Back in the Running

Weight Loss Books

2010-06-23T07:38:00.000-05:00

I love them and hate them. I don't buy many of them, that's what the library is for, but I do have a few that I keep on my night stand, to read and re-read when I need some inspiration.

What I've noticed is that I like the books that will teach me how to be a thin person by thinking like a thin person.

I think French Women Don't Get Fat was the first of those books.

What I love about that book? No deprivation! Eat that chocolate, drink that wine, just do it in moderation. And therein lies the problem for me....I obviously don't know how to do that since I am overweight! I want to eat it all, drink it all, right now. But I am trying...the hardest thing for me to have in moderation is the sweets....I'm a sugar addict and I crave them and they want to be eaten by me. But I also know that if I don't have the sweets, I crave them more. I have tried to eliminate them from my life but I want to enjoy life, and that's part of the enjoyment for me, eating lovely, sweet things.

Another book I recently bought and really enjoy is Naturally Thin by Bethenny Frankel

Again...taste everything, eat nothing! Just a few bites of each thing and you can have it all. Once again...stopping at a few bites. It takes practice. I am practicing. I hope it all sinks in one day.

All or nothing?

2010-06-22T07:51:00.004-05:00

That is how I am....I'm either ALL IN with eating right and working out, or I DO NOTHING. I've always been like that, totally on track or I am getting dragged behind the wagon. How do people balance their lives? Eating right 90% of the time but allowing themselves to have that dessert every so often, have a cocktail (or two!) on a Friday after work....and still lose weight, or maintain their weight. I am STILL trying to figure that out.

During this weight loss attempt (and how I hate how that sounds) I'm trying something different. For the first week or so, I made sure I had dessert every night, so I didn't feel deprived. I think that worked! Because now I feel like I can have it if I want it, if I plan for it - and it doesn't take much, a skinny cow ice cream bar can satisfy that craving!

I've always been the same way with exercise...either I do a 2 hour workout, or nothing. That is slowly changing .... now I walk my dog twice a day, and that is something...40 minutes of walking, and its usually pretty brisk until we meet another dog or a person and then of course, we need to stop and say a quick hello ;) I don't really consider it a workout but I'm moving and burning calories and its good for me. Its not all, and its not nothing, its in between. I'm making progress!

Inspiration

2010-06-21T07:32:00.001-05:00

Inspiration comes in all forms. It can be a celebrity you admire, fitting into those skinny jeans, or in my case, a health scare.

After having 3 children, I kept alot of the weight from those pregnancies, like a bad souvenir. I struggled with losing the weight...I had 3 small boys that kept me on my toes so I was exhausted, and sometimes, eating for 4. Moms do that...we eat the kids leftovers, even if we've had our own dinner. Waste is sinful! Well guess what, so is gluttony!

I finally had that light bulb moment in 2001. We'd had 3 deaths in the family...an aunt, her husband, and then my father-in-law. The aunt and father-in-law both had diabetes. The aunt was in denial about her diabetes, and did not eat the way she should have, did not exercise. My father-in-law's diabetes was under control, but even so, complications arose and his kidneys were failing and he had to have dialysis 3 times a week. His battle ended in April of 2001, and little did I know that my battle was about to begin.

The stress of all these deaths (aunt in July 2000, uncle in Feb 2001 and FIL in April 2001) was taking its toll on my husband and I. He was executor of the wills of both aunt and uncle, and there was lots of work to do, so of course, I pitched in, clearing out their condo (which took a month, they saved everything, and hid valuables in strange places so you couldn't just toss what appeared to be a box of junk). My own health began to suffer and by July I was really sick, needing to lay down because of the pain in my abdomen. After about a month of different tests, I was diagnosed with IBS, and soon learned that certain foods, along with stress, were triggering symptoms. I actively began to make positive changes in my diet so I could get back to my normal life with my 7, 5 and 3 year old boys. I was finally able to lose about 15 pounds....still not enough, but a great start.

In the fall of 2002 I went for my yearly physical and was dismayed to have to come back for further testing. You guessed it...my blood sugar levels were on the high side. I did the fasting glucose test, and that also came back as high. My doctor did not want to give me a diagnoses of diabetes just yet...she told me to watch my carbs, eat more veggies and exercise. I had 3 months to change these results. I started running with a running group a few days a week, adopted the Atkins diet, and 3 months later...normal test results :) I also lost about another 35 pounds...I was well on my way to getting back my old body! I joined a gym, got a personal trainer, built some muscle. I was finally getting into the best shaped of my life at 36 years of age!

Fast forward to 2005....I had lost 65 pounds by this time, and my tummy was hanging all over the place. I had abdominoplasty in November of that year, and by March of 2006, I was training for my first ever half marathon. It was at that time I had to stop eating low carb...you need carbs when you are running 26 miles a week, and I also stopped weight training...I needed all my energy for running. In June of 2006 I ran the Manitoba Half Marathon in 2:18:19, and loved every minute of it. I immediately started thinking about other halfs I could run, specifically the Rock and Roll Half in San Diego...exciting times for me, I was an athlete. And then, the next day...my foot was injured, and my running was on hold. And everything went down hill from there.....

