A.O.K (Okay with Andrea)

a.o.k. moves...

2011-02-21T21:48:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a.o.k., you won't find me here much anymore.

I've moved to http://www.okwithandrea.com/ where I hope to blog more regularly, and always candidly about the good, the bad, the simple and the complicated...

I hope you'll follow me there...

A.

My very own TEN30

2011-02-04T07:23:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago a new shopping and residential area filled what was a large field at the intersection of highway TEN and highway THIRTY. Today, the DIX30 (or TEN30) is a trendy place to shop (and live) and is still growing with new commences, restaurants, condos, mansions, etc. building up and around.

There’s really no connection to the shopping experience or restaurants… but with my 30th birthday coming in October 2011, I’m thinking it’s time to undertake my very own TEN30 project.

I made this decision while I was climbing and living on my mountain… (What? you didn’t know Kilimanjaro was my mountain? :-) Well... this is how Layla is always referring to it… so now I do too!).

Anyways, I don’t remember if it was before or after reaching the summit that I thought of it… but basically my idea is this:

Every month from now (January) until my birthday (October), I want to challenge myself to do something that I’ve never done before. It doesn’t need to be big or fancy, I’ve already climbed ONE mountain this year (!) - but it has to be something new, and maybe even something that scares me a little.

January is obviously all taken care of (despite the fact that I was NOT planning this) with climbing Kilimanjaro for the first time. Not to mention that… I’ve never (1) visited Tanzania, (2) climbed higher than 6,288 ft (that’s Mt-Washington, the highest peak in the North-Eastern United States), (3) gone without a shower for 10 days … and as you can imagine, the list of “firsts” could go on.

This month (February) I’m going to visit a high end salon in Montreal and get a new look. I’ve had my hair cut before, so that’s no big deal, but the “first time” experience still fits because I’ll be donating my pony tail to locks of love. My hair was looking particularly good yesterday, so trust me, there is definitely an element of sacrifice to this small gesture. I’ve been joking that I’m going short and blond – which would be a huge change – but we’ll wait and see what they (my very own colorist and stylist!) suggest when I meet them this morning (yes today!)

The next 8 months remain TBD… but I’m hoping to cap off my 30th year with first sky diving experience. Cliché? Maybe a little. Thrilling? Uh… yeah! Scary? Well of course… that’s part of the thrill, right?

If you have any ideas for something new to try – let me know!

Sunscreen and other words of wisdom...

2010-12-20T21:43:00.000-05:00

I heard this song for the first time at the end of a "spin" class last week, while we were stretching. I have to share it... because it speaks to a lot of the things that I've been thinking about lately...

I've posted the lyrics below...

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering
experience…

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.

But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked…

You’re not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on to, work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard;

live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

A little rest to get a little perspective

2010-11-13T18:58:00.000-05:00

It's hardly a secret that this fall has been particularly busy for me. In fact, I'm starting to feel kinda like a broken record...

I remember telling someone that I was the kind of busy where, when other people would tell me how busy they were, all I could think was "Are you kidding me? You have no idea what busy is!". I'm embarrassed and ashamed to admit that I felt this way because I know how awful it sounds... and I also know that I'm not the only person with a lot on her plate... obviously...

I'm not the only mom who has taken on too much...

(It just felt that way sometimes.)

But in the thick of my work projects, fundraising, training, etc. PERSPECTIVE was hard to FEEL. All I could see were the days rolling one into the next, the time that I didn't have, the things that I wanted or needed to get done - that I didn't know where I would possibly fit them in.

It's now been two weeks since the crazyness at work has started to fade a little; and a week since my final fundraising event... and a couple of days "off" later, I'm finally starting to feel a little bit more like myself.

I want to cook again. For the past couple of months cooking has been a chore (forget a recipe... or attempting to try a new one... I think both Brandon and I were happy if we managed to get a decent and healthy meal on the table by 6 p.m. most evenings). The importance of meal planning became more obvious than ever. There were a couple of weeks where we hadn't planned specific meals and supper was often a last minute, thrown together... and altogether a not so fantastic affair (!)

My libido has returned. I know - too much information right? But seriously, I was starting to be concerned that there was something seriously wrong with me. For almost a month I was simply not interested. A couple of weeks ago I came to the realisation that I was just too physically exhausted and stressed. I threw it out there as an excuse with promises that things would get better once life slowed down a little. I didn't realise just how right I was. Fatigue and stress are not good for my sex life. Good to know. Time to make up for it ;-)

I'm enjoying simple things like you wouldn't believe. Taking a couple of hours to go to the hairdresser, eating breakfast with the family, watching the girls run around the yard with Brandon (on a beautiful fall day)... I even took the time to straighten my hair this week.... and it's not all that surprising that I feel much less overwhelmed by the loads of laundry to be done of the course of the weekend...

And I'm really hoping to start writing more regularly again. Despite the business and the extra work, the Fall has been a time of learning for me. Learning about myself, learning about what I'm good (and not good) at... learning to take a step back to gain a little perspective that isn't so wrapped up around my own belly button (sometimes this is the hardest lesson to learn... and re-learn...and re-learn!).

A.

Summit for Wishes (An update)

2010-10-18T22:17:00.000-04:00

It may be quiet on AOK these days, but you should head over to AOK "summit for wishes" and check out my latest posts there...

(1) My search for the perfect boots brought me to these pair of LOWA VIVIONE boots. They're very good quality and are treating my feet well. Click here to read more...

(2) I'm inviting as many people as I can to try and get a decent crowd out for an evening fundraiser "Soirée for Wishes". If you're interested... contact me! :-) Click here to read more...

(3) I continue to be touched and humbled by the display of support from family, friends and colleagues. Some serious donations on Thanksgiving weekend brought my fundraising total close to $13 000 and the kids of some good friends planned their own little fundraiser "breakfast for donations" this past weekend...
Click here to read more...

(4) And most recently (as in yesterday) I headed down to hike Mt-Washington with some of the gang from Make-A-Wish and Summit for Wishes. A big DAY trip for sure... but lots of fun. There's a short video of the crazy wind that kept us from going further and reaching the summit. Click here to read more...

What a great project!

A.

Make sure you tell her...

2010-10-11T21:53:00.000-04:00

As I prepare to undertake the challenge of hiking to the summit of Kilimanjaro in January - which rises 19,340 feet (5985 metres) above sea level - my biggest fear is how my body will acclimatize to the altitude. It's not really something I can prepare for, other than taking some necessary precautions (like climbing slowly, taking the longest route to the summit and having some trusty meds on hand).

With that said, someone told my SIL recently to tell me that if I start to feel sick I need to STOP because otherwise I might DIE. My goodness. Uh... What am I getting myself into? I was happy to be able to respond that the owner of the company that we'll be climbing with is actually joining my group for the treck and that after hearing some recent "climbing" stories, I know that one of the most important things is going to be to swallow my pride and admit if I'm not feeling well so that I can get help if I need it and increase my chances of making it the summit should something go wrong. This is me staying positive and hoping that NOTHING goes wrong... and that I am just naturally made to be in the mountains... at high altitudes.

But, while the chances of me actually dying during this little adventure are very small - they`re still probably a little bit higher than if I stayed home and lived my regular life in January 2011.

It's the kick in the butt that Brandon and I need to finally take the time to do our will. Ugh. What a chore... what crappy conversations... "so if we both die... then who gets the girls?" being at the top of that list of crappy conversations that we need to have.

For some people I'm sure that it's an obvious decision. It isn't for us... which is a large part of the reason our will isn't done (pretend it won't happen and it won't?--- probably about as safe as the rhythm method of birth control --- I should know, I have 2 beautiful results of using that method!)

There are so many things to think about...
- Should they go to extended family? Should they go to friends?
- Do they already have kids? Would an extra 2 be a ridiculous thing to ask?
- Would they be able to love our kids as their own?
- Would they share our faith and our values with our girls - whether they are their own or not?
- Does it matter if it means a big "move" for the girls?
- Will they still see extended family if we don't actually choose a family member?
- ...

...And all of the questions are almost fictional because the chances of Brandon and I BOTH dying before the girls are 18 (and hopefully long after that) are not very high (at least according to our life insurance policy the risks aren't that high!).

So this is what`s on my mind this week (along with fundraising, work projects, meal planning, laundry, home reno lists, and every other "to do" list I've got going up there).

I don't think I'm going to die in January - but I guess I need to plan for the possibility? How morbid is that?!

A.

From busy life to thumb sucking... to guilt.

2010-10-07T22:44:00.000-04:00

I haven't gone this long without posting anything on a.o.k. since I started my personal blog more than a year ago. The fact that it's been more than a month is proof of the fact that I've been very busy these last few weeks. Work is busy. Our home life is busy. Fundraising and training for summit for wishes is busy.

... and now I'm starting to wonder if all the busyness in my own life is starting to take it's tole on my family... and especially on my baby. Nothing like a little "mom guilt" to get me blogging again!!

Meaghan - my lovable, quirky, strong-willed and uber-cute 17 month old - sucks her thumb. She's always been a sucker. It started with my pinky finger - consoling her as a very very new baby. We introduced the soother very quickly to little Meaghs, but it didn't stick long. As soon as she discovered her thumb, she never went back. It has never really bothered me that she sucks her thumb. Though I'll admit that I often wonder how I'm going to "take the thumb away" when it's time. It's not like I can "lose" her thumb?!? And I personally sucked my thumb for a really long time (only very few people can attest to just how long) - so I know that it's not necessarily something I can control (even with icky tasting nail-polish!).

So Meaghan's thumb sucking is normal for her... but...

Lately Brandon and I have been noticing that she seems to be turning to her "thumb" more often... to the point where the skin is starting to chap and peel. It really looks terrible.

I was worrying a little about it and mentioned it casually to a friend at work. Her sister is a dental hygienist and so she hooked us up so that I could ask for advice. The major things that stood out from our conversation were:

(1) She's really still very young to try and make her stop (could lead to a lot of frustration and battles for nothing);
(2) If she's sucking it more recently, it might because she's a bit insecure for some reason... Is there any change, added stress...?

... uh oh...

Added stress? ooof. Sucking her thumb more? yes. More tired and grumpy? uh-huh... Between work, the gym, hikes on the weekend, ETC. - I've been busier and more absent lately. Could it be my fault that she's sucking the skin off her thumb (almost literally)?

Ouch.

Guilt.

So now what?

(1) I'm trying to focus more on her when I am around. Give her more special attention in an attempt to make sure she feels secure (in case that is actually the problem).
(2) I'm making a real effort to leave work on time and do the extra stuff once the girls are in bed (so that they don't notice)
(3) I'm trying to figure out a way to bring them along for the next hike...
(4) I'm going to apply some very light cortisone cream to her thumb tomorrow morning to see if it helps the skin.
(5)... and I'm hoping it's all just a coincidence and that I'm not actually making my baby "insecure" somehow...

sigh...

A.

A weekend of ups and downs...

2010-08-30T21:44:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was lots of fun... but there were some serious emotional highs and lows!

The ladies brunch

Brunch for Wishes - centrepieces (pretty, huh?)

After weeks (mmm... months) of planning I finally held my "ladies only" brunch fundraiser at the Bifthèque restaurant in Boucherville. I was very happy with how things came together and the "feel" of the event - and was incredibly touched by the lovely ladies who came out, offered their support and words of encouragement. You can read more about it by clicking here.

The brunch was all cleaned up by 1:30 p.m. on Saturday... leaving us plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful weather with the girls - and head out to a BBQ in Ville St-Laurent. The BBQ was fun... but as we got ready to leave - we had the "down" moment of our weekend. For about 10 minutes we could not find Layla.

Where's Layla?

Convinced that she was hiding somewhere because she didn't want to leave, I took my time gathering our stuff and saying my good-byes. I went to look for her in the house... she wasn't there. Brandon went looking around front... she wasn't there... I went back in the backyard...

Panic was setting in. Brandon dropped our stuff and went looking. With Meaghan in my arms, I raced back to the front and then again to the back. I could feel my heart beating like it was going to come right out of my chest. All I could think was "This can't be happening to me... I can't be that Mom... I don't want this to be my story...". Soon several of the bbq guests were looking for Layla with us... one guy jumped into his car to start driving around the neighborhood and others ran from backyard to backyard. I yelled "Layla, Layla, sweetie, Layla where are you?" over and over. Meaghan echoed my calls "LAyla, Ayla, Ayla". Finally a few people took off running around the corner - they had spotted her, poor little thing, a few houses down, standing on the sidewalk and crying "Mama"...

Be still my heart. Breathe. She's there. She's okay. Nobody took her away.

I passed Meaghan off to the nearest person and ran to pull Layla into my arms - Tears of relief covering both of our cheeks. Everyone had a good scare. It didn't take long before she was looking for her Dadda too. He took her into his arms, and I accepted the comforting hugs from those nearby.

The next time we go anywhere - I am tying her to me (well maybe not, but you know what I mean).

It's hard not to think of the what if's or to be beat myself up for not worrying sooner - but in the end, I'm just happy that she was only around the corner, and that we found her. The new rule to enforce will be: "you don't have to be beside me all the time, but you have to be able to see me - you can't go further than that. If you can't see me, call for me".

Thankfully our weekend didn't end on that note...

Sunday BBQ

On our way home from church on Sunday I turned to Brandon and said "we should call around and see if anyone is up for a BBQ tonight - it's just too nice of a day to not do something". Some might call me crazy for adding another activity to my already packed weekend, but there was something nice about having a few friends over, cooking and baking in my kitchen (just for fun), and enjoying a relaxing evening with good food.

Setting everything up in the backyard made it feel like a "real bbq"
(whatever that means!)

For a spontaneous BBQ, it was easiest to throw together a couple salads (my famous caesar salad and a pasta salad from my trusty Betty Crocker basics cookbook, pick up some corn (which is in season and totally delicious!), and ask people to bring their own meat.

Meaghan enjoying her corn and saying "cheese" for the camera

No "event", no matter how informal, is complete without dessert. I checked what I had on hand and decided on a peach/strawberry crisp and ice cream sundaes for the kids. The peach crisp was PERFECT - a real hit... and no kid I know says no to ice cream with chocolate or caramel sauce and bananas!

Recipes will come... eventually :-)

After the kids were put to bed and the kitchen was cleaned - I counted my money.

Fundraising for Summit for Wishes has officially passed the $11 000 mark (that's almost 70%). I'm thrilled. obviously.

How many people does it take to change a tire?

2010-08-25T22:48:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make.

As much as I consider myself to be a "modern woman", capable of doing all of the traditionally man tasks and making it on my own - I'm really a girly girl when it comes down to it.

I don't take out the garbage.

I don't mow the lawn.

I have never changed the oil in my car - or changed a tire.

When I was on my way home from work this evening, my car started wobbling and I pulled over to see what was wrong (the last time this happened, my tie-rod was busted... and I was in real trouble).

I was relieved to see that it was just a flat tire.

I took a moment to consider my options - option 1: attempt to change the tire myself and option 2: attempt to drive home and get B to take care of it for me.

The tire was looking really flat... and I could do this... right?!?

I went with option 1.

Had I been able to actually loosen more than 1 bolt I think I might have managed to jack the car up on my own - but after 20 minutes of grunting and pulling and pushing with all of the strength I could muster, those bolts weren't budging.

Why wasn't anyone stopping.

Tears of frustration were starting to make their appearance.

Finally 2 guys biked by and after considering my poor state, turned around to ask if I could use some help.

Of course the "boy" could loosen the bolts that I couldn't.

But once the bolts were loosened and the car was jacked... the tire wouldn't budge... and I am not exaggerating here - it was seriously stuck.

Finally 2 older men came out of a machine-shop or air-hanger (I was driving along the airport service road) and brought tools (hammer, jack hammer, a giant wrench) to help.

15 minutes later - my flat tire was still attached to my car. One of the men went to find some oil.

(Note: You should always have a spray can of oil in your car!)

About 30 seconds after he started spraying, the tire finally slipped off.

About 5 minutes later I was back in the car, on my way home.

