you've got mail!

I have seen similar versions of this on Pinterest, and I thought it would be a great idea seeing as the kids LOVE getting the mail from the mailbox out front. I was thinking of putting them outside their bedrooms, but aesthetically it just wouldn't have done the trick. So, I have created a 'post office' per say, under our calendar/family organization centre in the kitchen! I chose white because I thought it would look better with the label, and to blend into a small space. 

For under $25, I have created a place for my kids to look for 'special' mail. I have told them that there may not be something everyday, but to keep checking incase something has been delivered.....wether it be a new pack of crayons, a chocolate, a letter or note, a new book, a special snack...I know they will be excited to see if the mailman (mommy or daddy) has brought mail for them, whatever that mail may be!

Home Depot sells these great pouch mailboxes for just over $11, they come in white or black. I used a round Avery label to initial the mailboxes, and voila! I tried to use adhesive hooks, but they kept falling, so I just screwed them into the wall, probably better that way, as tiny, and not always so delicate hands will be in them all the time!

K

Juicy Pork Souvlaki with Lemony Roasted Potatoes

I switched Tuesday's dinner with Wednesdays, so tonight is the Grilled Vegetable Fajitas that I am really looking forward to! Last night I made pork souvlaki with lemony roasted potatoes (it was cool enough outside to use my oven). I know some people don't like pork, but I love it! Its lean, and picks up flavours really well! I cubed up two beautiful pork tenderloins, marinated them for about half an hour while I prepped my potatoes and threw together a salad. The recipe says 4 skewers....with my two tenderloins I had about 8 skewers? So I just doubled the olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper by eye...

Again this is a recipe from the August 2012 issue of Chatelaine magazine, http://food.chatelaine.com/Recipes/View/Juicy-pork-souvlaki I didn't serve it with the cauliflower salad, that wasn't appealing to me, so instead I chunked up some peeled russet potatoes, drizzled them with some olive oil, about 1/4 cup of lemon juice and salted them, put them in the oven at 400 for almost an hour, basting them throughout with the lemony juice. Close to the end I dotted them with some butter to crisp them up a bit.

Any type of meat on a stick is a novelty for the kids, and who cares if you have to serve with some ketchup! A delicious dinner, with leftovers to have in a wrap for lunch today!

I might as well tell you about the homemade ricotta cheese that I made the other day. It was so simple, and its really delicious! It may be just as easy to buy, and its really not that expensive, but all thats in this is milk, lemon juice, a tsp of salt and some cream. 

Once again, from Chatelaine magazine...http://food.chatelaine.com/recipes/view/creamy-ricotta I would salivate over the picture of the garlic crostini with fresh ricotta and tomatoes....so for the last few days, for lunch, I have been having a Wasa cracker with ricotta, sliced avocado, tomatoes and salt and pepper, delicious! 

The only thing you need to make sure you have is cheesecloth, which I just bought from the DollarStore. It also suggests a thermometer, but I just used the clock and my good eye ;-) I was amazed at how easy it really was! It was an item on my bucket list for the summer....so glad I tried it!

K

Hoisin & Ginger Chicken Lettuce Cups

There is nothing like cooking when you have all the right ingredients on hand. This being my first "menu" meal in quite a while, it felt good to flow around the kitchen putting together all the right things and have dinner on the table in an appropriate manner.

http://food.chatelaine.com/Recipes/View/Hoisin-chicken-in-lettuce-cups

I have attached the recipe from the August 2012 issue of Chatelaine. The only step I would omit, would be adding the cornstarch, I didn't feel it was necessary as my sauce was already fairly thick. But you can be the judge as you are making it. I also warmed up some additional hoisin sauce to drizzle on, I am all about the sauce :-) 

My kids wouldn't eat the lettuce, so I steamed up some Jasmine rice, this way they had more of a stir fry. It was a perfect light meal to eat on the patio with a cold beer.

K

getting back into action...

Summer is coming to an end...time to get back into routine, something I am really looking forward to! Having applied for over 6 jobs, not hearing back from any of them, I will be happy to return to my noon hour supervision job come September! I have had a great summer going here and there, but my bank account really missed those good ol' deposits....I start a new adventure of going back to school myself, which I am also really looking forward to. Nervous, anxious and a little stressed, but excited too, all at the same time.

I sat down tonight to think about groceries...I grabbed a few magazines, and for the first time, in a LONG time, I made a menu for the week, along with my grocery list. The week ahead looks delicious, and I am excited to be organized, I am tired of running out for last minute things, or winging dinner with whats in the house.