I actually did pretty well at maintaining my weight and fitness level for about a year and a half. Then depression set it, I gained some weight, felt better, but didn't lose anything. May of 2009 I was starting to lose again, but a fabulous girls weekend away with food and drinks and I was back to gaining. Between summer of 2009 and now, I had gained 20 pounds :( Too much food, virtually no exercise and just a real lack of desire to do anything about it. I had given up.

May 2010, I was back where I was in October of 2002...same tests. I did my fasting blood sugar and I'm waiting for the results, but I'm not waiting to change. The day I did the test was the day I decided...I have to make a change for life, and its going to be hard, but I am not about to give up 5 or 10 years of my life because I was lazy. Not going to happen. I want to see my kids grow up, get married, have children, have successful careers...I want to see as much of it as I can. That is my inspiration today. Looking great in a pair of jeans is great inspiration, but being alive in those jeans...even better.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-06-20T10:44:00.004-05:00

It is so much easier to eat healthy when you have a plan. FAIL TO PLAN AND PLAN TO FAIL.

Monday - Chicken Fajitas

Tuesday - Pizza and salad

Wednesday - Beef and veggie stir fry

Thursday - Shrimp Scampi Pasta and marinated veggies

Friday - Tacos

Saturday - Chicken kebabs, roasted potatoes, salad

Sunday - Burgers on the grill, salad

The weekend!

2010-06-19T08:05:00.003-05:00

And more time to relax brings more challenges. Like right now, its breakfast, have no clue what I am going to eat. I'm thinking poached eggs sound pretty good, with a slice of whole wheat toast. Protein and carbs, perfect!

Now that I have kind of trained my body to eat less I can focus more on getting better nutrition into my body, and balancing protein and carbs is a pretty simple way to do it. Have you ever read Body For Life? If you haven't, you should. The photos are pretty inspiring too. The nutrition part though, that is key. I believe weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise.

P90X

2010-06-18T07:33:00.001-05:00

I'm sure you've heard of it, seen the infomercials.

I have been hemming and hawing over this program for a while. It looks intense and impressive, and I "like" P90X on Facebook, so I get constant stream of success stories...very motivating!

What's holding me back? A few things I guess. I have so many workout dvds that I am not using...maybe I should be using those first. I have 5 Jillian Michael's dvds that are tough, I need to crack one of those open first. Plus I have the wii fit, although it irritates me with how slow the workout goes with that...

I've decided to wait until I am back from Arizona to make the decision to make the purchase. By that time I should be back to running, and a little more fit, and more confident in my ability to get thru the workouts. Summer is the perfect time for me to take that on too, have a little more time, and maybe my kids might get into it too. But in the meantime, Jillian is collecting dust and calling my name....

Pneumonia!

2010-06-17T08:47:00.002-05:00

That's what I have...walking pneumonia. I'm actually feeling so much better now, but for the past week I have been short of breath, coughing, feverish and clammy. I did manage to eat properly during that time, thank goodness, because I could barely walk to the mailbox without getting winded.

Today is the first day I am really feeling good since June 4....that's a long time to be sick, especially in the summer. I have been itching to workout...funny how we always want to do what we can't ;)

My eating has been really good, I'm making sure I get in 8 servings of fruit and veggies each day, more veggies than fruit, of course :) Yesterday I decided that since its becoming so much easier to eat right that its time tighten my belt on that, and I'm going to start focusing more on eating leaner and cleaner. The calories have been within the range I wanted - up to 1750 per day - but now I want to trim that just a bit and go for more nutrient dense food and less of the junky stuff that I have still been eating, but just counting it in my calories. I've been allowing myself to have a low-cal ice cream bar after dinner every day, and I'm glad I did that, because otherwise, I don't think I would have made it this far. I don't like feeling deprived - hey, does anyone? - and just knowing I had that treat waiting for me made it easier to stick it out in the day.

I'm excited to get back to working out, but I know I have to take it easy. I am waiting until this wheezy chest is completely gone before I begin...but I am taking my Daisy for a walk today, its been 2 weeks! Poor little princess.

I've come a long way baby

2010-06-09T07:30:00.004-05:00

And its going to take me a long time to get back to where I was, but that's where I want to be.

Many moons ago I was in marathon shape. Good thing too, because I was running a marathon. Shortly after that marathon (the next day) I was injured in a grocery shopping incident (2L bottle of coke fell on my foot) causing bruising, swelling, and lots of discomfort. That, my friends, was the day the running died.

The running did have several reincarnations...I've been able to run 5K without much effort up until January of 2010. Right now I can't even run 5 houses.

This is much more than just running...its about becoming me again (oh no, I sound like U-Weight Loss ad now!). Its about making the right choices about the food I eat, and how much I eat (which is a huge problem for me). Its about making the time to do something for me. I was a happier person when I was fit, not just because I looked good, but I felt good, I was nourished, I was active and strong. I am none of those things right now. I am tired, sick, grumpy and shlumpy. But that's all changing.

Summer Fun

2010-03-17T17:58:00.002-05:00

This was last summer, at the Manitoba Stampede. Look at their faces, they are together, having fun. I don't see that nearly often enough, they're usually bickering about xbox or someone being in the shower too long....

My Light in Shining Armour

2010-03-16T10:18:00.003-05:00

has finally arrived.

Remember last August when I was looking for a lamp for my living room? I actually made a decision and ordered the Cast Lamp from EQ3, wayyyy back in September, but I didn't get it until this past Saturday...they are popular and were very back-ordered. But here it is!

