouds at the lake.

Dessert at our new Coffee Culture.

Puppies.

Quinoa salad from Freshii...another new spot in town.

On our way to the beach we stopped at Walmart, hoping to pick up some shovels and buckets.  Our beach stash is in sad shape, thanks to most of it being tossed at the end of last summer.

Buckets and shovels were nowhere to be found.  It was August 3rd.  Instead we were greeted with shelf after shelf of books, paper, pencils and backpacks.  Seriously, the kids don't go back to school until September 8th, and summer technically doesn't end until September 23rd.

What the ....?  I love (I mean really love) back to school supplies.  I'm a sucker for new notebooks and fresh pens, and I'll get excited about back-to-school shopping in due time, but we're still in the middle of summer here.

Ugh.  Why does the world conspire to move ahead so fast?  We still have four weeks before school starts, and I'm not ready to give up enjoying this summer season.  Not by a long shot.

Because winter is coming.

Ali Edwards is doing A Week in the Life this month.  Have you ever done this?  I tried it last fall, and I tried A Day in the Life in the spring.  I love the idea of the whole project - I just haven't been very good at it.  

But that won't stop me from giving it another go.

Also, I want these Peanut Butter Cookie Bars.

And these Zucchini Blondies.

My to-read list is ridiculous, but that didn't stop me from checking out this collection of 53 Books You Won't Be Able To Put Down.

And what is up with everyone picking up and traipsing over to Italy?  Now I want to go to Florence and Positano.  Sigh.

Happy Friday, happy weekend!

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Friday, it's Friday!

My continuing quest to capture a photo a day, more or less...

New gate, finally.

Stormy weather.

Kale salad.

Wasaga Beach.

More perusing of furniture.

Ripley's Aquarium.

Costco.

This week I shared a recipe for Pancakes Bananas Foster, and more photos from our trip to the African Lion Safari.

We've been trying different cheeses from the farmer's market.  Smoked gouda and goat's milk asiago are a couple of our new favourites.  I've learned that there are a lot of things about cheese that I didn't know.

Potato salad is perfect with a grilled steak.  Specifically, this potato salad.

I want gardens that look like these gardens.

I love cinnamon rolls, or any type of sweet roll for that matter.  So, these Peach Brown Butter Sweet Rolls need to happen in my kitchen.

I also love pies.  But I hate making them.  Actually it's the making of the crust that I hate.  So three cheers for free form pies... like hand pies, rustic tarts and galettes.  How about a savoury onion tart with bacon, kale, and feta?  Or maybe a peach galette with bourbon and honey?

I have slept in almost every morning this week, hitting the snooze button way too many times.  I'm tired and unorganised.  This weekend I'm going to try and reset for the week ahead.

If you've read The Girl On The Train, and loved it,  here are twelve other books you might like.

And because it's summer, and because I'm itching for a road trip, I leave you with a quote.

Happy Friday, and happy weekend!

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Friday, it's Friday!

Instagram lately.

Internet lately.

Banana splits are the ultimate summer ice cream treat.  These Pan Fried Banana Splits need to happen.  With maraschino cherries.

How about some Free Coffee Printables?  Love coffee.  Love free printables.

We went strawberry picking last week, and plan to go again before they're finished, so I can make this Berry Cherry Custard Pie.

I think blueberries will be in season soon.  Blueberry Chia Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce!

We finally had a gate installed to finish the new fence that was put up last summer.  Now I'm thinking of corner gardens, and perennials.  Some great plans here for those of us that aren't good at that kind of thing.

S'mores this, s'mores that...everywhere I look. So, why not some S'mores Banana Bread?

There will be a new puppy in the house later this summer.  One of the boys managed to talk us into it, despite the two dogs we already have.  Crazy, I know.  This is even crazier - How to Train your Dog to Ring a Bell to Potty - seriously?  I wonder if we can teach our old dogs new tricks.

One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta.  Because there can never be enough one pot recipes.

Picked up some smoked cheese at the Farmer's Market last night, so this Spicy Pasta Salad might happen this weekend.  I love you Pioneer Woman.

