live like a kid....

Sitting in the park, on a sunny, cool, crisp October morning...Thanksgiving Monday to be exact, I watched friendships blossom and pirates and sharks become almost real...I smiled to myself as I watched my kids, play with children they had only met seconds before, however playing, as if they had known each other for ages...as if we had come to the park together. I sat alongside many other parents, almost all of us on our phones, indulged in our own lives...speaking to Instagram, Facebook, and all those other crack sites, no one chatting, even about the weather..until, a woman came up to me, she sat right beside me, like "friend" close, not "stranger" close, "how old is your daughter?" she said to me....her son was one of the pirates. From there stemmed a lovely conversation about kids, schools, food, etc..a comfortable conversation, a conversation I enjoyed having with a stranger. Will I see her again? Maybe not, but at that moment in time, it was nice to feel like a kid, to start a conversation just like that, to enjoy another human beings company that started without a "friend request".

Something I am always working on...something that was misinterpreted all through high school. I am not a bitch, I am shy, I am shy of the unknown, uncomfortable with how situations may arise without knowing the steps to get there...in the past year, I think I have come pretty far. I will try my best to embrace new situations like a child, preferably a child in the age range of 3-6, before "life" gets in the way....

The other morning, while walking Noah to school, I made a comment about forgetting my phone....then replied with "sometimes I wish I didn't have a cell phone, its full of distractions..." Noah's reply was, "mom, thats just how life is......."It is how life is...but it doesn't mean we don't have to pay attention to the life that is around us...

Be that one kind word....for I am grateful for the kind words that are spoken to me....

Happy Friday!

K

xo

Zucchini Tots

So, yet again, while clicking through Pinterest, I came across these gems. I knew I had a zucchini in my fridge that a friend had given me from her garden, as well as all the other simple ingredients in this recipe, so I whipped them up!

Credit is given to the blog, The Curious Country Cook, and the link is here..........http://curiouscountrycook.blogspot.ca/2012/03/zucchini-tots.html. They were extremely simple, very basic ingredients, and were very delicious, especially with a dollop of homemade raspberry jam on top! Jam courtesy of Cindy and O'Neils beautiful wedding!

The recipe only yields 12 mini muffins, so you can easily double the recipe. I would stick with mini though, and not make large muffins of this type. They are a great little snack to pop in your mouth....clearly, as I only have two left!

Zucchini Tots

1 cup grated zucchini
1 egg
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I too used Italian style)
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Grate zucchini and press between paper towel to get moisture out, this way you won't have soggy tots. Combine egg, cheese, onion, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add squeezed zucchini. Mix. Drop by spoonfuls into a greased mini muffin tin (you can fill to the top and press down a little). Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let them rest, then spoon out onto a dish, they are better once cooled, and again, with a dollop of raspberry jam (this was my favourite part), AMAZING!

Enjoy!

K

One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes...

I bought a bag of this "farro" at Trader Joes a while back, and forgot about it until my girlfriend made THE most delicious dish the other night! I had it on Friday night, and I am attempting to make it for dinner, tonight, two days later!

I think the recipe was adapted from a Martha Stewart one, thats what it says anyway...but here is the rendition from Smitten Kitchen, and amazing food blog, check it out!

Considering its a grain, I am sure its relatively easy to find at your grocery store...and all the other ingredients are pretty basic! My girlfriend paired it with roast chicken, fresh sliced tomatoes with olive oil and basil, crispy pieces of baguette drizzled with olive oil, and a light sprinkle of course salt, AMAZING!

Again, here is the link, http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/07/one-pan-farro-with-tomatoes/ or follow the recipe below. I highly suggest checking out the blog..amazing food photos, and recipes!

One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes...