I'm not sure if its going to stay in that corner...I'm going to try it out behind the barcelona chair and maybe where the plant is as well. But I love it, it was worth waiting for.

I miss blogging

2010-01-29T12:01:00.000-06:00

So I think I'm going to start doing it again. Please hold your applause until the next blog post.

MPM Week of November 16

2009-11-16T09:46:00.007-06:00

Having my meals all planned really saved me....I was busy busy but I knew what I was doing for dinner, so one less thing to thing about, YAY!

This week is not quite as hectic (until Thursday and Friday) so I am doing some Christmas Baking on Tuesday with a friend...shortbread, butter tarts, fudge and truffles - plus a few other things.

This week's menu...

Monday - Asian Beef and Noodles
Tuesday - Tex Mex Chicken and Rice bake
Wednesday - Sliders
Thursday - Homemade mac and cheese, salad
Friday - Pizza night
Saturday - chicken fajitas
Sunday - Roast beef with yorkshire pudding

Have a great week everyone! And of course, for more menus, click on the happy face at the top to take to you orgjunkie :)

Menu Plan Monday - Its BACK

2009-11-09T14:12:00.005-06:00

And ohhhh boy, do I need to plan!

I'm working almost full time and dinners have gone to pot. Too much take out, not enough veggies, too many chicken fingers! So I'm bringing menu planning back...sing about that one Justin!

Monday - beef and broccoli stir fry, rice
Tuesday - get-yer-oni (I am out for dinner, the husband is in charge)
Wednesday - angel hair pasta with shrimp and snow peas
Thursday - Slow Cooker French Dip (just like OrgJunkie!)
Friday - pizza night
Saturday - meatloaf and cottage potatoes, carrots
Sunday - chicken fajitas

Baking this week....mmmmmmuffins! I found this chocolate chip muffin recipe on Recipezaar and its sooo good....I make it every few weeks in bulk, I'm out, so I'm baking, probably on Wednesday (we are off for Remembrance Day)

Food Networkers Challenge for October

2009-10-24T10:09:00.006-05:00

Its been a crazy month (hell, what month isn't crazy, we are all so busy), but I managed to get 3 of the 4 recipes done. I haven't done the apples yet, but I will, they sound good :)

Sweet lovely Clorie picked the recipes for this challenge, all by Rachel Ray. I'm not really a fan of Rachel Ray, she annoys the heck out of me, but I will cook anything once ;)

First up Open Faced Calzones. They had artichoke and spinach, which I love, but recipe was a little disappointing. I actually bought the wrong cheese, I bought feta instead of ricotta, and I think that probably made it better than it would have been, because ricotta is a little mild and bland on its own. I dipped it in marinara and it was fine.

Next I made the Turkey and Bean Burrito Burgers.
as they are cooking in the pan...

and all dressed up

Honestly, I was afraid to try these!It sounded all wrong to me, lol! I didn't think my kids would eat it...Brendan covered it with ketchup and cheese and ate it,

Alex had a bite and made himself a peanut butter sandwich

Connor had a few bites, Michael actually ate it all (I am really surprised by this!) and I ate it, because it had guacamole on it. I didn't care for the guac though, I don't think you should add sour cream and still call it guac.

I found the burgers a little dry (I am not a turkey fan) and the seasoning was not spicy enough for my liking. I would make this again, but with ground beef and I would use refried beans, no rice, and I would use my own seasoning blend that I use for tacos.

The last recipe I made was the Crispy Mashed Potato Cakes. My kids liked them (except for Connor, he could taste the sour cream, and he does like sour cream) which was great, because now I feel I can make potatoe pancakes for them, and I love those. Michael did not enjoy these, he is a mashed potato purist, and I thought they were *okay*. I wouldn't make again.

The recipe I did not have a chance to make yet, I promise I will make, was the Super Stuffed Baked Apples. I bought the ice cream, we ate the ice cream, and then I ran out of time ;)

If you would like to see Heidi and Clorie's takes on these recipes, please click on their names to check out their blogs! They might even have photos...which I will have by Tuesday October 27....I'm on vaca right now in Arizona :)

Food Networkers Challenge #3

2009-09-26T20:07:00.003-05:00

I can't believe its been two weeks since my last post, life is really getting in the way ;)

So we are back again with the Food Networker's Challenge...this time Heidi picked the recipes. First up, we are getting figgy with it...

Prosciutto Roasted Figs

Very simple ingredients...figs, prosciutto, cheese, and honey

So simple to put together

Its a wrap - all ready to pop into the oven...

Out of the oven, drizzle with honey and pepper...oh my! SO GOOD

I loved the appie, I love figs, cheese and prosciutto, its a no brainer. I would make this again, and again, and again....

The main dish was a Roast Chicken with Herbed Mushrooms

The chicken was draped with bacon before roasting, and a tonne of mushrroms were surrounding it....I didn't even add the amount listed in the recipe, and I had way too many mushrooms.

I forgot to take a pic when it came out the oven...but here it is on the plate.

So...wrapping it in bacon didn't do much flavor-wise. The mushrooms were great, really excellent, but the chicken itself, once you took the bacon off, was just average, nothing special. I like crispy skin on a roast chicken, and the skin was not crispy at all, it was pale and blah. I would omit the bacon next time.

The side dish Heidi chose was Honey Roasted Cipollini Onions.