Did I mention that the girls were with me? That I was wearing a pencil skirt with a particularly high slit in the back? That in the end I was standing there with not 2, not 4, but 6 men helping me - the poor girly woman on the side of the road :-P

I feel like such a girl !

A fundraising update...

2010-08-23T22:54:00.000-04:00

Another one down... more than half way!

Dad has too much hair on his face to have it painted... so...

The last few weeks of my life have been busy. Mini-vacations, sickness in the family, my first "hike", my first yard sale, regular life, regular work, a fundraising weekend at IGA... and now... the final preparations for my ladies brunch fundraiser. The number of to do lists floating around in my head is finally starting to decrease and I feel like I'm regaining some sense of normalcy. Sort of. ;-)

Aside from the lessons learned from my most recent fundraising activity - I'm really excited to announce that we have passed (by far) the 1/2 way point of this crazy project. With less than 5 months to go to Kilimanjaro, the total amount raised stands at $ 9600 - pretty exciting if I do say so myself. I'm not done yet - but I feel like I've made it far enough that I'll be able to start sharing the focus between the fundraising and the physical training aspects of this adventure.

Which brings me to my next announcement...

(READ MORE...)

a.o.k. "trial" gourmet (30) Bake sale treats

2010-08-21T19:56:00.000-04:00

(written yesterday afternoon)

I spent this morning baking for the bake sale portion of the fundraiser I'm organizing at the local IGA Grocery story this coming weekend. It's going to be a busy weekend... and if you're in the area, it would be awesome if you stopped by (click here for details).

I have lots of help for the bake sale thanks to the following lovely ladies (and gentleman!): Aimée, Arlene, Sylvia, Calvin & Carolyn, Charlene... and my special helpers this morning, Rachel and Layla. There should be a pretty great assortment of baked goods. Muffins, cookies, brownies, rice krispy squares, rocky road bars... and maybe even some mini-cheesecakes.

I've limited my own baking to some pretty simple stuff but it was a good opportunity to try a new muffin recipe - APPLE MUFFINS - the result being a definite "do again", especially with apple season right around the corner!

So this morning we made: Blueberry muffins , Apple muffins (see recipe below), Rice Krispy Squares (a classic bake sale favorite) and Ghiradelli chocolate brownies (this is a mix... don't turn your nose up because it's fantastic... I made over $80 selling these brownies at a bake sale at my work place and they are a new staple in our home!)

Now it`s time to make some posters and make sure I have everything I need for tomorrow (and then it's girls night out tonight too ... busy day!... busy weekend!)

Apple Muffins (original recipe)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup apple juice*
*I didn't have any apple juice on hand so I supplemented 1/2 cup of apple sauce & 1/4 cup water.
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup apples - peeled, cored and finely diced

Directions

1.Heat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease bottoms only of 12 muffin cups or line with baking cups.
2.In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. In a small bowl, combine apple juice, oil, and egg; blend well. Add dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy.) Stir in chopped apples.
3.Fill cups 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 minute before removing from pan. Serve warm.

a.o.k. trial gourmet (29) Sweet and Sour Pork

2010-08-18T22:16:00.000-04:00

We've been blessed with particularly nice weather this summer haven't we? Beautiful weekends for everything from camping, garage sales and star gazing to lounging around the back yard and playing with the girls in the pool. We've definitely put our AC to good use these past couple of months... but lately there's a chill in the evening air... and I'm starting to crave slow cooker meals - which can only mean that fall is slowly creeping up on us.

Truth be told, I love the summer months and I'm sad to see them coming to an end, but I also love the Fall (when it's not cold and raining!). I started "officially" dating Brandon on Sept 25th in our senior year of high school. Thanksgiving has got to be a close 2nd to Christmas for my "favorite holidays" - mostly because of the food! Oh and my birthday also happens to be in the Fall as well... :-)

Why am I talking about the Fall? Well.. When I made this a.o.k gourmet meal - which the original recipe refers to as "Cantonese Dinner Recipe" - it made me think of other "comfort/one-pot" meals that are so typical of my fall/winter dinner repertoire.

I found this recipe using Brandon's new ipod touch. What a cool little gadget... and it's not even the iphone! Allrecipes.com has an app to search for recipes... you put in your main ingredient, the type of meal you're looking for and how long you want it to take... and presto... a list of recipes at your fingertips.

I had these pork cubes which I'd gotten on special and didn't know what to do with them. I modified the recipe I found on the ipod (by reading the recipe reviews) and was really happy with the result. Actually - everyone was thrilled with the result and I will be making this "sweet&sour pork" again and again in the months to come.

Curious... Here's the recipe (can you say easy!!!???)

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork, cut into strips or small cubes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 carrots, cut into about 1 inch pieces
1 pepper, cut into small pieces
~~1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained~~
2 1 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
6 3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 ~~1 1/2~~ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
1.In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown pork in oil. Drain off excess fat.
2.Place pork, onion, ~~mushrooms~~, carrot, peppers, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, salt and Worcestershire sauce in a slow cooker. Cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Enjoy!

Crazy August... and it's not over yet!

2010-08-16T20:36:00.000-04:00

What a crazy month it`s been - and we're only half way through!

The month started off with a mini-vacation to Tremblant with my in laws. I took the opportunity to take off on my first hike in my "Kilimanjaro" boots.

The hike was brief - as the boots are "intense" and need to be broken in slowly. It was also steep enough to make me question this crazy project. As my breath became more laboured my thoughts wandered. What the heck am I doing? How can I possibly think I can do something like this? ... and of course the occasional thought of how I would respond to a random bear attack seeing as I was hiking alone (you can say it... crazy!)

(read more)

Wordless wednesday: Meagh at the water park

2010-08-04T21:34:00.000-04:00

Brandon's Story (part 2) - Diagnosed

2010-07-31T07:00:00.006-04:00

One of the reasons that I'm participating in "Summit for Wishes" is to honor the memory of what my husband and his family went through when/after he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in 1985. Their story has touched me in so many ways - and so I'm sharing it with you...

In "Brandon's story - part 1" I gave a very general introduction to this series. In part 2, I'm telling you more about when he was actually diagnosed.

Like so many children who get sick - Brandon was an active and healthy toddler who became lethargic, tired and cranky almost overnight. Confused by the change in his demeanor, his parents took him to the doctor and were basically told that he was just spoiled. Unfortunately it wasn't that simple...

The day Brandon was diagnosed, he wasn't even at the hospital for himself. His older sister had hurt her ankle. When they knew they were going to the hospital to have it checked, they called ahead to see if they could have blood tests done on him since they would be there anyways (despite the "spoiled" diagnosis, they were still very concerned about the changes in him).

After a small finger prick... the doctors knew that something was terribly wrong. And within an hour, Brandon's parents found themselves sitting at a table with hematologists, oncologists and psychologists; hearing words like "cancer", "your son" and "treatment" in the same sentence. The official ALL diagnosis came a little later that day. His first blood transfusion came that evening.

Can you imagine?

Those first few hours were a mess of questions, paperwork, discussing treatment options... IF they would treat or IF it was too late. Whew. I don't think anyone can understand what it must have been like, how it might have felt to be in their shoes (without having lived something similar)... the shock, the pain, the not knowing. Clinging to any signs of hope... wondering... and trying very hard to stay positive and not think about what this might actually mean. Oooof. I get shivers and a sick feeling in in the pit of my stomach just thinking about it.

Brandon still dressed up for Halloween in 1985...
....a week after entering the hospital (and isolation).

Consider also that we're talking about 25 years ago. What do you respond when the doctor asks if you're willing to try an experimental treatment and/or procedure? When they tell you that your 3 year old son will be the first child in Montreal to have an infusaport*? That they've never actually done this before, but they have high hopes for success?

I'm sure you're torn between screaming at them "don't touch my son with your experiments" and pleading "please... do whatever you think will work".

After a couple of blood transfusions, the doctors decided that Brandon was strong enough to undergo the first blast of chemotherapy. The little guy was a trooper - as him mom would say "he

always had a strong will to live". The treatment brought down his blood count almost immediately. He started to lose some of his hair. Though he was "lucky" to never lose it all (I have a feeling 3 year olds are less concerned about hair loss than most), it was definitely upsetting to his parents who found tufts of dark hair on his pillow every morning.

From that first day in the hospital (and his ALL diagnosis) Brandon spent about 3 weeks in isolation. His mother almost never left his side... sleeping next to him in his crib every night. Wouldn't you if it was your child? If you thought your time with him was threatened? But remember here - Brandon has an older sister. She spent those first weeks being shipped back and forth between her dad, aunt and grandmother. Something like that has to take a toll. On both parent and child. While your focus is on the sick one, you never forget that you have another one (who needs you too) at home.

And the "mom-guilt" sets in.

(to be continued)

______________________________

*The infusiport had been used in other areas before, but not Montreal. (What is an infusaport?)

a.o.k. "trial" groumet (28) Smells yummy over here!

2010-07-29T13:07:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's taken me so long to get this post up. Well I guess I can. As my doctor put it so well the other day... I'm not "depressed" I'm "sur-chargé" (ie. I've got a little bit too much on my plate these days... gee... no... ya think?).

I have many excuses... but all I can say is I'm very glad this blog of mine isn't paid gig because I would have lost my job by now (so much for 52 weeks straight of new recipes and getting posts up at leat twice a week!)

My dear readers, I feel like you've missed so much these last couple of weeks - cute moments with the girls, our may long weekend camping experience, my 40-day fast (maybe that has somethign to do with a.o.k. gourmet taking a back seat) and more...

Trust me, although I'm up to my eyeballs (or past there by now) in fundraising activites, fitting in summer vacation plans and the regular day to day life of being a working (part-time) mom... I've still got so much that I want to share and I'm still cooking... and I'm planning an a.o.k. "trial" gourmet come back... soon. Like maybe in September - once we get past the crazy month of August that's just around the corner.

Sigh.

At least we start with a mini-vacation in beautiful Tremblant. ...So you know, I'm planning a nice long solitary hike sometime during those 4 days - to officially begin the proces of breaking in my super cool hiking boots (!) and to get away from it all (myself included - I hope)

With that said... let's move on to the food.

I love potatoes and I love garlic, so when I spotted this recipe for Roasted Smashe Greek Potatoes on the back of the 3lb bag of red potatoes a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted to try it. The recipe calls for an entire head of garlic (I re-read it 3 times and then checked it in french to be sure that I wasn't confused) and I absolutly loved the bites of feta which were mixed in at the very end.

The recipe is below - along with the other "components" of our meal (shared with B's parents). A very yummy meal in my opinion and Layla at an ENTIRE pork chop!

Roasted Smashed Greek Potatoes (compliments.ca)

2 lbs red mini potatoes
1 head garlic, peeled (yes. 1 entire head)
4 sprigs fresh oregano
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a roasting pan - Toss raw potatoes together with peeled garlic cloves, 1/2 of the oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast in a 400 degree oven until tender (approx 40 minutes)
Transfer to serving dish and lightly mash potatoes.
Stir in feta cheese, remaining oregano and lemon juice.
Add salt and pepper to taste, serve warm.

Green Beans with Color (fresh from the garden!)

2-3 cups of fresh green beans

3/4 cup of grape tomatoes

2 small shallots, sliced finely

olive oil

Bring water to boil and add green beans until just tender
Heat olive oil in pan and brown shallots/onion
add grape tomatoes (2-3 minutes)
add green beans (2-3 minutes)
Transfer to serving bowl or serve immediately

Apple/Maple BBQ Chops (and my very first original BBQ sauce recipe)

6 pork chops (at least 1/2 inch thick)

Andrea's "random" bbq sauce
1/4 cup ketcup
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp apple sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste

BBQ (!)

The many faces of Layla

2010-07-21T00:25:00.000-04:00

On vacation for a few days...

but lots coming when I get back... recipes... camping experiences... etc. etc. etc.

Busy busy busy....

2010-07-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

Wondering where I've been and why I haven't been cooking lately?

Among other things... I've been very busy planning a range of summer fundraising activities to contribute to "Summit for Wishes". There's still so much to do... promote the events, find sponsors and volunteers... etc. etc. etc. but here's an idea of what's coming (before the end of the summer)... a garage sale, a BBQ at my local IGA (grocery store) and a special "ladies brunch" ...

Check out my "Kili2011" blog for all the details!

GARAGE SALE FUNDRAISER

BBQ FUNDRAISER

"LADIES BRUNCH" FUNDRAISER

Canada Day in BLUE and WHITE

2010-07-05T20:20:00.000-04:00

FACE PAINTING
A "Summit for Wishes" Fundraising Activity

I was a little concerned when we decided to do "face-painting" during the Greenfield Park Canada Day festivities. Not only was it going to be my first real "face-painting" experience (other then what I've done with Layla at home... for no one to observe or critique!), when I picked up the Make-A-Wish t-shirts from the Montreal office... I was thinking... perfect colors... for St-Jean-Baptiste Day!

Oh well... the show must go on. And it could have been much worse... it could have been red and white shirts on St-Jean-Baptiste-Day. :-)

(READ MORE)

Brandon's Story (part 1)

2010-06-29T22:19:00.001-04:00

This is Brandon about 25 years ago. He was just shy of 3 and a half when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) on October 23, 1985. On that same day, I was celebrating my 4th birthday... It's just a weird coincidence but it's pretty crazy to think back and realize that around the time I was telling off the neighbour boy for blowing out my birthday candles, my future husband's family was being told that their son was very sick and discussing treatment options to fight the cancer that was attacking his little body.

25 years later it's all too easy to brush aside or trivialize what his family must have been going through because he's okay today. Because they were lucky enough to be blessed with the miracle of remission.

But did you know that when you have a child who is diagnosed with a cancer like ALL, the doctors will never tell you that he or she is cured?

Did you know that when you have a child who fights a disease that threatens their life, when you live through the nightmare of something like cancer, that your life is changed forever?

... that 25 years later you still worry when you're healthy grown up son looks a little pale?

... that you laugh and cry when that same son has not only one but two beautiful healthy babies - because (1) like any parent you're thrilled to be a grandparent and because (2) there were days when you could barely imagine a future like this?

... that you still remember with vivid clarity what it was like to pace the hallways with your dying baby in your arms... what it was like to let the thought of losing him drive you crazy... what it was like to have everyone look at you with pity, but have very few people actually understand the horror of what you were facing?

Cancer is awful no matter how you twist it or look at it. Childhood cancer is just wrong.

Following the story of Layla Grace this past winter opened doors with Brandon's family to talk about what they lived through when he was fighting leukemia. It's not that it was something they kept secret, or that his family shied away from talking about it ... it's just that discussing little Layla's fight against cancer with them brought a lot of old experiences and memories to the fore. The stories they have to tell are heartbreaking and captivating at the same time.

Over the next few weeks I want to share Brandon's story... his family's story. Why? To help shed some light on how much this kind of experience impacts not only the sick child, but the entire family unit. To share with you another part of why I've been inspired to do all of this and raise money so that I can help (at least) one child who is currently suffering from a disease or illness that threatens their life, to live out a big dream or wish... and to feel hope...

To be continued...

Kilimanjaro fundraising - $1999.00 (12.5%)

2010-06-23T19:59:00.001-04:00

I suppose I should just add the extra dollar to make the official total $2000, huh?

This project is really incredible. It's taking up a lot of my time and energy, but I don't think I would have it any other way. In the last couple of weeks I've been totally encouraged (again) by the support that I'm getting from all sorts of different places.

Here are some updates:

The final "total" raised for my second round of pancakes for wishes is $536.00. I currently have just under $400 of that, and have a few final deliveries to make this week to make up the difference. Like last time, I decided to just absorb the costs of the mix and jars so that everything people gave for the mix is going directly towards helping me reach my fundraising goals. THANK YOU to everyone who ordered the mix this time. Some people liked it even better than the first mix, and I didn't think that was possible! A special thank you to Leino for ordering 20 small jars and passing them on to his next 20 clients at Esto Image in St-Lambert.