Every so often I get the urge to write, with a smooth blue ink pen, on soft paper...like the pad of blank newsprint paper Noah got in a "Getting ready for Kindergarten" pack from my sister. Its relaxing how the letters flow together while handwriting across the page, makes me want to make lists and lists, and more lists.....so, I made this list....

Monday- Hoisin Chicken in Lettuce Cups with Jasmine Rice

Tuesday- Grilled Vegetable Fajitas

Wednesday- Pork Souvlaki with Lemon Roasted Potatoes

Thursday- Creamy Herbed Cheese Tagliatelle with Salad and Garlic Toast

Friday- Curried Chicken with Mangoes and Coconut Rice

Saturday- Soy Maple Salmon with Mushroom Barley Risotto

Sunday- Sautéed Rapini and Mushroom Gnocci with Salad

All of these recipes and ideas came from my collection of Chatelaine and Canadian Living magazines...I may post some recipes that I think are worth sharing..

Cheers to getting back into action!!!

K

EVPFC...

When my girlfriend told me she had been approached to 'pillow fight' I laughed, and thought, there is no way she is going to do this! She is crazy! What is she thinking? What is 'pillow fighting' exactly? You have got to be kidding me!? My next move was to google this so called 'pillow fighting' and what I came across, what a pretty big deal! She was about to become a fighter for the East Vancouver Pillow Fight Club www.eastvanpillowfightclub.blogspot.com her persona, Miss Treats.

There was no way I was going to miss this event! I was going to there to support a friend, cheer her on, have a beer, and enjoy a new adventure....being at the Astoria on East Hastings, we didn't know what to expect...before no time the venue was packed, and ready to rock.

Her entrance was sweet, skipping along to "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow, tossing candy, and holding a large hot pink and black HOMEMADE lollipop adorned with a skull....I was so happy, nervous and excited for her...I knew her, she was my friend, man, she is a beautiful friend!

This post was going to be about EVPFC...but after my last paragraph, I got all weepy and sappy about the women in my life, the friends I have made, the relationships I have made stronger, and the ones that have slowly been slipping away..there are a few ladies I met during Noah's years of preschool, they are very dear to me, having common interests, strengths and weaknesses, we have seemed to make a great little group. Always there to bring you up when you're down, to say the right thing when needed, to watch your kids when you have something you would prefer to do childless, providing lunch, and love, just as their kids were our own....

I was told the other day to surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself...when I get together with these gals, I never feel judged, criticized, self conscious or uncomfortable, I know we are together to have a nice time, great conversation, some drinks, to share joy, share sorrow, share new things about one another, secrets and fears....we appreciate each other for being unique. I guess to sum it up, it seems easy, when sometimes, a group of women can be anything but that....

ANYHOO, yes, EVPFC, check them out!!

K

Coffee Grind....

I must say that I prefer the grind of a coffee bean....over the Grouse Grind....however my girlfriend kept reassuring me that there was a coffee shop once we reached the top...the top seemed oh so far away. I am really not sure what I was thinking when I said I would go and attempt this hike through the 'panting' forest. I say 'panting' because every single person that passed me were panting so heavily I thought they were going to pass out, however I must have looked like I wanted to die, seeing as I had a lot of guys ask me "are you okay?" maybe I should have asked one of them for a piggy back ride to the top! My whole body was slick with sweat, every crease, every crack...my hands were dewy, my hair, having just dyed it yesterday was heavy with the smell of peroxide....a real sight. I told myself I would take a picture at the top, uh, I changed my mind, that wouldn't have been one of the "good" photos I was speaking of the other day on my Facebook status....

I am not sure why people do this for fun...I just kept looking up, and up, and up...there was a guy in a bright yellow shirt ahead of me, I would watch him soar up the never ending staircase to the sky..never ever able to reach him, I was glad once he disappeared from my vision. Asshole. My girlfriend, who I told to go ahead of me, would wait once she got a bit ahead, rooting me on...

I held my girlfriend back, she had done this before, about a week ago, in under an hour, I took one hour and thirty-four minutes...I can now say that I have done it, will I do it again? Not anytime soon....I told a guy along the trail that I would rather go through child-birth ten times over, at least you get a baby out of that torture! Looks like my tight ass I have always wanted will have to wait a while longer..for now, its the sweat filled tummy folds...

It was tough for me, considering I am really out of shape, however, I did it (not like there was any turning back)...it was an experience, so glad to have done it with my fitness buddy, so far she has convinced me to do Dance Bootcamp, Cardio Kickboxing, and now, the Grouse Grind.....and maybe pillow fighting, one day ;-)

Tonight I am going out for dinner, I am having at least two glasses of prosecco, and a whole pizza to myself...

K

ps....feels good to be back!!!