It sounded amazing! But I had disappointing results.
I put onions and marinade in the saute pan, I'm sure now that I should have discarded the marinade. The onions did not caramelize at all (how could they, swimming in marinade?) so they weren't that tasty. I mean, they tasted good, but not great, not like I'm sure they would have if I didn't muck it all up. I'll try again for sure.

And finally, dessert! Heidi chose a simple chocolate pudding.

My kids loved it. I'm not a pudding person, I had a spoonful. My mum made a delicious chocolate pudding that was rich and creamy, I think I need to dig up that recipe. This one was okay, but not great, it had a bit of a harsh bite to it.

Its Clorie's turn to pick recipes next, so stay tuned for that! In the meantime, check out the blogs of Heidi, Clorie and Steena for their reviews. Happy Eating!

Food Networkers - Challenge #2

2009-09-12T07:44:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite chefs on the Food Network is Giada de Laurentiis. I love Italian food and one thing I really enjoy about Giada is that she showcases what I consider to be the real Italian food, not just pasta.

For this, our second challenge, I chose Roast Beef with Spicy Parsley Tomato Sauce, Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes with Parmesan Crust, Pizza Pockets, and Lemon Thyme Bars.

I made both the roast beef and the zucchini/potato dish for dinner, and most of the produce came fresh from my garden, I was so pleased with that :)

The roast beef was super easy...I love a good roast.

The sauce was spicy, true to its name....sadly, no one in the family enjoyed it except for me.
I cooked the roast so it was medium rare, and it was delish.

The sauce was easy to make, too bad my food processor died!

I ended up using my hand blender to make it, and it worked out fine.

Nice to know that a food processor is not a kitchen necessity.

The zucchini and potatoes were awesome.

I have so much zucchini in my garden that I will be making this often, with or without the potatoes! The parmesan cheese added a lot of flavor and helped to brown the dish really nicely.

The pizza pockets were a huge hit.

I didn't add the arugula because it tends to cause some burning and tickling in my throat, so I used green peppers from the garden. Then I realized...its not arugula I can't have, its radicchio! So next time I will use the arugula. The filling was creamy because of the cream cheese (duh!) and everyone in the family loved them. They have been added to my rotation of favorite recipes.

I personally loved the lemon thyme bars, but my kids did not.

I think they are more of adult taste...I served them to a few friends and they enjoyed them.
I did think the thyme flavor was a bit too much, if I were to make it again, I would half the amount. It was an easy recipe, I loved the glaze.

So there you have my reviews...now check out the blogs of the other *chefs* involved in re-creating recipes from our favorite chefs of the food network...Heidi, Steena, and Clorie!

Today's Harvest

2009-09-06T15:03:00.001-05:00

I had really planned to do more gardening posts this year but somehow the time slipped away, and here we are in September already. The weather is weird, we had no summer to speak of, the temperature barely rose about 70F and for the past week we've been hovering around 90F...crazy! But its good for my garden, I'm not complaining :)

Check out what I picked today.

4 big cukes, 2 luscious red tomatoes, another giant zucchini (I have had so many zucchini this year, all from one measly plant!) a huge bowl of green beans, and a jalapeno. There are more jalapeno in the garden, I just needed one for the nachos I'm making :)

Food Networkers

2009-08-28T19:24:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago 2 friends of mine and decided to do some cooking together...even though we all live all over the place! The original thought was a cookbook, but I couldn't find anything I would actually spend money on :/ I would have loved a Nigella Lawson book but they are always sold out around here, and I really need to look thru a cookbook before investing :)

So, after much deliberation, we decided to cook from the food network. Each of us would take our turn picking the chef and the recipes....this was Steena's turn, and here is what she picked:

Mexican Potato Skin Bites, Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto, Braised Paprika Chicken, and Dessert Pizza, all by Aida Mollenkamp.

The first recipe I attacked was the chicken...any excuse to use my Le Creuset braiser,
I tell ya, I am there!

It was a very easy recipe, and it turned out well. The kids loved it, the husband loved it,
I'll make it again. It uses smoked paprika, which I first fell in love with while reading
Cooking For Mr. Latte.

Next up was the dessert pizza.

It called for a plain focaccia, which I could find absolutely no where. So what's a girl to do, but bake her own? The first recipe I used was a disaster...omg, it was a sloppy gloppy mess that I had to add 2 extra cups of flour too....and then I baked it at the wrong temperature. It was listed in celsius, and I guess with all the stress of all that extra flour, that fact escaped me. I tossed that sucker in the garbage. I made another one after dinner, turned out much better, and did the pizza. Meh. That's all I can say. It asked for cloves, and that ruined the apples, in my opinion. Cinnamon and nutmeg, that's what you put on apples. Plus using a focaccia made for a thick crust...I would not make again. There are too many good dessert pizza recipes out there to waste your time on this one. Next!

The mexican potato skin bites were a big hit. B has already requested I make them for our next party :) The chorizo added a nice kick, and they were quick to assemble.

And finally, the risotto.

First of all, its not made as a risotto should be. I admit, I can be a bit of a food snob, especially when I have had a really excellent version beforehand. Secondly, pumpkin and squash in the risotto did not appeal to me much, but that's a personal preference. Thirdly, the recipe took an additional 20 minutes to cook, so it was not served with dinner, so no one in the family even tried it. I did, I took a bite, and it was meh. It was not as creamy and flavourful as risotto should be. Baking it in the oven is supposed to be short cut I guess, but I felt shortchanged instead. Obviously won't be making this one again.