A few weeks ago I was blessed with a nice big chunk ($250) when one of my husband's co-workers decided that the proceeds from the end of year barbecue for the Centennial High School "Talented and Gifted" (T.A.G.) students would go to charity - and she picked this project! Thank you so much to Brandon for talking about the project at school, to Amber for her idea and desire to support and to all the kids who were attended the barbecue. Every donation helps and this one certainly made a dent in my efforts to reach my objective.

READ MORE

When will I get it together?

2010-06-21T22:01:00.000-04:00

[photo by Lel4nd]

“When you feel that you have reached the end and that you cannot go one step further... What a wonderful opportunity to start all over again, to turn over a new page.”

- Eileen Caddy

I feel like I've been trying forever to figure out the right way to get organized, to manage my time better, and to get rid of the clutter ("stuff", physical, emotional, etc.) in my life. The inner dialogue that goes along with this struggle is funny (or weird or pathetic or...) and goes a little like this...

I really have to just go through the house and get rid of everything that I don't use or wear or need...

If I could just convince myself to wake up 30 minutes earlier every morning, I think I'd have more time to take care of me... work out, pray, enjoy a cup of coffee in silence... uh... that's more than 30 minutes isn't it?

But I don't want to wake up earlier. I. really. like. sleep.

Maybe if I stopped spending time on facebook... yeah... we should just get rid of the Internet... um... maybe not...

I'll get it right this week. I'll write lists, get up earlier, make myself a schedule... that'll do it.

This week, I'm going to make a list of all the things I need to do... and a meal plan for the next few days..

So... how should I organize my list? Should I make 3 lists? 4 lists? Menu... Kilimanjaro fundraising... new recipe for blog... work-related... people to touch base with... craft ideas for Layla... stuff to do around the house...

Oh my goodness.

I don't know what to say when people are impressed with how much I have going on at the same time. On the one hand, I think of other people I know who seem to manage way more... I think (I know) they're more intentional in their time management than I am, otherwise I have no idea how they do it. On the other hand, I think to myself "uh... I'm not managing as well as you think I am... I get overwhelmed too...

I just don't want to say no... and the good feeling I get from the exciting, encouraging moments seems to consistently outweigh the wanting to give up moments when I feel like I'm running around with no sense of reason or direction (the phrase "chicken with my head cut off" comes to mind... though the mental image that comes with that is not quite what I'm trying to describe!).

I'm not trying to be self-deprecating here - just honest. I'm struggling lately - with a million and one to do lists I'm not getting everything that I want to get done, done. It's not to say that I haven't been encouraged, that I haven't seen successes, or that anything is going "bad". I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed.

And what I'm about to say is more for me than for anyone reading... I need to remember this "advice"...

"Life is a marathon, not a race" - take it one day at a time, one step at a time. Do not get overwhelmed by the things you cannot change or control. Do not get overwhelmed by the things you can. You can only do one thing at a time, so do it... and do it the best you can. And try to remember to take a moment every day to step back and count your blessings... and remember what life is all about... to quote a teenage pop star "It's about the climb"!

I feel better already.

a.o.k. "trial" gourmet (27) Pizza, Soup and ACCIDENTS

2010-06-19T11:32:00.001-04:00

I've been slacking when it comes to a.o.k. and even more when it comes to a.o.k gourmet. It isn't so much because I have nothing to write about... my mind is always buzzing and I'm still making food... but my life has been busier than usual lately. As usual, when things get busy, some thing(s) get put on the back burner.

But, hey, I'm here today, right?!? And I'm going to share my lovely Thursday with you...

First there was the pizza dough mishap...

I started out the morning with plans of making pizza dough (I really enjoyed backseat gourmet's recipe which I shared in my last a.o.k. gourmet post... and home-made pizza has been our weekly menu ever since). I wanted to try Simple Bites' recipe this time around.

As the girls played together around my feet... I put the yeast in warm water to rise, measured out (with Layla's help) the flour, salt, water, olive oil and honey... I mixed it all together using the "dough hook". I found the dough seemed firmer and cleaner than the last time... but I transferred it to the greased bowl and covered it with a tea towel to let it rise. When I came to check the dough about 30 minutes later... it hadn't moved... or risen... at all. I spotted the bowl of foamy yeasty water that I'd forgotten to add into the mixer and felt my shoulders slump just a little. Seriously? Andrea? Come on!

I started over for the pizza dough... and stretched out the other dough to bake in the oven anyways... a flat bread maybe? Sigh.

Then there was the soup emulsifier incident...

By now, it was time for Meaghan's morning nap, so I put her down and then came back to the kitchen to make soup with Layla.

We chopped the vegetables (I even took some time to help her do some of the chopping with me). We measured the broth and other ingredients together. Before too long, it was simmering away on the stove and I was cleaning while Layla looked at some books.

When the soup was done, I sat her at the kitchen table with a small snack. After looking at the soup... and wondering if the texture of the full pieces of spinach would bother me and I decided to take out the emulsifier. I didn't want the soup to cook anymore, so I took it off the stove and placed it on a mat in the middle of the table. I plugged in my emulsifier and Layla laughed as I started pulsing the soup.

The laughing didn't last very long.When I lifted the emulsifier to try and grab some of the bigger chunks near the surface, the pressure sent the soup flying... onto Layla.
The rest is kind of a blur. Layla screaming and crying... me grabbing her and running to the bathroom, throwing her in the tub with her clothes on and hosing her down with cold water... trying to calm her and explain the the cold water will help... visions of little children with burns on the faces or necks from similar and worse accidents... praying that the burns would be superficial... that the soup wasn't hot enough to do any major damage.

... and my shoulders slumping just a little more as my lunch plans changed from taking the girls to grandma's to having one of them babysat by grandma while I took the other to the clinic just to make sure everything was okay.

And thank God - everything IS okay. She has a few small spots that look like first degree burns. They'll be tender but they should heal well and quickly. One spot under her chin may be closer to a second degree burn and it looks like it's going to blister a little... but it should heal well and quickly too. (Today... two days later, you can barely tell there was an incident at all).

We learned that little children with burns get bumped to the front of the "sans rendez-vous" (no appointment) line at the clinic. We came out of there in less than an hour with big white bandages that made her look far worse off than she actually was... but kept the air away from her skin and reduced any potential pain. We also learned that emulsifying should be done far away from children... no matter how skilled or in control you think you are.

Sigh.

I also made my first soup... ever... and it's pretty tasty. I'm not going to go through all that and not share the recipe with you. It is very easy to make and highly recommended. The recipe comes from Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" - one of my go-to favorite cookbooks.

Lentil and spinach soup

Serves 6-8

2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
1 ¾ quarts of chicken or vegetable broth (7 cups)
olive oil
thumb-size piece of fresh root ginger
½-1 fresh chili
10 grape or cherry tomatoes
2 cups red lentils
7 cups/oz spinach
salt & pepper
natural yogurt (optional)

To make soup:
(the strike through indicates how I actually prepared the recipe… not sure what it would have added to the flavor/texture of the soup, but I skipped a step and extra dishes!)

Peel and roughly slice carrots – slice the celery – Peel and roughly chop the onions – peel and slice garlic – put the broth in a saucepan and heat ~~until boiling –~~ ~~Put a large saucepan on a medium heat and~~ add 2 tablespoons of olive oil – add all you chopped/sliced ingredients and mix together with wooden spoon – Cook for around 10 minutes with the lid askew (until carrots soften but still hold shape and the onion is slightly golden) – Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the ginger – Seed and slice the chili – Remove stalks form grape or cherry tomatoes and slice tomatoes in half – Add the ~~boiling broth to pan with~~ lentils, ginger, chili and tomatoes – Give the soup a good stir and bring to a boil – Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes with lid on, or until the lentils are cooked – Add the spinach and cook for about 30 seconds more.

To serve the soup:

Season with salt and pepper – You can serve the soup as is or using an immersion blender or liquidizer, pulse until smooth – Divide between your serving bowls – Delicious topped with natural yogurt.

Dear Brandon...

2010-06-07T22:10:00.002-04:00

I've written two "dear Layla" posts and 2 "dear Meaghan" posts... it only seems fitting that I finally take the time to sit down and write a "dear Brandon" post.

To my favorite person in the world...

12 years ago we started to crush, 6 years ago we said "I do", 3 years ago we became parents... and here we are today... home-owners, parents, a teacher and a communications professional, best friends, lovers... and still individuals with our own passions and dreams, ideas and opinions about where we are now and where we're going next...

Though we have our moments and our weaknesses like anyone else, our relationship is strong, built on solid foundations and I can honestly say that I cannot imagine my life without you in it... that I don't want to imagine my life without you in it.

You are my high school sweetheart and the love of my life. My animal-loving, snake-breeding, D&D playing... yet "cool", super-fit, athletic and sexy husband. I still don't understand the range of interests you have... but somehow they all work together to make you the unique and special man that you are. There are so many things that I love about you. Some have been there since the beginning (like your sparkling eyes) and others have developed over time (like your passion for teaching and your desire to have an impact on your students).

You're the sounding board for all of my crazy ideas (and complaints). You're my soft place to fall when life just isn't making sense. You're supportive of my goals and ambitions (I can't believe how much you've jumped on board for my "summit for wishes" project) and I know it's because you want me to be happy. You're also the one who will ask me the hard questions and aren't afraid to "tell me how it is" when I get carried away... (me? carried away? never...)

You are an incredible father "dadda" to our girls. I see it in their eyes when they look at you... when they reach their hands towards you... and when they giggle with glee at the games you play. Tiger cave and the boat game have quickly become some of Layla's favourites. I'm often still amazed at how creative you are - you have a special gift for making up stories and games that delight our little ones. And it is obvious that you enjoy doing it. But more than fun and games... it is always clear that your daughters are important to you. That day after day, you desire to make them... to make us your priority. That is priceless.

You approach your life with an incredible attitude - you truly accept and embrace who you are, where you are... loving your family, your job, your hobbies and interests. Not needing to fit into some mold; and never wishing for "more". It's not that you're settling... it's that you're genuinely happy with where life has brought you. I don't think there are very many people like you.

It isn't just the two of us anymore (and I have a feeling it never really will be again) and we don't have as much time for our couple as we used to. But as date nights are fewer and farther in between and as we struggle to find more time in our days, my hope and prayer is that we will always make time for us. That we will find new ways of expressing our love, that we will grow closer and stronger in the weeks and months and years that lay ahead of us... and that we will never sit and wonder how we ended up with each other in the first place...

You really are my favourite person in the world. I don't just say it to be nice or because it's written in your wedding band. There's no one I'd rather spend time with, there's no one I'd rather talk to, there's definitely no one I'd rather sleep next to... and there's no one I'd rather make and share my memories with.

Happy anniversary my dear. I love you very much.

A.xx

Back to work? Right for me... Right for you...

2010-06-07T12:14:00.001-04:00

Back to Work is a short series dedicated to the good the bad and everything in between for a mom returning to work following a year on maternity leave. Did you miss any of the other parts? Read them here: Part 1: Already Time / Part 2: First Day / Part 3: Balance?

Part 4: Right for Me…Right for You…

If you are a mom, you will eventually have to answer the question “Will I stay home with the kids or go back to work?”

While many women choose to stay home and take care of their kids, statistics show that more than half are deciding to work outside the home and that a significant number of moms are getting creative and finding ways to work at home. More than ever before, your response to the above question does not have to be either/or. You have options, especially if you’re willing to think outside the box.

Read more...

a.o.k. "trial" gourmet (26) home-made pizza

2010-05-30T20:43:00.003-04:00

For an introduction to the a.o.k. "trial" gourmet series - click here

This past weekend I hosted a Girls Night "IN" to raise money for the summit for their wishes fundraising project that I recently took on.

Pizza is the perfect food to serve for any kind of gathering... a game night, a last minute dinner, cooked ahead for a picnic lunch or cut up small to serve as an "appetizer-type" food.

When I was planning my food for my party, I was originally thinking I would run out and pick up a couple of the fresh (not frozen) pre-made pizzas at Costco. They've actually got a nice range of different toppings (from 4-cheese, tomato and provolone to bacon, ham and pepperoni), are super quick to bake (8-10 minutes in the oven) and are quite good and cheap ($12 for two). However - since I was hosting the "event" to raise money, I thought it would be a good idea to keep my costs as low as possible. A quick calculation told me that by using the ingredients I already had on hand to make my own home-made pizza (dough and toppings), I would save at least $12.

And I decided to try and make my own pizza from scratch for the very first time. There's really nothing like a gang coming over to entice me to try something new in my kitchen...

I found a simple recipe one of my favorite food blogs, Backseat Gourmet, via another one of my favorite food blogs, Simple Bites.

I have to be honest and say that I was skeptical at first. (1) I didn't know if it would be worth the trouble (2) I thought it would be a lot more trouble (and mess) than it was (I learned that it's much easier to simply allow the kitchen aid to do the work for me and skip the whole - dough stuck all over my hands - step!) and (3) pizza without tomato sauce... hmmm?

I was super happy with the result. The dough made a nice thin crust and the toppings I chose to try made the pizza seem a little more "refined" and "healthy". I'm seriously considering making all my pizza from scratch... making and freezing my dough in advance to save time on busy evenings.

(PIZZA DOUGH)

2 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil

1. Stir together water and yeast. Let sit for a few minutes until it is foamy, or the yeast has bloomed.

2. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center of the flour. Pour the water, yeast, and olive oil into the well. Start incorporating the liquids, (if you have a stand mixer or food processor, I highly recommend skipping this next part and simply letting the dough come together with the help of your appliances - it will save a lot of time and mess) using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula. You will likely have to switch to mixing with your hands. Once it has come together as a dough, dump it out on a floured counter top. Knead for just a few minutes until the dough is smooth.

3. Divide into four equal portions. Cover lightly with a lightly damp tea towel and let rest for an hour. (Depending on how many pizzas you're making, freeze what you aren't using by simply wrapping your balls of dough tightly in plastic wrap and throwing them in your freezer. When you're ready to use them, take them out to thaw and roll them out to make pizza)

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

(TOPPINGS)

5. Add the toppings of your choice.
6. Bake on baking sheet or pizza stone for about 10 minutes.

Suggestion #1
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1-2 tbsp olive oil
asparagus (boiled for 1 minute to soften)
grape tomatoes (halved)
mozzarella cheese
oregano

Suggestion #2
Philadelphia "chive" cream cheese
Sun-dried tomatoes (sliced)
Cheddar & Mozzarella cheese

and Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: loving the pool!

2010-05-26T20:38:00.000-04:00

With the arrival of hot weather - we are so happy that our pool is ready. Here are some shots of our first "pool" experience of 2010!

Back to Work: Balance?

2010-05-26T19:40:00.000-04:00

Back to Work is a series of posts over at http://www.everythingmom.com/ dedicated to the good the bad and everything in between for a mom (me!) returning to work following a year on maternity leave. Did you miss parts 1 and/or 2? Click here to read Already Time or First Day Back.

Part 3: Balance?

After having my first child, my response to people asking “So what does having a kid change?” was almost always a shrug followed by “…not that much actually”. Three years later, with a chatty toddler and a busy one-year old, my tune is starting to change. There are days when I wonder how and when my peaceful, organized life disappeared, leaving behind a noisy and chaotic race against time – with me trying to maintain at least the appearance of sanity and order.

There – the secret is out – I try very hard to look like I have it all together, but I am just like almost every other mom out there. I struggle to find balance and to meet all the different demands on my time – being efficient on the job, managing my home properly, spending important quality time with my husband and kids, fostering friendships, and taking care of me (mind, body and soul)!

Read more...

Back to Work: First Day

2010-05-19T12:35:00.000-04:00

Part 2: My First Day Back

6:30 a.m. I am woken up by the sound of my 3-year-old daughter’s feet padding up the stairs to our bedroom. I do not dare move a muscle or open my eyes as I feel her looking up over the side of the bed. If I pretend I am sleeping, my husband will take care of her. One Mississippi, two mississipi, three mississ… “Layla, go pee”. I have tricked them both – or I have proven that I am more stubborn than my husband – either way, it worked! Brandon gets up to take her to the bathroom and stick her in front of the morning cartoons so we can catch another 20 to 30 minutes of sleep before the day begins. I fall back into a restless sleep.