Serves: 4 as a side, 2 as a hearty main
2 cups water
1 cup (updated) semi-pearled farro (see Note above for farro types)
1/2 large onion (I usually use a white one, for mildness)
2 cloves garlic
9 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt
Up to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Few basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Place water and farro in a medium saucepan to presoak (I find just 5 to 10 minutes sufficient) while you prepare the other ingredients. Adding each ingredient to the pot as you finish preparing it, cut onion in half again, and very thinly slice it into quarter-moons. Thinly slice garlic cloves as well. Halve or quarter tomatoes. Add salt, pepper flakes (to taste) and 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan, and set a timer for 30 minutes. Bring uncovered pan (no lid necessary) up to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. When the timer rings, the farro should be perfectly cooked (tender but with a meaty chew), seasoned and the cooking water should be almost completely absorbed. If needed, though I’ve never found it necessary, cook it for 5 additional minutes, until farro is more tender.
Transfer to a wide serving bowl. If there's enough leftover cooking liquid to be bothersome, simply use a slotted spoon to leave the amount you wish to behind. Drizzle farro lightly with additional olive oil, scatter with basil and parmesan. Eat immediately. Repeat tomorrow.

Courtesy of Smitten Kitchen www.smittenkitchen.com

 

I am salivating already!

K

Fruit Pizza

I thought I had blogged this recipe a while back...apparently not..I haven't made this in forever, but wanted something light and fresh to bring to a friends place for dessert. I rummaged through my recipe book, and found the magical worn out paper!

Although this dessert looks tedious and time consuming, it actually isn't, but let your guests think what they like ;-)

FRUIT PIZZA

Crust

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 cup flour

Combine these ingredients, I use my hands, makes a better dough. Press into a round pizza pan (this takes some patience), bake at 350 for 8-10 mins. Set aside to cool.

Cream Cheese Topping

1 8oz block of cream cheese
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together, spread on the cooled crust.

The fruit I use are strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, sometimes banana, and canned pineapple tidbits because you need the juice for the pineapple glaze. Slice all your fruit, and arrange as you like it. I usually look back at my picture, starting from the outside to the inside.

Glaze

1 cup pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple, I find one can is enough)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice

Whisk together on medium to high heat until it becomes thickish. Pour over fruit, starting from the centre to the outsides. Refrigerate to let the glaze set. Serve right from the fridge, don't leave this out especially with the weather we have been having, it will melt!

Enjoy!

K

Basic Protein Shake

I got this recipe from my Naturopath, Dr. Glenda Laxton of West Coast Naturopathic. She suggested I have this for breakfast to start to day off with a protein, and try and minimize my headaches....I will admit I am not a huge fan of the rice protein, but she is big on no wheat and no dairy. I have my best days when I start my morning off with this shake in a fancy mason jar :-)

I have promised a few that I would post this...so here it is. Thanks to Dr. Glenda Laxton of West Coast Naturopathic Clinic .

The Basic

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (original or vanilla)
1 banana
1/2 cup other fruit (berries, pear, apple, etc)
1 tbsp flax oil
2 tbsp rice protein powder (I use Nutribiotic, vanilla or plain)
1/4 tsp acidophilus (dairy free)

Blend all ingredients and enjoy! I keep my fruit in the freezer (except my bananas) this way, your shake is cool and refreshing!

I know there are MANY other concoctions, but this is what was suggested to me by my naturopath, and it seems simple enough for me to follow. I am not a health nut looking to maximize my protein intake, I just needed a boost for the day :-)

K
xo

White Bean with Kale...delicious soup!

So even though the calendar tells me that its June 25th, and its officially summer....the weather outside showed me otherwise.....yesterday felt like mid October! It seemed fitting, that the first day of the weekly menu be something comforting...it was a grilled cheese and soup kinda night, I had a craving for something hearty, beans and kale seemed to fit!

I found this recipe in a little recipe book that was compiled by a bunch of friends for a bridal shower. What a way to start off the menu for the week, it was DELICIOUS! Especially with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top!

Its very simple, and extremely tasty.....


White Bean with Kale Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1-3 cloves of garlic, minced (I used 3)
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp finely chopped basil leaves
5 cups vegetable broth
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chopped kale (I chopped mine quite well, I hate big pieces of kale, it chokes me!)
salt and pepper

Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and garlic, cook for 3-4 minutes. Mix in tomato paste, basil and oregano, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add stock, beans, carrot and kale and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Also, have a grilled cheese sandwich hot and ready to dip into the broth, YUMMY!

Enjoy!