Its my turn next to pick the recipes, the only thing I will reveal right now is that I have chosen Giada de Laurentiis as the chef.

Check out Heidi and Steena's blogs for their take on these recipes!

Got a light?

2009-08-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

Now that I need a new light for the living room, I have to make a decision.
I know what I want, I just have to decide if I am going to go high-end, or affordable.

Here are my choices:

Arco...retails at Room and Board for about $2700

.....or, Cast from EQ3, retails for $199, and I can buy it locally

I don't know. As much as I love the original, the Arco, I think I'm leaning towards the EQ3 version....I like the price much better! And I don't know if its the angle of the photo, but it seems to come out into the room more...

And just think what I could do with the $2500 I have left over!

COWabunga Dude!

2009-08-15T13:57:00.002-05:00

I'm really digging cow hide as of late. I have a few choices,

Ikea has them ($299CAD)

EQ3 has them ($699-$799CAD)

Room and Board has them ($549USD)

From the pictures, I'm like the EQ3 ones the best, especially the Golden Ash one.

This is obviously not a purchase I could make online, I need to shop in person.

How about you, any favorites? Or other sources?

The old switcheroo

2009-08-15T13:30:00.005-05:00

Do you ever take furniture from one room to use in another? I don't do it often, but I did the other day and I pleased with the results,
even though I now need another table and lamp in my living room....

I had this little table in the corner in the family room

And now I have this ... I have had this table for 19 years already. Its practically an antique ;)
And moved Daisy's bed underneath, she loves it!

It was in the living room since 1997 but I never loved it there...it was too high and too small
(and I still need to press those drape panels!)

I moved the little round table to the living room, beside the barcelona chair

I do have plans for that corner I stole from...its a rainy day today,
I might go shopping, see what I come up with

In the mood

2009-08-11T11:04:00.002-05:00

My family room is a disaster. Always has been. Its not mess I am talking about, its the shape and layout of the room.

It's open to the kitchen, which is great, but across from that big open space is a wall with a fireplace smack in the middle, and the other two walls have doors in the middle...one to the deck, and the other that leads to the foyer and laundry room and powder room. So not alot of workable wall space. Which means, its a disaster to make work.

Excuse the labels on the photo...it was from my spring cleaning files :)

Another thing what made the room a disaster is me buying furniture that was too big for the room. We had this gorgeous sectional but were never able to have it as a sectional in the space. Its since been relocated to a new home, and its very happy there.

We bought a black leather sofa...something I would have wanted back in the 80's or 90's, but with three kids and a dog, fabric gets too dirty. We originally ordered chocolate leather but that got all effed up and we ended up with the black...which is actually going to work much better than the brown would have.

I spent the past few days creating a mood board, as all the cool kids on the homey blogs are calling them these days. I would have called it a story board, that's what we called them in the rag biz back in my day. They are hard work! But I like having something to jump from...I may not find exactly what I have in my board, but I'll know when I see it if it will work.

The only things in my existing room that I am keeping for sure are the new sofa (that's it in the board), my Nelson bench, the tv stand and tv, and the desk. Everything else has already gone, or will be gone. The biggest impact I think will be getting rid of the vertical blinds and replacing them with drapery panels.

Oh, the fireplace! I have been mantle-less since December of 2004. Sad, isn't it? The room we spend the most time in, such a shambles. But not for long. Stay tuned!

Family Album

2009-08-08T22:17:00.003-05:00

I was cleaning out my photobucket album when I came across this gem

They are so young, this must have been in 2000.

I miss my children as children.

Going to the chapel

2009-07-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

and we're gonnnnna take pictures of it

This is my favorite little church in the whole wide world. I pass it several times a year,
and finally took the time to take some photos last weekend.

Its called Union Point United Church. It was originally built in 1887 but was destroyed by fire in 1939 and rebuilt in 1940. There is a small cemetery, the first burial was in 1879, 8 years before the church was built. And that is all the information I can find on it.

The location is somewhat odd, its in the center of a 4 lane highway in the RM of Morris, MB.

It's such a pretty little church...makes me think of November Rain by GNR.

I want to take a picture of it in the rain, I like dreary images ;)

I would have liked to have gotten one with the cemetery more visible, but my kids were complaining in the van, they wanted to go home, but here is a gorgeous pic taken by someone else :)

Jam Session

2009-07-24T09:12:00.002-05:00

I love jams, jellies, anything sweet. I love making my own because I know exactly what is in there. Every summer I pick berries and make my own...usually just strawberry, because its what my kids like, but I have done blackberry and raspberry jam as well.

It is SO EASY to make! Grab some fruit, some certo, sugar and some jars, and you're all set to make jam.

First you need to wash those berries! I quadruple-washed these ones, the ground was wet and muddy, and so were the berries

Then you slice them

Then you need to mash them, in a single layer

Add the certo and a bit of the sugar, and bring to a boil, and then you add the rest of the sugar, and bring to a boil again

Once all the sugar is added, and its brought to a second boil, you stir and stir and stir and stir and skim and stir for 5 minutes. It thickens up

Then you pour into your warm, sterilized jars. I think from washing to pouring into jars took about 35 minutes. Pretty quick if you ask me, and I've got 8 jars of yummy homemade jam for my family to enjoy.