Read more...

a.o.k. "trial" gourmet (25) Sloppy Joes!

2010-05-16T21:41:00.001-04:00

Brandon loves his job. He loves it so much that he enjoys volunteering his time and working extra hours to coach basketball. I thought my evenings of making and eating supper alone with the girls were over when basketball season ended, but no, Brandon and a few of his colleagues decided that this was the year to start a flag-football team. The sparkle in his eyes when he talks about the team is hard to resist. He really does enjoy his work... and that is not something everyone is able to say (and he honest about!).

However... I would be lying if I didn't say that I sometimes find it hard to come home to making (and eating) supper alone with the girls because of an after-school practice or game. I know I shouldn't complain. It's only a couple times a week. But what can I say? The major perk of being married to a teacher is that his schedule allows him to home earlier (and more) and I'm used to it.

On one such evening last week, I came home with almost no plan for dinner. I say almost because I did have ground beef thawed in the fridge. Not enough time for shepherds pie, not enough time for meatloaf, no hamburger buns... but I did have hot dog buns... hmmm... michigan style hot dogs? sloppy joes...?

You may think I'm strange, but the idea of sloppy joes made my mouth water. The only problem was that I had never actually made them.

It's at times like this that I cannot believe that the online world has been a part of my daily life for just over a decade... I consult google for anything and everything... and especially for recipes.

Type in "sloppy joes from scratch" and the list of results should lead you to this recipe.

1. Brown 1 1/2 lbs ground beef in a frying pan.

2. Mix together ingredients for sauce*. Pour over meat and let simmer about 20 minutes.

*Ingredients for sauce:
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce (I used 2 cups of Simple Bites' home-made tomato sauce)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Teaspoon ground mustard
1 Teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup ketchup
Salt to Taste
Pepper to Taste (black or cayenne)

3. Serve on your choice of bun or bread. Add grated cheese if desired.

Simple? Yes. Tasty? Yes. Healthy? I think so(?)

I added some raw veggies to the meal and we were good to go!

Note: This meal was gobbled up and loved by both girls. For Meaghan I simply sliced the sloppy joe once it was prepared.

Going back to work (a series)

2010-05-12T17:48:00.001-04:00

To stay home with the kids or to work outside the home – it’s an issue that every mom has to address at some point or another. While many women choose to stay home and take care of their kids, statistics show that more than half are deciding to work outside the home.

Most will agree that simply being a mom is a full time job, so being a mom AND working – for whatever reason (financial, personal goals, need to get out of the house) – can be daunting and/or overwhelming.

As a mother of two girls, I will soon be returning to my office job following a year of maternity leave. Follow “Back to Work” (a series of articles written for http://www.everythingmom.com/) dedicated to the good, the bad, and everything in between for a mom returning to work.

Read more over at Everything Mom!

Wordless Wednesday: Nature Walk

2010-05-11T22:16:00.003-04:00

The small things...

2010-05-10T22:00:00.001-04:00

Mother's Day

May 9, 2010

Neither my husband or I make a very big deal out of Mother's Day or Father's Day. As much as I like the idea of having another day in the year (other than my birthday of course) that is supposed to be all about me and how great I am... Mother's Day kind of falls into the same category as Valentine's Day for me. The "if you're only going to do something on one day, I'd rather you didn't" category. In other words, I think it's nice to set aside days that are meant to make us think about the people in our lives, but if you only pull out the stops and/or give your mom, dad, mother, father or lover appreciation on a day that is designated by the calendar... puh-lease...

That's not to say I don't like a nice gesture that says I love you in a special way, or a family get-together (because that's what families do on days like Mother's Day). What do you know... that's what my mother's day was like this year :-)

Brandon really likes to spend one-on-one time with his girls. Especially with Layla. Not because he favors her, but because she's older and he can interact and relate to her in a way that is more natural for him. This year, he came up with the idea of making my mother's day gift with Layla. He remembered a wooden flower that he had made for his Mom when he was in cubs or scouts (or something like that) and thought it would be a fun craft to do with Layla.

So one evening last week, he took her to the craft store (probably Layla's second favorite store... after the ice cream store that is!) to pick up some supplies. She came home with sparkles in her eyes and talking about a "surprise for Mom for Mother's Day". She really doesn't get the whole surprise thing yet though. At the dinner that night she whispered to me "it's a flower... shhh... it's a surprise". I laughed and told her that I would pretend I didn't hear her so that I would still be surprised when she gave it to me. She simply whispered back to me, "it's a flower... it's a surprise". Sigh. (1) she was absolutely adorable in her effort to be secretive and (2) one day I'll wish she could keep a secret that well... or that badly... however you want to look at it!

The two of them worked on my surprise together last week. It was special to watch. Layla asking if she could paint on the paper, mix the paint colors... even painting on the deck(!) and Brandon getting in some quality time while getting a taste of what doing crafts with Layla can be like... equally fun and frustrating if you have a hard time letting go of control! I seem to recall a similar painting with Layla experience several months back...

The result of their efforts is now sitting on my desk at work. A simple reminder of both of them. It's not perfect (and Brandon kept pointing out how it didn't come together like he was hoping... kind of like me and birthday cakes...hmm...) but it's perfect for me. It's one of the first crafts that I'll probably keep forever. And because of that, because it was made by two of the people that I love the most in the world, because of the memories I'll keep from when it was made - "It's a flower... shhh..." - it's unbelievably special. And I'm unbelievably thankful.

a.o.k. "trial" gourmet (24) PANCAKES!

2010-05-06T21:23:00.002-04:00

For an introduction to the a.o.k. "trial" gourmet series - click here

What will you be having for breakfast this mother's day? If you're in my close circle of friends I'm hoping that your answer is pancakes and that those particular pancakes are made from the home-made pancake mix that you bought from me this week to support my first Kilimanjaro/Make-A-Wish fundraiser (which was a truly incredible success - thank you very much!). Whether you bought pancake-mix or not and whether you'll be eating it this weekend or not, the home-made "Bisquick" mix that I used is definitely worth sharing.

The recipe comes from Kitchen Simplicity and can be used for pancakes OR biscuits. It includes butter or margarine so it needs to be kept in the fridge (where it will keep up to 6 weeks) or in the freezer (where it will keep longer - a few months).

It was super simple (as any decent pancake recipe should be) and I love the fact that I now have some in my fridge. Making a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning just became so much more likely - Who am I kidding? We almost have pancakes for breakfast on Saturday morning and it has way more to do with the fact that Brandon is the one making them than anything else. At least it will be easier for him this week!

It's pretty safe to say that I know the recipe by heart after making so much of the mix for my fundraiser (fifty 1-litre jars and over twenty 500ml jars). Read this if you're interested in my lessons learned from my first official fundraiser...

Recipe for pancake mix:

(1) Mix together: 5 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt

(2) Cut in: 1 cup margarine or butter until mixture is crumbly.

(3) Store in an airtight container, in fridge, for up to 6 weeks.

To make pancakes:

(1) Measure 2 cups of home-made pancake mix

(2) Add: 2 eggs and 1 cup of milk

Optional: add fruit (blueberries are classic) or chocolate chips to mix things up!

(3) Cook in frying pan over medium/high heat until golden on both sides

Enjoy the fluffy (and yummy) pancakes with your choice of toppings. Personally I love bananas and authentic maple syrup. Yum.

a.o.k. "trial" gourmet (23) not so spicy...

2010-04-29T20:18:00.001-04:00

For an introduction to the a.o.k. "trial" gourmet series - click here

Some weeks are better than others. Some weeks I'm Mrs. Organized...everything falls in to place as it should... I don't run late for work in the morning... I have my meals all planned out in advance... My clothes are cleaned and ironed and I'm... ready... ready for whatever life is going to throw at me.

Some weeks are harder. Nothing goes right... I can't get organized... dinners end up being thrown together last minute... I feel like I'm always late and I barely feel like trying to be better at it all.

You win some and you lose some, right? Well it certainly seems like I've been "losing" more than winning in my "trial" gourmet series these days. This week it's not the recipe though - it's my inability to follow instructions.

In an effort to be more organized (and in hopes that Brandon would actually enjoy this weeks new recipe) I had Brandon look through my recipe books before I made my weekly trip to the grocery store. He picked a spicy chicken tagine with apricots, rosemary and ginger. The picture was AWESOME and doesn't the title sound delicious?

I thought we had a winner. Had it been someone else cooking... we may have... in fact I'm almost sure we would have. I unfortunately made the mistake of adding too much liquid to the tagine, diluting the flavors. My end results wasn't bad, it just didn't live up to our expectations. The liquid left over in my dutch oven - now that was tasty - it reminded me of a sweet and spicy thai soup.

spicy chicken tagine with apricots, rosemary, and ginger

2 tablespoons olive oil with a pat of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
3 sprigs of rosemary, 1 finely chopped, the other 2 cut in half
1 1/2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 red chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1-2 cinnamon sticks
8 chicken thighs
3/4 cup dried apricots
2 tablespoons clear honey
14 oz canned plum tomatoes with their juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
small bunch of basil leaves

Heat the oil and butter in heavy-based casserole dish

Stir in the onion, chopped rosemary, ginger and chiles

Sauté until the onion begins to soften

Stir in the halved rosemary sprigs and cinnamon sticks

Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides

Toss in the apricots with the honey, then stir in the plum tomatoes and their juice

Add water if necessary, to ensure there is enough liquid to cover the base of the tagine (or dish) and submerge the apricots (...Here is where I think I went wrong. I read "cover the base of the tagine" and understood cover the base of the stew instead of the dish - as tagine is used interchangeably to mean the moroccan dish that this type of meal would be cooked in and the dish/meal itself. I added too much water and this may have been why the meal didn't turn out as I was hoping...)

Bring the liquid to boil, then reduce the heat.
Cover witha lid and cook gently for 35-40 minutes
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Shred larger basil leaves and leave smaller ones intact
Sprinkle basil over chicken and serve immediately.

Home-Made Pancake Mix

2010-04-29T19:58:00.001-04:00

photo by Smitten Kitchen

Saturday morning breakfast is almost always "pancakes" in our house. This is mostly thanks to Brandon's love of maple syrup and his willingness to actually put the yummy things together and cook them. Have I mentioned lately that I love my husband! Well I do.

But seriously... who doesn't enjoy pancakes?!

... It is with this in mind that I am kicking off my fundraising efforts for Kilimanjaro 2011.

(read more)

Why Kilimanjaro? Why Make-A-Wish?

2010-04-27T21:57:00.001-04:00

I was excited to announce my Kilimanjaro/Make-A-Wish project last week.

But some of you are wondering why I'm doing this...

The short answer...

1. I was inspired by the story of a little girl who died way to young.

2. I am incredibly thankful that my husband survived his fight against leukemia more than 20 years ago.

3. I don't have a clue what it's like to have a sick child but as a mom, my heart aches for those who do.

4. I long to make a difference in the world, big or small.

5. I know I'm going to be so proud of myself when it's all said and done.

The longer answer is a little more complex...

If you've been following a.o.k. for a while, then you know that I was profoundly affected by the story of Layla Grace Marsh this past winter. Layla - a beautiful, bubbly 2 year old - lost her fight against neuroblastoma on March 9, 2010 (or as her Mother so bitter-sweetly put it on twitter: Layla went to play with the angels early this morning. Rest in peace precious Layla).

Having been so touched by her story, I didn't want it to end there. I didn't want the experience to be like reading a sad book, crying, closing it, and moving on. I wanted to do something. Something to honor her memory.

It may seem odd to some people that it was (is) so important for me to honor the memory of a little girl I’ve never met. What can I say? Her name was Layla and she was just a few months younger than my first daughter, Layla. She fought a nasty cancer and my husband had childhood leukemia when he was just 3. Talking about her story, I learned more about what my husbands family went through so many years ago. I have no idea what it is to have a sick child. I can only imagine. But my heart aches for those who do.

So for reasons I can and can't explain, I knew I had to do something.

I started by "writing a cheque" and donating to the local Children's Hospital in her memory. I looked into volunteering opportunities. I read about different organizations... I asked for more information… And then one morning while I was reading the newspaper, an ad promoting an upcoming information session for the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s "2011 Kilimanjaro Expedition" caught my eye.

I think my heart may have literally skipped a beat as I wondered to myself "Is this it? Could I do something like this?". I looked for more information. I read more about the foundation. Before I knew it, I was talking to the event organizer and hanging up the phone with the biggest smile on my face, thinking…

"I'm so going to do this. I'll do it in memory of Layla Grace. I'll do it in honor of what Brandon and his family went through when he was so sick years ago… AND I'll live the experience of a lifetime... both in the challenge of raising the funds and in finding the physical strength and endurance to climb the mountain"

(...read more...)

Happy Birthday Meaghan!

2010-04-25T21:39:00.004-04:00

Dear Meaghan,

You're one today. You've grown and transformed in the last year - in the last six months - in the last week!

After experiencing almost all my "firsts" as a mother with your sister Layla, and knowing that you might be my last baby - I was determined to enjoy and cherish your first year from the very moment you were born. And I have. Even when you were tiny and waking to eat in the middle of the night. Even when you were teething and almost inconsolable in the evenings. I have enjoyed being your mom. I have cherished my moments with you. My dear sweet Meaghie. I love being your Mom.

I spent a lot of time today thinking back to the day you were born. "At this time last year, my water just broke"... "At this time last year, we were dropping Layla off at our friends place"... And actually at this time last year (8:25 p.m.) you were just about to come into the world. As I write this, you are exaclty one year old. Cool!

When you turned 6 months old, I tried to capture some of what you were like in my post "Dear Meaghan". Reading it today, I'm amazed at how much changes in so little time. At six months old you were eating pureed squash and sweet potatoes, you were still nursing and refusing a bottle, you didn't have teeth and you were just starting to recognize your name.

Since then, you've experienced your first snow, you first winter, your first Christmas. You learned to crawl (your funny little sideways crab crawl!). You got some teeth (6 for now). You started to drink from a bottle and now eat whatever we're having for dinner.

My baby girl is slowly transforming into a little girl!

So what are you like now?

You have an incredible little personality. Shy and serious at first, but once people spend a little time with you, the mask comes off and the Meaghan I know and love comes bursting out with giggles and coos, goofy gestures and squeals of delight.

At daycare they were pleasantly surprised at what a lovely, sweet and silly little girl you are. They thought you were all serious and hard to get to smile. I knew it was just a matter of getting to know you. Now I get nothing but "She's so funny", "She seems so much older than she is", "She doesn't let the boys get away with anything, she takes her place" (you're with 4 little boys at daycare)... They love you. But who wouldn't. You're adorable.

Your silly and you love to "play" - not just with your toys - at the dinner table you often pretend to feed me a piece of food and when it's almost in my mouth you pull your hand back and put the food in your mouth... and then smile your goofy smile as you try to trick me again.

As much as you're my "skinny" baby, you love to eat. It's very rare I have trouble with you at meal time... Except for breakfast. For some reason cereal is not high on your "i love it" list. Can't wait to feed you peanut butter on toast. I just know you'll love that.

Though you hated the bottle for months and months, you've made the transition to bottles and cows milk without a problem. You're getting pretty good with a sippy cup too.

For some reason you put everything in your mouth. Rocks, pennies, candy wrappers, polly pocket toy accessories... I'm always fishing things out!

In the last couple weeks you've become the fastest stair-climber in the house. If you see me coming you turn quickly into the bathroom and squeal as I catch you and pick you up.

You fight with your sister already. Whatever toy Layla has, you want. Whatever toy you have, Layla wants. Will it be like this for the next 16 years or so? *sigh*

With that said - you actually ADORE Layla. "la-la-la-la". The two of you are hilarious to watch when you play silly and "aggressively demonstrate your affection" for one another. Whether it's jumping on the bed, playing in the pack and play (which for some reason you both love), rolling around (literally) on the floor... the giggles and squeals give us a glimpse of things to come. We love it!