K
xo

Butter Tea Room

For anyone who wants a lovely feminine tea party for your birthday or any other occasion, check out Butter Baked Good's Tea Room. I was lucky enough to attend an intimate birthday there for a dear friend of mine recently, and enjoyed every detail of the afternoon! From the decor, the china, the tea, food, desserts, atmosphere...everything was simply divine!

http://www.butterbakedgoods.com

K

xo

Have a KOOL Summer!

I feel on the ball for this time of year, from my Crayon Wreath already made and given to his teacher, handmade personalized teacher note cards from Kardz Kouture, the handprint bag, which every single classmate came over and stamped on a canvas bag! And................. knowing that I always give Noah's classmates a little something for each occasion, I wanted to give them something for the end of the school year!

Uh huh, it was Pinterest that helped me out, AGAIN!! When I saw these I thought they were super cute, and even better, super easy! With the help from my good friend at Kardz Kouture a great little year end surprise was put together for all his friends!

I found the crazy straws at the Dollar Store, the Kool-Aid packs from Superstore (they came 16 packs in a box) and I just used some ribbon I had in my ribbon box. Michaels has great thin ribbon for under $1. The tag was provided by Kardz Kouture  and the link to download and print these tags is here, https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxMGIf2lg4NlZDN4dy1DaW1DN1k/edit

Such an inexpensive super cute little farewell to the school year! And what a way to start summer break! With a nice cold glass of sugar high Kool-Aid!

Things you need......

• Small hole punch
• Download and print the tag from Kardz Kouture  https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxMGIf2lg4NlZDN4dy1DaW1DN1k/edit
• Thin ribbon for tying together
• crazy straws (I got mine at The Dollar Tree)
• An autograph from your child on the back of the tag

Cheers to the end of the school year!!!! We made it!

K

xo

Year End Teacher Gift...

Once again, I was looking on Pinterest for a year end gift for Noah's teacher..I got swallowed up by all the awesome cute ideas, but this wreath stood out to me! Its super cute, and super easy! I didn't photograph all the steps, but I am sure you will get the idea, and make it your own, in your own special way!

I bought the following "ingredients"....

-1  12" floral ring (pressed board, in the foam aisle at 

      Michaels, I paid $3.49)

-3  24 packs of Crayola Crayons ($1.25 a box at Dollarama, 

     right across from Michaels in North Vancouver) 

     I used 48 crayons to be exact...

-1   Measuring tape (Dollarama had a pack of 3 for $1.25, one white, one purple, one pink, the 

      white was the perfect width, the ones at Michaels were too wide)

-1   Little bottle of acrylic craft paint in whatever colour 

      you want your ring (usually $1 or so from Michaels or the Dollar Store)

-White Chalkboard pen (if you are making teacher name sign)

-Glue Gun

-Assorted mini wood shapes, I got them all from Michaels, ranging from $.89 - $1.69 for a set of the school shapes, and a mini plaque that I sprayed with chalkboard paint and wrote his teachers name with a chalkboard pen! 

My first step was painting the ring, with two coats of paint, as well as spraying my chalkboard sign, this way, everything was ready to go!

Glueing of the crayons was quite tricky. I highly recommend that you buy this floral ring, as it has holes punched in sequence around the ring. These holes were my starting points (sorry I don't have a picture).  I glued a crayon over each hole lining up the black ring on the crayon paper to the edge of the ring (you can see this in the picture). You can see in the first picture there is about a 1.5" gap between crayons, in this gap, I fit 2 crayons...does that make sense? This filled up the ring with equal (almost) distances between each crayon. This takes the most time, and if you are anal like me, you want them all the look perfect...once you start going it will make more sense, I hope!

Once the crayons were all on, I put on the bow and the loop for hanging. I cut the measuring tape in half, with one half, I made my bow, fixing it to my liking as I went along. Once it looked how I wanted it too, I hot glued it to what I wanted to be the "top" of my wreath. With the rest of the measuring tape, I made a loop and hot glued it to the "ring". 

The last step is hot glueing on all the adornments. I played around with where I wanted them before I hot glued them on.

Voila, that should be it! I would be more than happy to assist, if any of you, who live close to me need my help! Good luck!!

K

xo

ps....sorry the text doesn't line up...it was either that or I was going to throw my computer out the window!