Recipes for all kinds of jams and jellies are on the inside of boxes of Certo, Pectin, the no-name stuff, and each brand seems to have different amounts, so if you are making jam, follow the directions and you're good to go. I've made from recipes I've found online and in cookbooks and have had runny jam, but if you want no-fail jam, follow the box.

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

2009-07-23T10:56:00.002-05:00

How does your garden grow?

Mine is coming along quite nicely, thanks for asking ;)

Here's what I got:

eggplant

beans

green peppers

rhubarb - just planted this year, so can't harvest

teeny tiny cukes

super fantastic tomatoes

roma tomatoes (why did I focus on the dirt on the leaf?)

and zucchini. That bad boy is going to be eaten today

A tasty treat

2009-07-01T04:53:00.000-05:00

2 scoops vanilla ice cream with a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Reminds me of Mexican Fried Ice Cream from Paradiso...yum

Have a drink on me

2009-06-30T15:27:00.006-05:00

oooooh, refreshing

A few months back when Michael and I were on one of our many trips to Phoenix (okay, we went twice), we had dinner at P.F. Changs.

I love the place, its so fresh and tasty, and its loud and busy and alive. Love it.

I don't usually drink when I'm out with Michael...he doesn't drink, and its no fun to drink alone, but I really wanted something that night, and the Asian Pear Mojito sounded fabulous.
And let me tell you, it was. I decided right then and there that the
Asian Pear Mojito would be my new signature drink.

Here's how you make it:

1 tbsp Superfine Sugar
3 Lime Sections
5 mint leaves
1 oz. Sour Apple Pucker
1.5 oz. Bicardi Limon Rum
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
Club Soda
Ice

Muddle (mash) the lime, sugar and mint leaves together. Add the Sour Apple Pucker, Limon Rum, & Pineapple Juice and shake with ice. Pour into a tall glass and top off with the club soda. Makes 1 delicious cocktail.

I need to figure out how to make a pitcher, I was serving these a few weekends ago and I was missing out on all the good conversation because I couldn't hear over the cocktail shaker!

Tackle it Tuesday

2009-06-30T09:06:00.003-05:00

We renovated our master bathroom about 4 years ago...replaced the white melamine cabinets with dark espresso. I loved the cabinets but after just a few months, we had water spots on the tops of the drawers :(

Very disappointing, considering how much money we spent. I contacted Home Depot, where we purchased them, and they directed us to the manufacturer, but they didn't seem to care.

A few days ago I was surfing the blogosphere and came across an interesting post on House Obsession. It looked really similar to my white spots, so I thought I would give it a try.

It was so easy...all you need is a white cotton towel, a dry iron and a minute of your time.

They are back in shape! I'm so thrilled (doesn't take much, does it?) and I don't have to replace my doors and drawers (which I was looking into). I'm still not thrilled with how the doors have cracked around the edges, but a chocolate brown sharpie took care of that, appearance-wise anyways.

Since I had a few more mintues to spare, I did the shelf too

I think I spent a total of 10 minutes fixing up 4 drawer and door tops and a shelf. Those spots frustrated and annoyed me every time I saw them.

I still have an issue with that bathroom that Home Depot did,

but more on that later. One small project at a time.

My summer to-do list

2009-06-29T09:57:00.007-05:00

Today is the first official day of summer. Alex has been off school for 2 weeks already, Brendan since last Monday and Connor had his last day on Friday (although I think there was school today but I didn't send him - Bad Mother of the Year Award please!).

I have lots I want to accomplish around the house this summer. Lots has already been done...the deck, the new retaining wall, the cushions for the bench...but I still have so many little jobs to get done...the kind I don't want to do because they are tedious (read: painting) and the prep time is so long.

I'll probably be adding to my list as I go along but also scratching off what I have done...that always inspires me. And some jobs will only take a few minutes...once I get the supplies (like hooks!). Here's to hoping that come September 1st, there is nothing but strikethroughs on the list!

paint trim in powder room
sand and paint railing to upstairs
paint trim in my bedroom
paint trim in Alex's room
paint trim in Brendan's room
paint trim in Connor's room
paint trim in family room
paint trim in kitchen
paint trim in foyer and side hallway
paint trim in living and dining room
hang lack shelf in Brendan's room done!
clean out and organize basement closet
re-configure shelving in side hallway closet
paint inside of garden shed
hang shelves in garden shed
install indoor-outdoor carpeting in garden shed
hang hooks in garden shed for tools
hang hooks in garage for snow shovels
make small stone patio in front of garden shed
stepping stone walkway from side walk to deck
stepping stone walkway from deck to garden shed
new shelves in linen closet
paint linen closet
help Alex hang all his artwork in his room done!
replace baseboards in master bathroom
fix trim around medicine cabinet in master bathroom

MPM June 29

2009-06-28T10:17:00.012-05:00

Its official, summer has begun. School is out, sleeping in is, um, in, and all I want to cook is easy peasy meals on the barbie!

This one,

not this one

Hits from last week? Definitely the sliders...I was always making individual little burgers, but this cooking in a sheet in the oven was definitely easy and tasty. And the meat sauce for my pasta, Connor said it was the best ever! It was the wine, I swear...