You also ADORE your Dad. It's really special to watch how both you and your sister greet him when he comes home. Big smiles, happy screaming, "da-da-da-da-da".

You're still a little "moumoune" (soft, sensitive, quick to cry?) when it comes to tumbles and stumbles. Nothing a good hug and cuddle can't fix, but you're not quite as tough as your sister was. I see some tears on the horizon as you explore more outside and learn to go down the stairs.

You love "Raffy", the stuffed giraffe that you sleep with every night and for every nap. You might not have a soother, but you certainly need your Raffy to settle easily to sleep. We learned our lesson when we forgot Raffy at home a couple of weeks ago.

You're not walking - yet. Although you can walk beside me while holding only one hand, you have yet to take your first step. Will it be soon? I don't know. You just don't seem all that interested. Maybe you're just happy with your funny side-crab-crawl for now?!

My dear sweet Meaghan. Whether you're being cranky or being silly or just "being"... I love you. You're my baby and I've so enjoyed your first year. I thank God for you, the blessing that you are and I pray that He will keep you safe, healthy and happy for another year (and many more!).

Without wishing any time away (I'm so conscious now of how fast it goes by and how quickly the "baby" phase is over) - I look forward to watching you change and grow over the next few months... as you learn to talk and walk... as you color you first picture... and learn more about the world around you.

I will treasure and appreciate it all and I will try my best to not take any of it for granted.

Happy Birthday Meaghan!

Love, Mom xx

9 months or so from now...

2010-04-23T13:25:00.000-04:00

I'm really going to do this!

It's official. My spot is reserved. And I bought my first pair of real hiking boots a couple days ago. Whew!

I, Andrea Matte, am going to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in January 2011 to raise $8,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation!

In doing so I'm going to help make at least one child's special wish come true… A child who may not have the opportunities that I've had. A child who is suffering from an illness that threatens his or her life. A child that might not have the luxury of saying “someday”…

It is very exciting. It's also very humbling.

{Read more}

Wordless Wednesday - GIRLFRIENDS ROCK!

2010-04-21T07:00:00.002-04:00

Layla and Nadine are BFFs. They've been friends since before they were born.

The bond that they share is really something...

...maybe it helps that their moms like each other so much!

"trial" gourmet (22) not a hit with the family

2010-04-16T21:17:00.002-04:00

My Very First Veal Parmigiana

This week's "trial gourmet" post begins with a confession of sorts. Since I started this recipe project last fall I haven't been completely forthcoming. At the beginning I intended to share it all - the good and the bad. But the truth is that I've actually cooked (and photographed) quite a few more meals than I've blogged about. My thinking behind this is simple - "why would I share something that didn't work?" (unless it's funny or there is a lesson to learn - like my jam making experience - groan!).

These days, my time seems more and more limited. My dinner preparations are taking a back seat to everything... (or at least it feels that way) and I'm trying to get away with doing the least amount of work possible. Keeping it simple and finding quick supper solutions works most of the time. But sometimes... sometimes your meal is going to suffer... and your family is going to suffer right along with you when they eat it (sigh...)

For some reason I was inspired to attempt my first "veal parmigiana" this week. I have a huge batch of home-made tomato sauce that I wanted to try. I thawed the last of the meat from the 1/2 cow that we purchased last fall - some thin steaks (not quite veal cutlets BUT for the record: I'm normally very "against" eating veal after visiting a veal farm with Brandon a few years ago, but this meat was only technically veal because of its weight and was not milk-fed or antibiotic fed or treated badly in any way whatsoever...). I didn't actually have parmesan, but I had cheddar cheese... I was convinced it was a good idea.

The result? I thought it was ok. I was actually surprised at how tender the meat was when cooked this way. Meaghan gobbled it up (but that doesn't really count as she's at the phase where she just likes to eat. period.) Brandon gave me a "mneh. it was okay. I ate it.". And Layla gagged. Layla? My amazing little meat-eater? Sure, I'll admit that she's gotten pickier when it comes to her veggies - but a gag? for meat, tomato sauce and cheese?

I guess I won't be making this one again.

My inspiration for the "veal" parmigiana came from a recipe on the food network. My actual recipe was more like this:

3 slices of thin rib steak

1/2 cup store bought bread crumbs

2 eggs (whisked)

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 1/2 cups home-made tomato sauce

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Pat dry steaks

Coat meat in egg mixture (remove excess egg)

Coat in bread crumbs

Heat olive oil in a large skillet

Cook steaks about 3 minutes per side in oil

Fill bottom of pie dish with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce

Place meat in sauce

Sprinkle about 4 tablespoons of grated cheese over meat

Cover with remaining tomato sauce

Sprinkle with remaining cheese

Cover dish with aluminum foil

Bake for 20 minutes (covered) + 5 minutes (uncovered)

Enjoy! (or not...)

Worldless Wednesday - Layla's Party!

2010-04-14T07:00:00.010-04:00

The Happy 101 Blog Award!

2010-04-12T21:45:00.002-04:00

What makes you happy? What are you passionate about?

These questions seem simple enough... and they are (or they should be). Unfortunately these are also questions that can lead me down a spiraling road of self-doubt, wondering if I'm living my life to the fullest, capturing the joy of each new day, doing the things that make me happy... oh and what are those things again...? Do I even know who I am...?

*sigh*

In the end I'd rather stick with the simple side of those questions. The obvious answers for me. The very first responses that come to my mind... the ones that bring a smile to my face.

But before I start listing the things that make me happy, I have to thank Aimée of Under the High Chair for passing on this award and listing a.o.k. as one of the blogs that "makes her happy".

For this award I am supposed to list 10 things that make me happy and then pass on the award to another 10 bloggers who "brighten my day"... here goes nothing!

Ten things that make me happy (in no particular order of importance)

1. The smell of summer

2. Singing (in the shower, to my babies, in a crowd, to a crowd... I love to sing)

3. Buying new clothes, shoes, accessories (for me OR my girls... or Brandon for that matter!)

4. Eating (and cooking!)

5. My girls (Layla & Meaghan) - They are the cutest, sweetest, funniest little human beings I know!

6. A good old sappy love story (make me laugh, make me cry... just make me feel... and I'm happy!)

7. My faith (my hope, my strength... a constant in my life)

8. My Brandon (my favorite person to do anything and everything with!)

9. Words of appreciation and encouragement from others (must be my love language or something...)

10. Getting my way (What? Doesn't that make everyone happy?!)

10 blogs that make me happy (also in no particular order of importance...)

1. Simple Mom (& sister blog Simple Bites)

2. The Design Girl Blog (also the designer of my site!)

3. Becoming Sarah

4. Layla Grace (not sure if "happy" is the right word here, but it's a blog that touched me deeply)

5. Hollywood Housewife

6. Life of K

7. In Courage

8. Photo Creationstz: the blog

9. Yummy Mummy Club

... and... of course...

10. Under the High Chair (...I have to give this award right back to Aimée and her personal blog UtHC as it IS the very first mom/food blog I ever read or enjoyed - and probably the blog that inspired me to start writing my own!

A mom for 3 years!

2010-04-10T15:15:00.002-04:00

Dear Layla,

Today is your third birthday. It's so hard to imagine my life without you. Sometimes it is as if you've always been around - peppering my days with your smiles and your shananigans and sharing your sweet and funny way of seeing the world.

So many times in the last few months, you dad and I have wondered at the things that you say or do and exchanged a questioning smile "how old is she? is she really only 2?". But though you often seemed older than you were, I still can't believe you're now 3. And I can't believe I've been your mom... a mom... for 3 years!

My dear sweet Layla - do you know how much I love you? Do I tell you enough? Do I show you enough? Am I speaking your "love language" when I do? I love you more than you'll ever know - just thinking about it, my heart feels bigger somehow. Your quick smile, your bubbly and spontaneous personality, and your "can I make some rules please?" negotiation tactics!

Watching you learn about the world is incredibly special. Cringing when you climb to the top of the play structure at the park, attempting to explain why you can't marry your dad or teaching you when to say please and thank you... it's all a part of the game.

Sometimes you drive us crazy "Can I...Can I...?" "Why...?" "Why...?" "Mamma... I said why?". Sometimes you're too adorable for words "Mamma, I love so big... you're my favorite mamma ever...". And sometimes you play us "...Can you just lie with me a little bit? Rub my back? Tickle my face?"... But most of the time it's a pleasure {an absolute pleasure} to be your mom!

...And no matter how crazy you can make me sometimes... I love you ALL of the time. And I promise I always will.

There are so many things that I want to remember. So many things that I'm scared I'll forget as the years go by (that I know I'm already forgetting and you're just 3!).

You love pink and purple but recently you've been saying that all the colors are your favorite.
You're just getting your 2-year molars now. you really don't complain much about them.
You're very independent most of the time, but you have your cuddle moments
A little sister jealousy creeps in now and then when you rush to be the first to sit in my lap or ask to be held.
You you say grace before dinner sometimes. When you do, you always thank God for "giving you wings"
You decide to speak french at home sometimes and get frusterated if we respond in english - "Mamma! I'm talking french!"

You've become very picky when it comes to eating your vegetables. Most of the time I can convince you to eat at least some with promises of dessert!
You love wearing dresses and being told you're pretty
You adore your little sister and have so many nicknames for her that we lose track!
You love to play (especially with Dad) hide-and-seek, the boat game, jumping on the bed!
You're quite the little dancer. Though sometimes your moves make me blush a little...
You're very excited that I "work upstairs" when you're at daycare - that alone has made going back to work so much easier for me!
I love taking you and your sister out for breakfast. I'm sure "girl outings" like that will only be more and more fun as you both get older.
You love going for ice-cream and are very excited that the nice weather is on its way!
You are your grandma's ANGEL, your Dad's MONKEY or MAPLE SYRUP and my SWEETIE

Ah Layla. My independent, spontaneous, rambunctious, silly, sweet... and most of all... my loveable little girl. I have a feeling you're going to keep me on my toes for years to come.

Happy Birthday sweetie. I love you so much and pray that this year is full of laughter, adventures, discovery and good health.

Love, Mom xx

a.o.k. "trial" gourmet (21) Dinner in less than 25 minutes!

2010-04-09T06:00:00.002-04:00

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This past week has been very different for me. Not necessarily good or bad and not necessarily busier than usual - just different. If you've been following a.o.k. you know that it was my first week back at work.

Our morning routine suddenly changed from ultra-laid-back to counting the minutes... and putting make-up on(!). The evenings became the ideal time to tidy up, shower, choose my clothes for tomorrow and make lunch.... And of course...

The time allotted to preparing dinner was cut in half!

I'm fairly certain that this means the "trial" gourmet series will focus on quick and easy meals over the next few weeks - not that the focus was "elaborate and complicated" to begin with, but you know what I mean...

This weeks recipe/meal was super simple to throw together, but surprisingly tasty and healthy (healthier if you remove some of the butter!). It was perfect for the end of my first day back at work. Nothing fancy - just good food minus the frills. And I was pretty happy with how it looked on my plate... doesn't it just feel nice to eat a meal that looks nice?

Oven-baked salmon

with steamed green beans

& basil pesto pasta

For an introduction to the a.o.k. "trial" gourmet series - click here.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Prepare green beans to steam (cut off tips if that's how you like them)
Butter the bottom of a casserole dish, place 4 small salmon filets in dish (skin-side down)
Melt 3 tablespoons of margarine (or butter) in a small glass dish. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of paprika. Pour mixture over fish.
Place dish in oven for 15-20 minutes.
Steam green beans and boil water for pasta.
Add 2-4 tablespoons of pre-made basil pesto to the pasta.
Check fish. Butter the beans. Serve.

That's it, that's all. The whole dinner preparation should take under 25 minutes from start to finish during which (while everything is cooking) you should have around 15 minutes to play with the kids, set the table or... do whatever you need to do!

a.o.k. "TIP": Try playing with the simple ingredients used for this meal. Replace the salmon filets with white fish filets, and the green beans with asparagus or brocoli and you'll have a whole new balanced (and just as simple) meal.

Not bad... if I do say so myself!

Enjoy!

Enjoying the beautiful weather!

2010-04-07T07:00:00.001-04:00

Montrealers were spoiled with an incredible Easter weekend - with record high temperatures for this time of year... perfect for openning up our tent-trailer for the first time, going out for ice cream and enjoying our first "nature" walk of Spring 2010!

I'm convinced that there is nothing like beautiful weather to lift your spirits and renew your energy...

Lucky Meaghi got to ride the whole walk...

The kids got to explore. Here are Layla & Mateo checking out the worms!

There were some sweet moments with Dad...

Layla & Noah had the chance to pitch rocks into the river...

After walking for more than an hour, we headed back to our friends place for a camp fire style BBQ lunch. Yum! Soon after which we packed our things up to head home.

The girls lasted (stayed awake) up until about 5 minutes before we pulled into our driveway and then both napped well into the afternoon!

Back to work. Tomorrow.

2010-04-05T21:37:00.005-04:00

It's 9:30 p.m., the evening before my first day back at work.

I think I'm ready. I think. Laundry is done. Work clothes are ironed. Shower is taken. Hair is dried and straightened to require least possible morning maintenance. Lunch is made. Tomorrow's outfit is ready to slip into...

Am I forgetting anything? In my experience, no matter how prepared I think I am, no matter how organized - there are always little things that pop up at the last minute - always. Maybe one of the girls will have a bad night and I'll start off my day with less sleep than I was hoping to have. Maybe I'll spill something on my pre-picked outfit. Then again - maybe nothing unexpected will happen, maybe tomorrow morning will go smoothly and the entire day will go off without a hitch.

Think positive, right? Right. It's not like this is my first "first day back". I've been here before. I've felt the anticipation (both good and bad) of returning to the office after being off for a year (a whole year!) on maternity leave. I've worried about my choices, and hoped I was making the right ones. I've debated the pros and cons of staying home, working more, working less. I've stressed over everything, from leaving my girls in daycare and whether they're napping enough (or not) to picking the right outfit and managing to jump back into my professional roles and responsibilities... all while hoping that no one will notice that I'm worried or stressed about any of it!

With that said, it actually seems easier this time around. I've known this day was coming for a while, it didn't just creep up on me. The idea of going back to work has had the time to sink in. A spot opened up for Meaghan at the same daycare as Layla (in my office building!) a few months earlier than expected and her integration over the last few weeks has been an absolute dream. Meaghan's happy, Layla's happy (as I was putting her to bed tonight she actually said she was happy I would be working upstairs while she was at daycare!)... they'll both be less than 2 minutes away from me as I go about my day... and so I am happy.

At the moment I'm mostly anxious to get the first day (or the first few days) over with. Ignoring the fact that I will miss my girls and continue to worry about whether they're napping enough. Ignoring the fact that my home is what will probably suffer most (laundry will pile up, chores will get put off to the weekend...) I know this change is coming and I want to get the transition part over with. I want to figure out the new morning routine and to have the chance to re-integrate and prove myself at work. And to be completely honest - I'm anxious to have a reason to dress up, to indulge in adult conversation and bring my expertise to new and ongoing projects.

Wish me luck!

A.

a.o.k. "trial" gourmet (20) more maple syrup!

2010-04-03T13:30:00.002-04:00

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Maple-Roasted Chicken Breasts

For an introduction to my "trial" gourmet series, click here.

After my last post you would think that I would be all maple-syruped out already. Not so much. I think I'm on a maple syrup roll. Since last Saturday we've had maple glazed pork tenderloin, cinnamon french toast, blueberry pancakes and maple chicken (the trial gourmet recipe of the week)! Have I mentioned that we love maple syrup? That it's maple season in Quebec? That the local farmers are having a very good year collecting sap from the trees?

What yumminess!

Unfortunately we don't always have the real stuff on hand as the price of a can of maple syrup usually runs between $8 and $10 (for 500 ml). But these days you can find it for as low as $5/can at local grocery stores. We also happen to know a guy (a.k.a. my FIL) who buys a gallon around this time every year (which Brandon assumes is for him...). Suffice to say, there is no shortage of authentic maple syrup at our place!