Sexy Bitch

So, I am on a roll....three posts in three days..don't get used to it :-) I have been wanting to post about this for a while, so since I have a few minutes before I get ready to go to work, I wanted to share.....

A while back I visited a place I never thought I would go. A strange place, an intriguing place, an incredibly busy place! It was the hustle and bustle in the store, that even though it still felt odd being in, made it a bit easier because other girls were doing it too! Abantu, a place for everything HAIR! Wigs, bang clip ins, extensions, etc....a 20% off coupon made the decision a bit easier, as did the EXACT colour match to my actual hair! I chuckled when the girl scanned the Social Drop barcode on my iPhone, as it linked directly to my Facebook account, telling all my friends I had made a purchase at Abantu, and received 20% off! A great marketing scheme! What made me laugh even more, was the fact I paid by cash, and by cash I mean the money I had made at the Kids Only Swapmeet I had worked the weekend before, resulting in baggies of toonies and loonies, sprawled out all over the counter...hey, money is money, and I am a mom, right? I felt like a teenage girl who had done summer chores to buy my first two wheeler bicycle. Who wouldn't sell kids clothes and toys to buy extensions? I am sure glad I did!

I felt a little bit sexy again...after chopping my hair off months before, and really feeling like a "mom" I felt a bit more attractive...to myself anyway (insert your own comments here)...its funny how my inner sex appeal went from 5-500 in a matter of clips (clip in extensions). I imagined myself in a string bikini..IMAGINED being the key word, with my long golden locks, sunbathing in the tropics, fancy drink in hand, nannies watching my kids...ok, well, I know its just fake hair (not actually fake, its really amazing real human hair), but it seriously changes my mood! Too bad I am seriously chicken to wear them....not because I am embarrassed that I bought clip in hair, but because I am afraid the wind will catch it and expose the clips, or one of my kids will pull them out while in public...I was brave and wore them this Easter, in a pony tail, no one said anything to me? Either it looked really bad, and no one wanted to say anything, or???? All I know, is I liked how I looked, and felt about 5 years younger.

I recently visited my hairdresser for my regular hair appointment, while there, I asked her if she would layer and trim my extensions...pulling another "mom" I showed up with Toy Story zip lock bags, with labels on them so I know where to place them while clipping them in...I didn't have any others!

Truth is, we all have our own things that make us feel more beautiful, and mine just happens to be long hair...yes it was my choice to cut it, and it is growing back, quickly, but in the meantime, and I do plan to wear them this weekend to a fancy High Tea party..I will clip in my extensions for a bit more sex appeal (if I don't chicken out).

K

xo

Print-cess

My good friend Jessica Boffo of Kardz Kouture Stationery opened up an Etsy shop about a month ago http://www.etsy.com/shop/kardzkouture My walls have quickly filled up with her sweet and amazing prints! Here is what I have done with her "moon and back" print. I fell in love with this one, as this was something I would write to my husband back in high school! It was only fitting to put one on the wall nestled in and amongst photos of my beautiful children! 

Another one of my favourites is this one...

This one gives me a chuckle every time, as it rings so true, and she knows how I LOVE my prosecco! Check her out http://www.etsy.com/shop/kardzkouture Prints start at only $15.00!

K

xo

Spicy Peanut Tofu with Red Peppers and Spinach

I surprised myself by making a tofu dish at home...I am not really of fan of it. Spicy Agedashi tofu is one thing, covered in yummy goodness and fried, with that delectable sauce, but I have never really been a fan of actual tofu. However, after being to the doctor for potential Gallbladder issues...I thought I should think about eating a few more healthy things (mind you I don't think this is steamed veggie kinda healthy), but it does have red peppers and spinach....I got the recipe from my sister. Its very easy, and very delicious! I would recommend using chicken instead of tofu if you would prefer.

-Spicy Peanut Tofu with Red Peppers and Spinach-

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 tbsp hot chili garlic sauce (Siracha, or however you spell it)

1 package extra firm tofu (or 2 chicken breasts)

1 red pepper

6oz bag of spinach

In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, peanut butter, broth and hot chili garlic sauce, set aside.