Dear People Who Live in Tiny Fancy Houses.  Hilarious!

And The World Needs More Love Letters.  Beautiful, I love everything about this.

Happy Friday!  Happy weekend!

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Friday, it's Friday!

The weatherman is forecasting 30+ degrees today...that's Celsius!  The grass is green, the trees have leaves, and we have bubbles.

Our boy is now sporting a smaller cast, in blue this time, as he continues to heal after his big adventure.

The change in weather this past week inspired a trip to the garden centre, where I lusted after all the things.

Spotted during hubby's travels this week - an iguana on the golf course in Miami, and a moose in Algonquin Park.  That man really needs to get an instagram account.

We've been eating a lot of salads this week.  To encourage healthy eating, and to accommodate a houseful of kids that prefer different salad ingredients, I've resorted to build-your-own salad nights.

I've been wearing capris and sandals.  Yay!

I've been reading The Salt Road.

The warmer temperatures are making me want to break out the popsicle maker, and try a batch of these Whole Fruit Popsicles.

We make a lot of smoothies in this house, but I'm curious about smoothie bowls for breakfast.  They look wonderful, and I've started a Pinterest collection of smoothie bowl recipes.

This Breakfast Cake looks like something I might try this weekend.

Caramelized Bananas with Homemade Vanilla Pudding, yes please!

And I think I want a colouring book.

Happy weekend all, and a very Happy Mother's Day!

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Photo A Day

Instagram lately.

Road hockey.
Greek Yogurt Jello Bites.
Clothes shopping.
Library haul.
Easter flowers.
Food and drink.

Hubby had to spend a week overseas.  And Easter was a thrown-together-at-the-last-minute affair, after our plans were de-railed due to a little emergency surgery.  

Life has returned to a semi-normal state, although we're still waiting on Spring to stick around.  There's snow in the forecast.  Typical April.

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Embracing Routine, and Braised Cabbage

Instagram lately.

Airing out stinky hockey equipment.

Swedish meatballs at IKEA.

A quick trip to Muskoka, where there's still plenty of snow.

Our kitchen, turned into a barbeque assembly area.
Wii, rediscovered.
Food.
Hockey.

I'm grateful that we made the time for a quick road trip last weekend.  Things have been so routine around here, and although I try to appreciate all of the moments that make up our everyday lives, I desperately needed a changed of scenery.

We celebrated another hockey tournament championship.

Number one son decided to make a birthday cake for his girlfriend.  The recipe he chose wasn't a simple one, and a two hour education followed.

Lessons learned:

Unhusked hazelnuts do NOT have the husk removed.  

Hazelnuts are also known as filberts.  

Husks are not easily removed with a vegetable peeler.  

Toasting nuts removes most of the husks with minimal effort.

Hazelnut paste is not Nutella.

Heavy cream is whipping cream, not the table cream I use in my coffee.

The toothpick will never come out completely clean.

Icing a cake with mousse is a pain in the a**.

Mom needs a new stand mixer.

We ate Irish food in honour of St. Patrick.  The kids thought the corned beef tasted like ham, so the ham-haters in the house weren't impressed.  I've never made this before, so I just used the pre-seasoned, packaged brisket from the grocery store.  Next time I think I'll try making a more authentic one from scratch.

Surprisingly, the braised cabbage was a hit.  Until now, I had never even so much as bought a cabbage, unless you count the pre-shredded coleslaw mix.  Growing up, I couldn't stand it.  If cabbage rolls or sauerkraut appeared on my plate, you could bet I'd be at the table for a very long time trying to find ways to avoid eating.  I didn't much like the smell while I was slicing it, but once it started to simmer the smell was amazing.  One of the kids thought it tasted like onion rings.

I will be making this again.

Braised Cabbage

adapted from Emeril's recipe on the Food Network

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons bacon fat

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

One half of large head of cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 bottle beer
Red pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

In a large pan, melt butter and bacon fat. Add the onion, bay leaf, and cabbage, stirring to mix. Add the beer, season with salt and pepper, and cover. Braise until the cabbage has wilted, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf, sprinkle with red pepper flakes (optional) and serve immediately.

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