I think it's become very clear by now that I'm always looking for quick and easy recipes to add to my regular rotation of dinner ideas. I snipped this maple chicken recipe from the Montreal Gazette a few week ago (Thank you Julian Armstrong!) and as easy as it was to make, it took me a while to get organized enough to put it together... (i.e.) Have the right ingredients on hand, remember to take the chicken out of the freezer to thaw and start marinating the meat with enough time left to make dinner...

I finally made it this week and was pretty happy with the result. Not ecstatic. It reminded me of a maple glazed pork tenderloin recipe that I've been making for a few years now - but not as good. On a scale from one to ten I would give it a 7... maybe even a 6.5 (?). Although the flavour was very good, the chicken breast was a little too dry for my taste (maybe it would have been better if I'd marinated it for longer? maybe I just prefer the taste and texture of darker meat?) and the sauce was a little to thin and soupy. With that said, the girls gobbled this up without hesitation and so I'll probably make it again (marinating it longer and possibly with chicken thighs instead of breasts).

Maple-roasted Chicken Breasts

(serves 8)

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups medium or dark maple syrup

1 whole head of garlic

1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Place chicken in wide, shallow dish. Pour 1 cup maple syrup over chicken.

2. Peel all the garlic cloves, crush them by banging each with flat side of a knife and sprinkle all but two cloves over chicken.

3. Add 1/3 cup of malt vinegar and stir and turn to coat all sides with mixture.

4. Cover and let marinate an hour at room temperature or six hours in the refrigerator (bring to room temperature before baking).

**On a side note I *love* this marinating container by Tupperware (and no - I am not being paid to say that!). Once sealed shut you can flip it to make sure that your meat (or whatever it is you are marinating) is coated evenly. Pretty nifty.

5. Grease a roasting pan and transfer chicken to pan, shaking off marinade and reserving it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered, in oven preheated to 375 degrees for about 25 minutes (my chicken breasts were particularly fat and took an extra 10 minutes).

6. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes while making sauce.

7. In a small saucepan, simmer reserved marinade and the remaining half cup maple syrup, three tablespoons of vinegar and two cloves of garlic over low-medium heat for three minutes (up to 10 minutes if you're using a lighter maple syrup).

8. Slice each chicken breast in three pieces on the diagonal and place on 8 warmed serving plates (um... for real? who actually warms their serving plates?) Spoon warm sauce over chicken.

... and Enjoy!

A.

Au Pied de Cochon Cabane a Sucre

2010-03-31T11:30:00.005-04:00

A whole new "sugar-shack" experience

As the newest member of a group of Montreal food writers and bloggers (Uh-huh... me... Andrea... a "food blogger"... huh? Actually... it helps that I'm tight with one of the groups founders... but hey - whatever works!) I had the opportunity to jump in on a reservation that was made MONTHS ago for 25 of us to check out Martin Picard's new sugar shack - a spin off of his original and decadent restaurant Au Pied de Cochon which is located in the heart of Montreal's ever trendy plateau.

Not only is a sugar shack meal/outing an annual tradition for most people living in Quebec, maple syrup has this amazing quality - it makes anything and everything taste that much better. We are big fans of maple syrup in our house. BIG. FANS. So although I'm not used to eating things like chicken feet (yes. chicken feet) and cow tongue (!) I was up for the full and genuine "experience" of Au Pied de Cochon and I went it with the motto "try everything once". I have to add here that Brandon (who is not so adventurous when it comes to food) totally impressed me by going in with the same motto!

So... It was a beautiful but chilly March day. Reservations were for 11 a.m. and we arrived with some time to spare. The location was charming, a much smaller venue than I'm used to, rustic and in need of a little TLC. The service was excellent - absolutely no complaints, there was no rushing us in and out, but it was definitely not slow. The food was... interesting, unique, decadent (a little scary at times) and so completely different from what I'm used to.

We started with coffee. I had a regular one, but Danny's was much prettier to photograph! The waitress explained that there would be 3 rounds of food. I'm not sure that the "rounds" fall into the typical categories but each round was bigger and better than the last (dessert was incredible!). Everything was served typical sugar-shack style (or dim sum if you've never experienced a sugar-shack meal) with a couple of main dishes for everyone at the table to share.

Round 1:

Pea Soup w/ pieces of ham and foie gras

Unfortunately this wasn't the best pea soup I've ever had. Maybe I like cheap pea soup, maybe my palate is not sophisticated enough for the likes of foie gras' icky texture... either way, I finished my bowl and moved on to the next dish! When in Rome...

Buckwheat Pancakes

I had to remind myself that these babies were "meal" pancakes and not intended to be sweet - until that is - they were soaked in some excellent maple syrup!!

Fried pork rinds and salad

When this dish was brought to the table all we could see were the pork rinds (which in passing were the best pork rinds I've ever had). I actually think I was the first person to notice that the green was not simply lettuce leaves used for presentation - there was an actual salad under there! The salad was very good. A nice mix of fresh greens, walnuts, cheese and a light dressing. In case you're wondering - NO, I did not cover the salad in maple syrup :-)

Salmon Gravlax

I love salmon. I love smoked salmon. It turns out I also really like Salmon Gravlax!

A little thick for my liking, but definitely tasty.

I don't remember if I poured maple syrup on it or not. I just remember enjoying the fish!

Chicken "claws" coated in BBQ sauce

From a distance these looks amazing and tasty. As a big fan of chicken/rib combos at restaurants like the Keg, I actually got a little excited when I saw them coming. Upon closer inspection I realized that this meat was shaped funny. Aaak. Chicken feet? Huh? I'm still not sure I understand why these were on the menu. Although the BBQ sauce they were slathered in was incredible, the chicken feet were bonier than frog legs. Where's the meat? Come on!

Home-made Creton

If you're not from Quebec, you probably aren't familiar with this fatty paté that is served alongside eggs & bacon at almost any restaurant that serves breakfast. There was nothing particularly special about the Creton served here, but it was good.

Round 2:

Omelet with smoked sturgeon and pulled pork
I was so glad to see the eggs come to the table. Eggs are after all a necessary component of any sugar shack meal. They taste so good drenched in maple syrup! I wasn't, however, expecting my eggs to be "fishy" and unfortunately the smoked sturgeon kind of took over the flavour of the omelet. With that said, I still had seconds of this particular dish so I must have like it!

Beef tongue served with celeriac remoulade
This was one of the "huh?" dishes on the menu. While I didn't think twice about trying the chicken claws, this one was harder for me. I reminded myself that it was about the "experience" and that my motto was to try everything at least once. Still I was hesitant. Until Brandon went and tried it first. Sigh. What choice did I have if even he was willing to step out of his food comfort zone? The result? If one could get past the fact that they were eating tongue, the meat was incredibly tender and very tasty. I'm serious. With that said, I still only had a few bites. That's all I could stomach.

Maple lacquered roasted chicken with beans
This dish was a big hit at our table. The beans melted in your mouth, the chicken was divine.
So simple, yet so good. (& yes I had seconds of this one too!)

Cabbage head stuffed with porc, foie gras AND lobster.
(above picture by pretexte.ca)
The presentation of this dish elicited the response "what is that?" from both Brandon and I. While he refused to try this one (a long time hater of cole-slaw he really wasn't down with eating cabbage no matter what it was paired with, no matter how decadent). Decadent seems to be the best way to describe this one. The word everyone is using. And I have to admit that I liked it. A lot. I would have liked it even more without the big chunks of foie gras. I'm officially not a fan of foie gras.

Tourtiere
Also known as "meat pie", this is a traditional Quebec dish. I've had it more times than I can remember but never (EVER) have I tasted such incredibly mouthwatering, delicious, YUMMY tourtiere. I'm not kidding.
I'm totally kicking myself for not buying an extra one to bring home!

Round 3:
...as if I wasn't already bursting at the seems and unbuckling my belt...
This final round (DESSERT) was the best round of all - making the $49/pp brunch well worth the $ and trip!

Tire a l'erable (Maple Taffy) served on ice
This is an absolute must for all visits to the sugar shack. The syrup is boiled and then poured on ice to chill and harden, then everyone digs in with popsicle sticks and rolls up a nice big ball of taffy to suck on. Extremely sweet. Incredibly good. It's a one-time a year kind of treat in my books.

Fried pancakes drenched in maple syrup
These were incredible - moist, light and fluffy on the inside, a little crispy and drenched in maple syrup on the outside. They reminded me doughnuts, really really good doughnuts.
Unfortunately they were served sparingly with only enough for one per person... so we ordered a second round at our table.

Maple mille-feuilles
Somehow I missed trying the mille-feuilles. That won't happen next time as they were a big favorite for others in our group.

Maple ice-cream banana split
with with maple cotton candy AND maple marshmallows
Do I really have to say anything here? Don't the title and picture speak for themselves? Ymmm. My mouth is watering just thinking about this dessert. First - the ice cream was amazing. Second - the chocolate sauce was perfect. The bananas cut the super sweet taste just enough. I think I even heard someone say - "this is like heaven on a fork" :-)

So that wraps up my very first Au Pied de Cochon dining experience. The bad, the weird, the good and the am-A-zing! I'm a little embarrassed to say that I've never made it to the Montreal restaurant but you can bet that it's on my list things to do!

Critters in my basement...

2010-03-26T06:00:00.008-04:00

When I tell people about the range of "pets" that we keep in our house, I always get funny looks. So before I tell you a little more about the critters that live in my basement (and that I don't consider MY pets- thankyouverymuch) I figured that I should start back at the beginning. Back when I met then man who would one day become my husband...

When I started dating Brandon back in High School, he was many things - popular, athletic, smart, good looking - pretty much ALL the things you're looking for in a guy when you're 16! As I got to know him a little better, I learned that he also had a few rather geeky attributes... (1) He was a "closet" D&D player (uh... yeah... Dungeons and Dragons!?!?) - something I found out totally by accident as he never offered the information on his own (the game books were hiding under his bed... if you can imagine that!). And (2) I've never met anyone as interested in animals as he is (which is no doubt what led him to complete a Bachelors degree in Zoology and a Masters in Biology).

Shortly after we started dating, he somehow convinced his parents to let him have a fish tank. Not just any fish tank though - he had to have piranhas. They were really just the beginning... after the piranhas, it was a gerbil. After the gerbil it was a lizard (or two? I don't remember). Somewhere along the way, he developed a pretty big interest in reptiles - and particularly in snakes. Yes. Snakes. His first snake was your basic ball python, a pretty small and calm snake that you can find in almost any pet store. Since then he has bought and owned and traded a number of different types of snakes. Yes. Snakes. (in case you missed that). Since then I have learned more than I ever thought I would about the creatures!

You wouldn't think so - but it turns out that snake keeping is like any kind of "collection" hobby or interest. There's an incredible range of what is available, what is special or unique and what they're worth ($$) There are snakes for $30 and there are snakes for $30K. I'm not kidding. $30K!

Before I go any further, let me just say that "yes" it's all a little creepy to me too. When the interest in snakes started - all I could picture was this stereotypical image of a greasy/creepy guy with longish hair, leather pants, unkept facial hair and tattoos. I've since learned that there are a lot of normal-looking people who own, breed, or are simply interested in reptiles. All the same - I still have trouble removing the stereotype image from my mind.

When people find out that Brandon keeps snakes as pets in our house (YES - IN MY HOME) the reaction is usually a questioning look followed by "You LET him have snakes?" "What about the girls?" "Isn't it dangerous?" "What do they eat?" "Where are they?"."Are they poisonous?". And when I got pregnant with Layla I was surprise how many people just assumed that the snake would go. Yeah... not so much.

People are funny though and most are actually very interested in the critters (as long as they stay at our house). I can't tell you how many visitors have asked for a "tour" of Brandon's "collection" or (worse) asked to watch a snake eat (uh huh... we're weird for having snakes, but you want to watch it eat... just for fun?!?!). On occasion, Brandon has even brought a snake or two to school to show his science class. He always comments on how much more attentive and captivated the kids are - proving that the allure of "show & tell" doesn't die off after grade school!

When we bought our house and started the renovations, we built a small room (to be fair it is actually more of a "walk-in-closet" than a room) for Brandon to keep his critters. Before you gasp or sigh or roll your eyes... let me just say that it works for us. I'm serious. I forget that they're there. The door has a lock on it so the girls can't get in. And Brandon is happy to have the space... and to pursue his hobby with no interference... or almost no interference from me.

Last summer he (we? I'm still not sure) decided to take the whole snake-keeping thing to a new level and try to start a small business. He (we?) borrowed some $ from our savings and bought a few "special" ball pythons to breed and hopefully make some babies that are worth more (hopefully MUCH more) than their parents.

We're currently in the "snakes doing it" phase of this process and don't know if or how this is going to pan out, but it makes for some rather bizarre and interesting dinner conversations - "the mojave ball is ovulating", "the spider ball won't eat", "the male and female are locked-up"... Only time will tell if there are babies being made... and if the babies are "special" or not (ie. worth a lot of money or not). Then we just need to find buyers. Are you interested?! ;-)

So... in case you're curious, the current head count in our basement reptile room is (as far as I know):

- 6 ball pythons (1 spider, 2 regular, 2 mojave, 1 pastel)
- 1 Suriname boa constrictor
- 2 green tree pythons (mother and son)
- 2 milk snakes (the only ones with names, Fan and Heater, named by Layla!)
- 2 leopard geckos (with babies on the way)

...oh... and the most recent addition is a praying mantis egg case (housing up to 100 babies) - GROSS. But not as gross as the cockroach colony that he had living/breeding in our walk-in closet at the old condo. ICK ICK ICK. That was bad. That will never happen again. That is another story for another day...

What can I say? I love him. If this isn't love (and by this I am referring to supporting his interests, no matter how different from my own) than I don't know what is...

...So which are you? Grossed out? Interested? Neither?

Wordless Wednesday - Fun in a Box!

2010-03-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

I love my girls. Like most kids, all it takes is something as simple as a cardboard box to make them smile....

As you can probably see... I'm playing around with lighting in these pics. Just for fun. I totally love the effect, especially on the last 2 shots!

So much for "wordless" :-)

a.o.k. "trial" gourmet (18 & 19) Just add steamed veggies!

2010-03-22T21:42:00.009-04:00

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For an introduction to my "trial" gourmet series, click here.

This week I’m sharing not one, but TWO recipes with you.

The first is for super easy “no hassle” Creamy Tarragon Chicken (House and Home claims that it is one of their readers’ faves).

The second is a “…need to get started more than an hour before you want to eat…” recipe for Baked French Potatoes from my trusty copy of Jamie’s Food Revolution.

I have to start by saying that I am not the type of woman/wife/mom who picks meals that take a lot of time and several steps to prepare. Especially on week nights. Although I’m still off work (for another 2 weeks…eek.) and technically have more time for household tasks, I think that evenings are busy enough to begin with – without adding a complicated (or simply time consuming) supper prep. In short, I like to keep things simple and I like my food to come together quickly.

With that said… the chicken recipe definitely meets my weeknight dinner prep criteria – it’s simple, it’s quick, it’s yummy AND the chicken is cooking in the oven just long enough to steam some veggies and prepare some simple potatoes or rice. If you're going for "quick", I do NOT recommend the baked French potatoes that I’m about to share with you. These potatoes, while simple enough to put together (and yummy for sure), ended up taking more than 90 minutes to make. I don’t care how you want to turn that one, 90 minutes or more is simply not quick enough for a weeknight meal. Not now and definitely not when I’m working until 4:30 p.m. and want to have supper on the table by 5:30 p.m. (!) I’ll just have to save the potatoes for weekend meals. And I will.

They were that good.

If you decide to make both recipes, you’ll see that you have to start with the potatoes. A good 90 minutes (or more) before you want to be sitting down to eat.