SO onto this week! Trying a new recipe on Monday, and ending the week with my fave chicken again.

Monday - potato chip fish, snow peas and peppers, rice
Tuesday - steak, shrimp, green beans, birthday cake (its my hubby's birthday)
Wednesday - chicken quesadillas, haven't had those in forever
Thursday - rigatoni with meat sauce, salad
Friday - grilled chicken legs, aloo gobi, naan, rice
Saturday - tacos, corn bread, raw veggies
Sunday - going out
For more links to yummy recipes click on the happy guy at the top!

We're all clones

2009-06-25T13:04:00.003-05:00

I have so many projects on the go, I need 7 of me to get them all done.

I need 1 to do the cleaning
Another just for laundry
1 for the yard work
(my weeds are doing beautifully, wish I could say the same for the rest of the garden)
1 to drive the kids around
and maybe another to clean up the dog poop, I'm tired of that
1 to do the projects that are no fun - like painting the trim
and the last one to do my actual job, because I'm not doing any of that lately!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T09:31:00.000-05:00

Tackle it Tuesday

2009-06-23T17:31:00.005-05:00

Ever have annoying little jobs that you know won't take long but you just never get around to doing them? No? I'm the only one? Well, in that case, lucky you, but for me, I had a few things that needed tackling, and what better day to do it than on a Tuesday.

First thing I did was put together the Expedit in Alex's room. I made him help. Took less than hour to build, but took him much longer to get the stuff off his bed and onto the shelves.

There used to be a plain white bookshelf there, and I was so sure I had a photo that I didn't bother taking one today...its so much better now. It sits on a sort of window seat...but the window is so high, no one would ever use it as a seat...so we use it for useful storage.

Next up was to install (and I use that term very loosely) my hair dryer rack on the bathroom cabinet door. I've had the thing since January, but didn't have the proper screws until last week. Took me 2 minutes to do. Voila!

Then, onto Brendan's room.
He had 2 Jarpen shelves from Ikea sitting in the drawer under his bed.

He went from this

to this

they are so solid

Three things crossed of my list of a billion things to do.

A boy and his dog

2009-06-22T12:16:00.002-05:00

or in my case...3 boys and their dog

Connor and Daisy...she is trying to help him clean the bubble gum off his face

Brendan and Daisy...both sitting so nice, they deserve a treat!

Alex and Daisy...and look how utterly cute Daisy is being

lets get a closer look, shall we?
Awwwwwwwww

Menu Plan Monday June 22

2009-06-22T03:50:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to report that last week I stuck to my menu for all but 2 days. It was a crazy busy week and I was so grateful to have dinners planned...what a life saver!

I tried a few new recipes last week, and the big hit (for me) was the Sausage Risotto. I will be making it again, and trying a few variations.

So onto this week...last week of school!

Monday - spaghetti with meat sauce, caprese salad (and actually making LOTS of sauce for the freezer)
Tuesday - Tex Mex chicken and rice bake
Wednesday - red wine marinated steak, baby potatoes, green beans
Thursday - french stick pizza
Friday - sliders, raw veggies
Saturday - grilled chicken legs, potato salad, salad
Sunday - dinner out

So that's my week! If you are looking for more great ideas for dinner, please click the logo at the top and visit orgjunkie :)

Father's Day Dinner

2009-06-21T19:04:00.004-05:00

Yum Yum, I think Michael should plan the menu everyday.
Since it was his day, I let him choose, and he chose well.

Grilled Lobster

Filet Mignon

Green Beans

Sauteed Baby Potatoes with Onions and Thyme

I will post the recipes as soon as I can...
I'm very full and need to go lay on the sofa now.
I need to kick the husband off first though....

Face Painting

2009-06-21T16:32:00.002-05:00

I've had this face vase since the late 80s when grey was the new black.
We had alot of grey accents back then - doesn't go at all with my house the way it is now.

I've gotten into spray painting again though...did a garden pot a few weeks ago (I wanted a white pot, do you have any clue how difficult that was find? Crazyness I tell you!) and while I was cleaning out my old office, I came upon this sad, unloved face and was suddenly inspired to paint it white! So I did.

And now, even though it still looks somewhat somber, I assure you, its happy and loved again, and sitting pretty in the foyer.

Jamaican me crazy with these blog tags!

2009-06-19T14:57:00.002-05:00

Not really ;)

But this photo is Jamaican me crazy, wishing I back there again.
Those are my boys on the beach in Runaway Bay,
December 2007.
Connor is the one crouching down,
Alex in the middle,
Brendan has his back to the camera.

As you may have guessed,
I have been tagged by TeriLynne in a rousing game of blog tag and now I tag

Steena

Heidi

Kris

Chris

Marci

The Rules:

1) Go to your photo files…Select the 6th photo folder

2) Select the 6th photo in that folder

3) Post that photo along with the story behind it.

4) Then challenge 5 blog friends to do the same!

Oooh, a good thing

2009-06-18T09:53:00.002-05:00

I love this idea.

I have some really cute jars that I have kept
because I liked the shape (mostly from olives!)
and wanted to do something cool with them
but didn't know what until I checked out Martha.

Instructions are here.

Its Anti-Procrastination Day

2009-06-17T14:23:00.006-05:00

in the Flylady world, and today, I did not procrastinate.