Slice tofu into strips (or slice chicken in thin strips), slice pepper into thick strips. Lightly coat frying pan with oil over medium heat. When hot, add tofu (chicken) and peppers. Gently stirfry until tender. Stir in sauce and add spinach. Stirfry until spinach has wilted and the sauce is hot. Serve over rice, enjoy!

A Valentine, for me?

I saw this easy Valentines craft on Pinterest....yes, of course, Pinterest....I thought they would be really cute to hang on the kids bedroom door knobs, to collect Valentines from us, or other friends, family members, this is my rendition.

You will need.....

Paper Plates (I used red and pink from the dollar store)
Ribbon
Hole punch
Stapler
Paper doilies
Stickers (I used sticky foam hearts)
Glitter letters (if you want)
Paper hearts (I used a heart paper punch, and punched some really pretty paper)

Take two paper plates, cut one in half and flip it over. Staple the half piece to the round plate, so that it creates a pocket.

Punch holes all the way around, about half an inch apart.

Thread the ribbon through the holes, leaving enough at the top to make a loop for hanging.

I glued the doily in the centre, I thought it looked extra pretty, no biggie if you don't have or don't want doilies :-)

Now decorate, and hang in an obvious location!

K

am I really saying this....

Today, on the way home from Metro-hell, as my girlfriend would call it...(Metrotown) I listened to my kids yell and scream at each other....one wasn't listening to the others story, the other was singing too loud..I imagined what my shopping trips to the mall used to be like, before kids.....I know that some will say, because I have sometimes said it myself..."why the hell do you bring kids to the mall"...well, sometimes we have to get shit done...and the babysitters don't appear out your handbag when you need to run errands....I was hoping for a short trip, total joke, two hours later, I am home, and writing this blog entry.....

I really tried my best to imagine what it really was like shopping before kids...getting ready without kids, going anywhere without kids....the level of stress that I feel before I even step foot out the door is craziness, its like pulling hair out to get them out the door, and when you think you have one ready, the other has taken her jacket and shoes off, and wants to watch Mickey Mouse...FML...

I am not going to write about how much I love my kids, we ALL love our kids, to death, but today, in that instant, I really wanted to rewind, to a day when it wasn't such a dilemma to go out for dinner, to make impromptu plans with friends, go pee, or other things for that matter in the bathroom, without someone asking you what that was in your underwear...to wash your hands without having to wash someone else's at the same time...just, to pop out, for a minute....without taking 45 minutes to get out the door....

Yes, it was my choice to have kids, and I know you all have thoughts like this too, I just needed to write it out...like Fat Amy says....she is just saying what the skinny bitches will say behind her back! Thank F'ing god, for a cold beer when I got home....

Have a great night folks!

K

xo

LEGO

L- ovely
E- xciting
G- lorious
O- bsessive 

Noah received a slew of LEGO for his Birthday and Christmas...at one point I thought about how the heck he was going to complete and build all of it, and I dreaded him asking me to help him everyday.....until...something happened......I became obsessed.

I will admit that the other night, before he went to bed, I snuck a gift bag outside his door that housed a few LEGO sets....I was guilty...I was going to build his LEGO, without him....

I must say that putting together the vehicles, and men, with all the matching accessories is AMAZING! and totally relaxing...we just finished a police car and a construction truck...there were quite a few times he said "mom, let me help!"....I am already eyeing the ambulance!

Could this be my new relaxation and meditation technique?

K
xo

Sunshine makes me happy!

The sunshine is something magical...it sure puts the pep in my step, makes me want to sing, and dance, and smile!! It makes me happy to be alive! Everything smells better, tastes better and feels better in the sunshine. It makes me want to buy tulips and hyacinth, makes me, who am I kidding, I did, as soon as the first ray of sunshine poked through the clouds! Everything is prettier and more lovely in the sunshine, including myself......I seemed to be in a real funk..the New Year started off with such a fizzle...

Even though my windows look a mess, and the dust that covers my house is on magnification, there is nothing, nothing, like sunshine. Is it possible that it makes me want to do even more things that are on Pinterest? I hear it is sticking around for another week! I have a few jobs I want to get done....including something metallic...

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend in the sunshine, hey, even chasing my daughter around at my sons soccer practice will be better in the sunshine!

I think I like the word sunshine...

K

xo