BAKED FRENCH POTATOES (serves 4-6)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Put 3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile: peel and finely slice 1 ¾ lbs of potatoes, 1 lb of medium onions and 3 cloves of garlic. (*I recommend starting with the onions and garlic so that you can do the next step while you’re working on the potatoes) Pick the leaves from small handful of fresh Italian parsley and finely chop.
Pour a couple of lugs of olive oil into a large hot pan. Add onions, garlic and parsley. Slowly fry for 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and lightly golden. Add pinch of salt and pepper.
In large baking dish place a layer of potatoes, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and a layer of onion mixture. Repeat until you’ve used everything up, but try to finish with a layer of potatoes.
Pour in hot broth to just cover the top of potatoes, break up 2 pats of butter and dot over top.
Rub some aluminum foil with olive oil; place it, oil-side down, over the dish, and seal tight.
Place in preheated oven for 45 minutes, remove the foil, push the potatoes down and return to the oven for 20 – 40 (more like 40 in my experience) minutes until golden and crisp.

…Just after you remove the aluminum foil and put the potatoes back in, it’ll be time to start your chicken (about 30 minutes before you want to eat supper)

CREAMY TARRAGON CHICKEN (serves 4-6)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if you haven’t already got it going for the potatoes)
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat.
Pat down 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken supremes (*I used 8 drumsticks… because they were on sale this week and cost me only $2.50) with paper towel; season with salt and pepper.
Add chicken to skillet skin-side-down and cook 3-5 minutes, or until deep golden. Flip and cook another 2 minutes.
Transfer chicken to large baking pan and bake 20-25 minutes (or until cooked through).
Meanwhile: to make tarragon sauce: slice 3 large shallots and mince 1 small clove of garlic. Add them to the skillet and reduce heat to medium, cook for 4 mintues or until shallots have softened.
Add ½ cup dry white wine and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half.
Add 1 cup chicken broth, bring to boil and cook 3 minutes.
Strain, reserving liquids and discarding solids. Return liquids to skillet or small pot, bring to boil and whisk in ½ cup 35% cream and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
In a small bowl, mash 1 tablespoon butter or margarine with 1 tablespoon of flour. Add ¼ cup of hot chicken broth mixture and stir until combined (it will be very thick).
Add mixture to hot chicken broth and stir until combined.
Add 1 tablespoon freshly chopped tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon sauce over chicken to serve.

*Just so you know... the sauce is also EXCELLENT over the potatoes and steamed veggies, but if you’re counting calories, don’t do it!

And there you go... another 2 "trial" gourmet recipes that I think are worth trying... and might just become a part of your regular meal rotation!

Enjoy!

Making it Home (part 2)

2010-03-22T13:00:00.000-04:00

Last month I shared a first "Making it Home" post with you. I recounted the barely believable list of renovations that we managed to complete in the first few weeks of owning our home. I posted before and after pictures of our kitchen, playroom and the girls rooms...

Now I'm going to skip over a lot of work that we did (outside) and simply say that about a year ago our focus shifted to the yard. Over the Spring and Summer months, we fixed our deck, had a small pool installed, built a deck for that and put up a pretty unique toy structure for Layla.

We had intentions of getting back to the basement renovations and completing them before the end of the summer. But for one reason or another those "plans" never really panned out.

Then the plan was "by Christmas"... mmm... that didn't happen either.

Then "over the Christmas holidays"... not so much.

Sometime in February I made a call to the plumber to get an estimate for plumbing costs if we wanted to have a shower or bath put in to the laundry room and THAT kick-started our latest phase of renovations - less than a month after the deadline to claim the expenses on our income taxes (pfff... who wants to save $$$ on a several thousand dollar project anyways?...Right?... sigh...).

So this is what the laundry looked like a few days after I saw the plumber. It's really too bad that I don't have the real "before" pictures to show you. The old wood windows, the filfthy wood panelling on the walls, the hot water heater in the corner of the room... it was quite the laundry room. Needless to say, it was due for a make-over!

About a month later - we've hit a wall in our basement renovation. Literally.

In the t.v. room and hallway we've managed to install the new laminate flooring and prime and paint the walls and doors. All we have left to do on that "side" is the mouldings and we'll be ready to set up our t.v. and move the furniture in.

In the laundry room, we jack-hammered the floor to be able to add the plumbing needed for a bath drain (and to install a new toilet).

When Brandon started with the jack hammer, it was barely making a dent in the cement. I was thinking to myself "he is going to kill" - especially since it was my idea to complicate the laundry room renos by adding a bath in the first place!

The original pipes were MUCH higher than we were expecting so some of them took a beating from the jack hammer. At least now everything is up to code (back-up valve and all!). But sheesh - with the price of plumbing, I should HOPE that things are up to code!

One more thing about this whole "plumbing" experience. The plumber-dude convinced me that I should have these wall mounts installed for the access to my washing machine water and drain so that 1) it would look nicer and 2) I would be able to push my machine right up to the wall. I am not so happy with them.

First of all, they're ABOVE my washing machine so they don't look very pretty. Second, the way they were installed makes it so that the drywall won't go flat around them. Finally, they could have just been installed lower, at the back of the cupboard under my sink - that way I wouldn't have paid the extra $60 for these little plastic wall mounts AND I would have had easy access to them WITHOUT having to LOOK at them.

So... back to the list of things accomplished in the laundry room.

1. Floor jack-hammered to have access to pipes.

2. Plumbing added for bath and brought "up to code" for everything else.

3. Cement poured into giant hole in the floor.

4. Sub-floor layed

5. Bath installed.

6. Drywall put up.

7. Drywall Joints

... and this is the "wall" we've hit.

JOINTS.

Plastering drywall joints is one of those things that you should pay someone to do. Unfortunetly we're already over budget and so we're trying to cut corners where we can. So far Brandon has done 2 coats of putty and sanding. It's starting to look "okay"... but there's still work to be done. The poor guy hates this particular job so much that he compares it to "scratching a chalkboard" and actually gets goosebumps just thinking about sanding.

We're both anxious to move on the next steps (there are oh so many steps to this!)... priming, painting, installing the floor, tiles in the shower, installing the toilet and sink... etc. etc. etc.

We just have to make our walls look good first...

(to be continued)

10 weeks into 2010. Am I healthier?

2010-03-19T12:00:00.005-04:00

Last week was week 10 of "Ten weeks to HEALTHY in 2010"...

When I decided to take on the Ten in '10 challenge at the beginning of the new year, I had a few goals in mind.

1. RE-integrate exercise/fitness into my daily routine.

2. Prepare my body for the end of nursing (and potential weight gain that was/is sure to follow if I don't adjust my eating habits).

3. Become the active woman that lives inside my head... that I wish I was...

Well the ten weeks is up and so you deserve an update on my progress.

The short story is this - I FAILED... with a capital F.

The longer story ensues... (it's not that long, you can keep reading!)

I kept up with the weekly blog posts for about 3 weeks. After that it was too embarrassing to post "didn't do such a great job... am I pathetic?... where's my motivation?..." updates week after week. 10 weeks is both longer and shorter than it seems. Sigh.

So I obviously didn't get into a routine of exercising regularly in these past 10 weeks. I do however take comfort in a few things...

1. I walk the dog almost every day. It's not much, but it's something.

2. We've been doing renovations and although it isn't "traditional" exercise - lugging buckets of broken up ceramics or concrete up the stairs and outside has got to count for something. It certainly makes me sweat. It certainly makes me sore.

3. I'm learning things about myself. Where I do (well... mostly where I don't) find motivation. That I'm much more likely to actually get something accomplished if I write it down somewhere. that I'm much better at making plans and setting goals than I am at actually following through. Etc. Etc. Etc.

So what I am I going to do now?

With the nice weather arriving so early this year, it's tempting to start considering something as simple as "jogging". I can't believe I'm thinking this (let alone writing it) seeing as running for exercise is something I've always LOATHED.

At this point in my life, running seems like the only thing that makes sense... and the simplest form of exercise to integrate into my regular life. Why is that? For a few reason...

1) I'm already walking the dog every day, why not run with him?

2) We already have a good quality "jogging" stroller

and 3) It doesn't cost a thing to start (unlike the other ideas swimming around in my brain - buy an elliptical for the basement, join a gym, ...).

More than the simplicity, more than the good weather, more than the economic side of RUNNING - I've found a way to take it a step further. To make my goal to be more physically active something that isn't just good for me or an example to my girls...

What am I talking about?

Well... I've started looking into what I can do to make a difference for people affected by cancer (ever since following the story of Layla Grace) and among other things (Organizing a fundraiser, volunteering at the hospital, making a donation, growing my hair and donating it to locks of love...) I found Team in Training and the wheels in my head are turning...

So ten in ten is over but my quest is not. Now it's two-fold... and I just have to decide what I'll do and if this is how I'll do it.

(to be continued...)

A.

A.O.K. "trial" Gourmet (17) Cranberry/Maple Sausage Chili

2010-03-18T14:07:00.012-04:00

{For an introduction to the A.O.K "trial" Gourmet series - click here.}

Finally right?

I've been talking about this chili since I made it for the first time a couple weeks ago.

*Cranberry-Maple Sausage Chili*

As much as I am a huge fan of anything that combines sweet and heat, I have to be honest and tell you I had my doubts about this one. I did. The recipe comes from an IGA (local grocery chain) recipe card and it was on Brandon's request that I decided to try it. Brandon. The guy who doesn't like chili in the first place. The guy who won't eat my home-made cranberry sauce. Huh?! I think he saw the word "maple" and got all excited :-)

The card rates the recipe as "easy" and I hope you know by now that if I agree and tell you that it's easy, it really is. I'm a very low fuss, keep it simple kind of girl... kind of cook... and I can't say enough how important it is for me (particularly in this phase of my life, with 2 small kids) to find the place where simplicity, healthy and tasty somehow come together. Not always an easy thing to find, right? Right.

This chili is so easy to make and the recipe gives you the option of preparing it earlier in the day and letting it simmer in your slow cooker OR putting it all together about an hour before dinner on the stovetop. The result is a incredibly tasty (if you like the whole sweet with heat flavour combination) twist on a classic household "go to" meal. It's the perfect comfort food for a cold fall/winter day, and with arrival of Spring and "maple" season - it's great for this time of year too.

Can you tell I'm a fan? Can you tell that I think everyone should try this one?

The Recipe for Cranberry-Maple Sausage Chili
(my modifications in Purple)

6 (4)servings; 15 minutes prep; 1 hour cooking time; easy

Ingredients

- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cranberry-maple sausages (6 mild italian sausages + 2 tablespoons maple syrup)
- 1 each: garlic clove and onion, finel chopped
- 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
- 3/4 cup low sodium vegetable cocktail
- 19 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 envelope reduced-salte taco seasoning (I took the shortcut here but it's just as easy to use some chili and cumin instead)
- 1 cinnamon stick
-1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 sweet yellow pepper, diced

Preparation

(Option 1: slow cooker)

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (I opted for no oil and used a non-stick frying pan. Sausages have enough fat on their own). Add sausages and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until well grilled. Turn sausages once halfway through cooking. Remove from pan and slice about 1 cm thick. Transfer to slow cooker.

2. In the same skillet, cook garlic and onion for about 2 minutes. Until both are lightly golden (I forgot to do this and just through it all in the slow cooker as instructed in the next step. oops.)
3. Add garlic, onion, tomatoes, vegetable juice, black beans, taco seasoning and cinnamon (and maple syrup) to slow cooker. Stir gently to combine. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

4. Add cranberries and sweet pepper and continue cooking on high for 15 minutes, or until pepper is tender-crisp.

5. Remove cinnamon stick before serving. Serve with your favourite baguette and a green salad.

(Option 2: stovetop)

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; cook sausages, garlic and onion according to method given for slow cooker.
2. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable juice, black beans, taco seasoning, maple syrup , and cinnamon stick. Stir gently to combine. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring several times during cooking.
3. Add cranberries and sweet pepper and cook for 7 additional minutes.

Enjoy!

A.

Doing the dishes with my little helper

2010-03-18T11:14:00.003-04:00

It's about 10 a.m.

The dog is walked. Supper is starting to simmer in the crock-pot. I would say that I'm having a pretty productive morning. Yes!

The little one is down for her first nap (which she desperately needs after her first few days of daycare and terrible napping). This is usually the time I devote to Layla... a craft, an activity, some quality one-on-one time with my "big" girl.

One look around the kitchen... do I clean up now? do I wait until lunch?

"Layla... do you want to help me do the dishes?"

It's really the perfect way to spend time with her and get something very practical done at the same time. She loves playing in the water, within 15-20 minutes all of my dishes are done and I have to convince her that it's time to do something else.

Isn't it true that sometimes it's just easier to include our little ones in the things that we need to do? Instead of sticking them in front of the t.v. one more time... or being irritated by the mess that is growing as we put it off to make sure that we get in enough of that essential one-on-one time?

I'm not saying there's never a time to ignore the house work. I do it all the time (!) I'm just saying that it's neat when we can "kill two birds with one stone".

What a productive morning!

Wordless Wednesday: Mommy and Girls

2010-03-17T08:00:00.003-04:00

Meaghi-Meg's FIRST DAY

2010-03-15T22:56:00.005-04:00

... or should I say first couple of hours...

A while ago I wrote a post about the looming end of my year of maternity leave - "...and it's time to say goodbye...".

Well today was Meaghan's first official day of daycare and it went off without a hitch. I didn't even get the chance to cry. (It sure helps that she's with the same woman that Layla was with her first year of daycare, that Layla is just in the next classroom, that it's a great daycare centre and that know and trust the people who work there...)

Meaghan is in a small group and is the only girl. She is also the youngest, but only by a few months. And with her baby blues and strawberry blond "lu-lu's" (french for pigtails) she was a real hit with all those boys!

I don't go back to work for another few weeks so we're doing a slow integration - letting her get used to the new surroundings, hoping that she'll nap in the same room as 4 other napping children, hoping that she loves it all!

Today was a really short first day. With the time change from this past weekend, we all slept in a little this morning. Add that to the fact that I didn't get anything together or sign any of the papers until today - what? it was a busy weekend!?!?! - And add that to the fact that now I'm packing bags for both girls... we didn't actually arrive at the daycare until about 9:30 a.m. and since I was planning on picking them up before lunch, Meaghan was barely there for 2 hours.

Tomorrow I think we'll add lunch to the mix. If I'm paying for daycare I might as well have them fed before I pick them up :-)

LASIK (The day of...)

2010-03-12T20:00:00.001-05:00

9:15 a.m.

I’m sitting in the waiting room at LASIK MD Brossard. After years of toying with the idea of seeing clearly without glasses or contacts it looks like I’m actually about to go through with it. My nerves are on high alert. You wouldn’t know that I managed to get through 2 child birth experiences. The laser surgery is supposed to take less than 10 minutes. When you ask around, so many people have opted to have this procedure done...

9:45 a.m.

I just went in to see the “counsellor” (a.k.a the lady who takes all your money away AND provides you with a relaxant if your nerves are shot... like mine). Apparently the optometrist marked on my eye exam that it was HIGHLY recommended that I have the more advanced procedure (ie. the mores expensive one). It wasn’t the impression that I got from her during my consultation – at all – so I was a little flustered at first. I still (sigh) opted to pay the extra fee because if I’m going to do it, I want it to be done right. At least the more advanced procedure includes a lifetime guarantee AND a 20/20 vision guarantee. With the standard one I was going to be paying extra for 5 year guarantee. Sigh (again). I’ve also now had a few minutes since I took the relaxant – a little pill that I let melt under my tongue. I think I feel more relaxed but I suppose we’ll only really know when I’m actually lying on the table and having my eyes sliced open (for lack of a better term...)... OOF (that’s just a louder and more uncertain this is a good idea “sigh” in case you were wondering)...

So I’m sitting in the waiting room. I’m thinking that this isn’t a big deal. Dozens of people have the procedure done in this clinic on a daily basis. When I came for my consult a couple of days ago I probably saw close to 20 people come out of the room with the “LASER” sign on the door. Their eyes were a little teary and a little red, but all things considered, they looked just fine.

I’m still nervous. Though a little less... I actually feel pretty calm right now. Hoping it lasts.

It’s Friday morning so where are the girls? As any parent knows, it’s not always easy to get a few moments away when you have 2 little ones. Personally I booked the procedure as quickly as possible for day that I knew my MIL wouldn’t be working – despite the fact that my SIL is in town with her 3 kids – and crossed my fingers that it would work out. I should have asked first but I figured that I could call and re-schedule if it didn’t work out. It took a little juggling and I know I disrupted some plans that were already in the works, but I think we found an arrangement that worked for everyone. I think. I hope.

What about me? At the moment I’m sitting here all alone (and have a chance to write out some of my thoughts for AOK) but my super sweet friend Aimée offered to help me out. She should be here just before I go into surgery, to sit with me afterwards, and to bring me home. She has 2 small ones too, but she re-arranged her day and asked her MIL to watch them while she helped me out. Good friends like that are hard to come by these days. I’m very lucky to have found her.

Once the procedure is done, I’m not supposed to watch tv, go on the computer or read for the rest of the day and evening. Maybe I’ll get Aimée to help me finish up this post and get it online... it would be very timely to post it the day of the procedure.

Here’s hoping I don’t pass out on the table...

11:00 a.m.

So here we are, back in the waiting room. ("we" meaning ’Aimée and myself, she arrived a couple minutes after they put the numbing drops in my eyes... just in time to hold my hand through the pre-op anxiety and the actual procedure). My vision is really blurry right now.

I'm rockin’ my Jack Nicholson look with sunglasses on, awaiting instructions on eye drops and other such important things. The procedure went SO - MUCH - BETTER than I expected; maybe it was the relaxing medication I received before hand, maybe it was the hand of Aimée, which I latched onto as they fried my eyes, one after the other...

The weirdest part is not having your eyelids taped open or even the actual laser itself, it’s seeing the little flap of your cornea being lifted up. I actually commented out loud - "well that's strange!". Without getting to philosophical on you, it was like the literal window to my soul being opened. But weirder than that, it brought me to the realization that the true window to my soul is somewhere much deeper than my eyes. Why? Because I was watching something happen on my eye... I don't know how else to explain it.

Beforehand I was the most nervous about the fact that I wasn't going to be able to close my eyes and pretend I was somewhere else (while they sliced and fried my eyes). What I didn’t realize was that the incision happens when there is this vacuum contraption putting pressure on your eye. The pressure on the optic nerve makes you black out and so you don’t see anything anyway. AMAZING.

2:00 p.m.

So... although I felt great coming out of surgery (surely the relaxant and numbing drops did what they were supposed to do) the last hour or so has been a little more uncomfortable. My eyes are burning and I'd just like to be able to keep them shut a little longer (Note: I am actually writing this part the next day because I wasn't allowed to look at a computer screen in the 24 hours following the surgery). Thank goodness Aimée offered to stick around until Brandon arrives home. Now she's even agreed to stay for dinner - lamburgers - that I'm sure she'll end up making. Did I say thank you yet? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

4:00 p.m.

I feel pretty good. My vision is clearing up. I can see... without my glasses. So bizarre. I think I've now passed through the most uncomfortable part of the procedure - it just feels like I've been wearing contacts for too long.

7:45 p.m

Aimée and the family have gone home, the girls are in bed, Brandon has some things to take care of for the pets... I can't watch tv, I can't read, I can't go on the computer... I guess it's bedtime for me too.

Let me just put on my super wicked hot LASIK sunglasses... (yes I have to wear them to bed to make sure I don't rub my eyes) and climb into bed...

Did I mention that I can see?

Without my glasses?

Awesome!

As featured on...

2010-03-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Check it out!

Meaghan's nursery is featured today over at Spearmint Baby.

A few notes about the nursery...
1. This is the second nursery of it's kind. The color scheme and decore is very similar to what we set up for Layla at our old home.
2. Whoever says you can't have a blue room for a girl is mistaken (in my humble opinion - after all there IS blue on the walls in both Layla and Meaghan's rooms).
3. The bedding was hand-made with love by "yours truly" (a.k.a Andrea) after my search through local stores left me uninspired. For material - I cut up a queen-sized duvet cover that I found at IKEA (a design that they don't carry anymore unfortunately).
4. Since the pictures were taken, we've added a nice/soft cream rug and book shelf under the 4 picture frames.

Here are some pictures from BOTH nurseries.

LAYLA'S NURSERY

The shelf unit didn't make it into Meaghan's nursery. It's now in the playroom instead...

Our condo design had this little nook... perfect for her crib.

My "IKEA" re-vamped baby bedding!

I found these at IKEA too...

MEAGHAN'S NURSERY

This is Meaghan's special bear - LEO. (Layla's special bear is MO)

They are named after Mozart and Leonardo.

This corner actually looks a little different now.

We've added a book shelf and a footstool (not to mention a super soft carpet)

You can't see them very well, but above the crib to the left there are decals.

Whimsical dragonflies. Very sweet.

THE END

Be sure to browse around http://www.spearmintbaby.com/ and check out some of the incredible nurseries and decorating ideas on her blog!

Playing with the angels...

2010-03-09T22:41:00.005-05:00

If you've seen any of my status updates on twitter or facebook over the last couple of weeks, you know that I have been following the story of a little girl named Layla Grace, who up until this morning was fighting stage 4 neuroblastoma.

This afternoon I found out that sweet little Layla Grace "went to play with the angels" early this morning. When you say it that way, it almost makes your smile. Almost. There is still something fundamentally wrong about a child dying of cancer. It isn't right.

Although I don't know Layla Grace or the Marsh family, although I will probably never meet them, I (like so many others) am profoundly touched by their story. I look at my girls differently. I look at life differently.

I'm not alone. All it takes is a quick look at the comments on http://www.laylagrace.org/, on her facebook group or twitter and it's obvious that in her short life, Layla Grace has had an impact. She had touched many lives. She has brought many people closer to their families and closer to God. And her story is raising awareness of neuroblastoma and raising funds for important research.

But now what? I want to do more than sit here and tell a few people about a little girl who fought cancer, about a story that brought me to my knees, about a family who lost their baby. I want to do more than send my condolences to the family via twitter or facebook or e-mail. I feel too much. I am too touched by her story. There has to be more I can do. Something more personal.

...Maybe I can find a way to raise money for research? ...Maybe I can find a way to support families who are going through similar situations? ...Maybe... Maybe I should start by finding out what's already being done and go from there.

I don't know... I just feel like if I can be inspired to DO something positive because of Layla Grace's story... that it will somehow "mean something".

That somehow... somehow her story isn't quite over.

A.

A.O.K "trial" Gourmet (16) Simplified Beef Wellington

2010-03-09T20:41:00.010-05:00

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For an introduction to the A.O.K "trial Gourmet series - click here.

2 weeks ago, it was "March Break". I don't know why, but having Brandon home for the week threw me off a little. It's probably why I am only getting around to finishing up this post (from 2 weeks ago) now. Well it was probably more than that. March break, basement renovations, laser eye surgery... if you know what I mean!?!?

The following is a recipe for a simplified beef wellington from Jamie Oliver's "Cooking Revolution".

It was okay... but there's more on that below the recipe :-)

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
1 medium onion
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
2 clovers garlic
2 portobello mushrooms
olive oil
4 sprigs rosemary
a big handful of frozen peas
1 large egg
1 lb good quality ground beef
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
all-purpose flour
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted in frozen

(I. PREPARE YOUR GROUND BEEF MIXTURE)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and chop onion, celery, carrot, and potato into 1/4-inch-sized-dice.
Finely grate the garlic.
Clean and roughly chop the mushrooms so they're about the same size as your other veggies.
Place all the vegetables into a large frying pan over medium-low heat with 2 "lugs" of olive oil.

Pick rosemary leaves off the woody stalks, finely chop them and add them to the pan.

Fry and stir for about 8 minutes or until the vegetables soften and colour lightly.

Add the frozen pees and cook for another minute.

Put the vegetable mixture into a large bowl and let cool completely.

Crack the egg into a cup and beat it up.

Add the ground beef to the bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper and half the beaten egg.

With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well.

(II. ROLL AND FILL YOUR PASTRY)

Lightly dust your clean work surface and rolling pin with flour.
Lay the puff pastry sheets one on top of the other.
Roll out the puff pastry so it is roughly 12 x 16 inches.
(Dust with flour as you go)
Turn pastry so you have a long edge in front of you.
Place the ground beef mixture along this edge.
Mould the beef into an even, long sausage shape.

Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg.
Roll the ground beef up in the pastry until it's covered completely.
Squeeze ends together.
Dust a large cookie pan with flour and place your Wellington on top.
Brush all over with the rest of the beaten egg.

Bake in preheated oven for an hour (until golden).

(III. THE RESULT)

I had high hopes for this recipe and it didn't quite meet my expectations. Mostly because of the the puff pastry (maybe it was the particular brand I used... maybe I should try making my own next time?) The pastry was okay, though not as crispy as I would have like and more importantly it didn't keep nicely for leftovers. On the up side the beef mixture with the rosemary and garlic combination was incredibly tasty (I actually think rosemary and garlic is now one of my favorite flavour combinations).

That being said, it is one of the few "trial "Gourmet recipes that Brandon expressed any desire for me to make again. Some of his other favorites have been the pumpkin spice cake (which I've made a few times since), rosemary leg of lamb, strawberry cheesecake trifle, and lamb kefta in rojan josh sauce. The next recipe I will feature in this series is the most surprisingly yummy addition to my regular rotation of dinners - Cranberry and Maple Sausage Chili - seriously yummy and extremely simple. Coming soon...

On my knees

2010-03-04T06:47:00.007-05:00

Last week I wrote about a little girl who is nearing the end of an ugly fight against cancer. Layla Grace. A random connection on twitter lead me to the website where her parents have been blogging about her progress. Her story has literally brought me to my knees, begging God for a (crazy/out of this world/impossible to believe...) miracle.

I've spent more time praying in the last week than I have in a long time. Pleading with Him, begging Him, trying to reason with Him... asking Him "Where are you?". I can't help but be a little surprised at myself for the persistence with which I bring this little girl and her family before Him.

Although I have been a Christian for a long time, I have a relatively conservative church background. Although I believe that God is real, although I believe that He cares about what we're going through here on earth - I don't remember ever praying for a miracle - I don't remember ever praying with such persistence - for anything. And it's not like I don't know sick people... it's not like I don't know other people in need... there's just something about this girl, something that keeps bringing me to prayer.

So why Layla Grace? Why does this little girl have me on my knees? I've been asking myself this question all week. As I've watched the awareness of her situation grow (10 000 + twitter followers added in less than a week, an interview with Ryan Seacrest, an articles by Choppra, stars like Paris Hilton spreading the word...) and as I've read some of the comments left by strangers - I have realized that I'm not alone. Of all the sick kids, of all the suffering families, there is something drawing people to Layla Grace. There is something about her story that is getting complete strangers (like me) to watch and pray. Is it a God thing? or not?

To be completely honest I don't know much (if anything) about praying for healing. It's not something that I have experienced first hand. I stumble over my choice of words and I wrestle with the idea that it might not be "God's will". Not His will? What does that even mean? I don't know how I will react if it seems like all these prayers simply go unanswered. Will my faith be shaken? Will I stop praying? or will I simply change my prayers... asking for understanding, asking for peace for the Marsh family?

For now I'll continue to pray for little Layla Grace every time she comes to my mind. I will pray for peace, strength and comfort for her entire family. But I will also continue to ask for that miracle. Maybe because it's the only thing I can do. Maybe because I really do believe that my prayers aren't just bouncing off the ceiling...

Miracles still happen... right?... please?

A.

A.O.K "trial" Gourmet (15) A little help on this one!

2010-02-27T22:45:00.001-05:00

LAMB KEFTA in PC's ROJAN JOSH SAUCE

For an introduction to A.O.K "trial" Gourmet - click here

Last week I was looking through my cookbooks and marking (with little sticky notes) some of the recipes that I'd like try in the coming weeks. I'm finding more and more that if I plan ahead of time, there is more chance of me trying something a little more out of my comfort zone (with ingredients that I don't necessarily keep on hand).

On a side note: I'm also finding more and more that planning is KEY in ALL areas of my life... that if I write down the things I want to get done around the house, that if I plan out my meals for the week, that if I make an actual "schedule" for the renovations were doing in the basement... basically if I treat the home management tasks the same as I would my work related tasks... there's more chance of things getting done and there's a much higher likelihood of me being efficient at home (note that I say a higher likelihood... it's not a sure thing!).

So as I was looking through my copy of Jamie's Food Revolution, and salivating through the section on Easy curries, I remembered that a few weeks ago I had picked up a jar of prepared "Rojan Josh" sauce by President's Choice. I quickly located the jar, scanned the instructions found on the back of the label, scanned Jamie's recipe... both of which asked for cubed lamb leg. But I was already thawing some ground lamb. What to do? Then I remembered the lamb kefta recipe I tried back at the beginning of the year...

And I improvised... and figured out my own recipe... I "wung" it (can you even say that?)

The result? We had our friends Shawn and Charlene and their little Lincoln (who is just over 1) join us for dinner. All the kids ate this up without the teeniest hesitation or complaint and Shawn's comment (which I told him I would quote word for word) was "this is the best thing I've eaten all week". YES! I'll take that! Thank you President's Choice, Thank you Jamie Oliver, Thank you Easy Hot & Spicy.

I put together this meal in two steps. Layla helped me to roll the kefta (aka lamb meatballs) earlier in the day. About 20 minutes before dinner I brought it all together to simmer as I prepped the rice and veggies.

Step 1: PREPARE KEFTA
1 lb. finely ground lamb (or beef)
1 onion, finely chopped or grated
a small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper , or 1 teaspoon paprika
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the kefta: (preheat oven to 400 degrees)

1. pound the ground meat with your knuckles in a bowl. Using your hands, lift up the lump of ground meat and slap it back down into the bowl.
2. Add the onion, parsley, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

3. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together and knead well, pounding the mixture for a few minutes.
4. Take pieces of the mixture and shape into walnut-sized balls, so that you end up with about 16 kefta. (NOTE: These can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator)

5. Place meatballs on an aluminum lined cookie sheet and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes.

Step 2: Bring it all together

1. Open jar of President's Choice prepared Rojan Josh sauce.
2. Empty contents into saucepan and bring to simmer.
3. Add kefta, toss to coat.

4. Continue heating while you prepare rice and naan bread.
5. Throw a handful or two of frozen peas a couple minutes before serving.

and voila!

...Seriously easy... seriously yummy... and a real hit with the kiddies!

I will be making this one again for sure. Maybe I'll even try to make my own Rojan Josh... maybe.

A.

Praying for a little girl I've never met...

2010-02-25T10:52:00.004-05:00

Layla Grace.

I found out about this little girl last night through a random connection on twitter.

I've been thinking about her and her family ever since. And every time I think about this sweet little girl, my tears come freely.

I'm trying to find the right words to share with you, but I'm overwhelmed with emotion... and HOPE.

I'm praying for a miracle for this little girl who share my daughter's name. Layla. Sweet Layla.

And I'm thinking about my husband's parents. They know what it's like to have a child with cancer... because Brandon was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 3 years old.

Brandon's family was blessed with a miracle. He survived... and more than that, he has gone on to live his life with almost no side-effects from the cancer, from the treatments. Sometimes I find myself tracing the scar on his chest from where the infusiport was placed and I think about how lucky I am to have him...

I'm thinking about my own daughters. And I'm realizing how much I take for granted. And how much I have to be so very thankful for.

I'm thinking about life - and how fragile it is. How everything can seem perfect one day... and how everything can be turned upside down the next...

And I'm thinking that I need to start living life one moment, one hour, one day at a time... absorbing, appreciating, treasuring... taking it all in - and thanking God for it all.

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You can follow Layla Grace's progress at http://www.laylagrace.org/ or on facebook. I encourage you to pray for her and her family...