I actually crossed a few things off my long list of things to do...
emptied the 2 dressers that were in my former office
and delivered them to their new home

Posted my old desk on craigslist
(and it SOLD less than 12 hours later!!)

as well as 2 of these white bookcases that were remnants of the playroom

Out with the old, and in with the...well nothing actually, I just need to get rid of stuff :)

The Green Green Grass of Home

2009-06-16T09:45:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I was shopping at Home Depot and it seemed like everyone had a few of these in their cart - so naturally, I had to have it too.

I mean, look at the price, $1.99 each? I bought 3.
And check out the clever photo montage to see how easy it was to do...

That was only a week ago!

Look at it today

a closer look

I don't know how long this will last, if I'm supposed to trim it or not, but I can always buy more grass seed (perennial rye!) and do it again. And even if I don't, I love the square containers...those alone were worth the $1.99 :)

All decked out

2009-06-15T14:48:00.004-05:00

Earlier this year we undertook the huge job of tearing down our old deck replacing it with a bigger, better deck. Okay, so we didn't actually do the work, we hired, but we witnessed the whole thing!

And now onto the tour....first of all, the old deck
It was about 12x15 and then that odd upper deck that was never what I wanted but somehow came home to and paid for...there was a language barrier, that's for sure

View from the other side - at least the grass was nice!

And from the east again

And onto to the new! From the east side...we added on about 8 feet I think

And lookie inside under the high portion of the deck - much needed storage!

From the west side now - the grass is no more (for now)
(and please ignore the storage boxes -future site of hydrangeas)

Looking down on all my lovely space

My old chairs made new again with the addition of a new cushions
and that round table is a fire pit

My favorite place on the deck right now...my built in sofa!
I made the cushions, the pillows, and I still need to make a few smaller toss cushions -
but I am taking a break from sewing because its HOT outside

And finally, the poolside deck - its always sunny up there and a great place to sit and watch the kids. Oh and please notice my little herb garden in the planter by the stairs :)

My yard is finally a comfortable place to be!
The table and chairs we had before did not fit on the old deck at all,
it was crowded, I hated being out there, I was embarrassed by the ugliness of it all.
I've never liked the above ground pool but I don't mind it now,
its part of the overall design and it flows nicely.

I'm not done though! Connor still wants the play structure in the yard,
but once he is done with that, its the site of a cobblestone or flagstone patio
and built in fire pit :)

Menu Plan Monday, June 15

2009-06-15T07:11:00.009-05:00

We finally had a beautiful summer weekend! The kids were in the pool every day, we grilled all 3 nights and I spent lots and lots time sitting on the deck with food magazines, making notes about new recipes to try. School is out for Alex as of the end of his dreaded French exam today, Brendan is out next Monday and Connor the following Friday....and then its the easy breezy beautiful days of Summer (which makes me realize I missed an entire season of ANTM because of basketball)

Here's the plan for the week!

Monday - Burgers on the grill, coleslaw
Tuesday - Chicken stir fry, fried rice
Wednesday - Homemade mac and cheese, salad
Thursday - Easy Sausage Risotto
Friday - Shrimp and rice and greens
Saturday - Grilled Chicken Legs
Sunday - fathers day - awaiting requests from the Father of the House

If you want more recipes and menu ideas, please visit OrgJunkie!

This show really sucks

2009-06-12T07:14:00.001-05:00

And that's the way I like it!

Season Premiere on HBO Canada June 14! Don't miss a drop ;)

I am a sucker

2009-06-11T08:49:00.003-05:00

for POOL TOYS!

I bought this one earlier this year....I have a small-ish pool, I think this might take up the whole thing! But check out the cooler in the middle, that's what sold it for me

My kids would love this

DAISY needs this! She's part of the family,
she deserves to lounge around in the pool on a hot day too

And this stuff?
Necessities really - our volleyball net bit the biscuit last year,
so its time for a new one...and being a basketball family, the net is a must-have!

Ikea Favorites

2009-06-10T08:54:00.003-05:00

I absolutely *heart* Ikea. I have a smattering of faves from my beloved Swedish Big Box throughout my home, things that are "must haves" for me.

Here they are:

LUDDE sheepskin rug

we have 1 on each side of the bed in the master,
and I think the kids each need one as well

EXPEDIT bookcase

we have 1 in the living room, 1 in the foyer,
1 in my new office space in the basement,
and 1 still in a box that will go in
Alex's room once exams are over
(I don't want to disrupt his space right now while he is studying)

KASSETT boxes,
all in white of course, mostly in my office space but each of the kids have a few in their rooms
I love all the sizes and would be heartbroken if they ever discontinued these!

PJAS baskets

these are a new fave, I chose them over Branas and Knipsa because of that triangle.
I love triangles, they are my fave shape

DOCKSTA table

I wanted one of these for years, and finally got one for our vacation home in Arizona. I was so surprised at how sturdy it was for the price (only $149!) and because we won't be using it everyday, I'll be able to enjoy it for years.

And this last item? Its the BEST! MEATBALL TEE SHIRTS! We bought 4 of them last time, that's right FOUR of them, because the Swedish meatball from Ikea is a subject very near and dear to our hearts as a family...

Our eldest child, Alex, is the pickiest eater alive. It takes alot of convincing to get him to try a new food, even now, at age 15, but I digress...once upon a time when Alex was 9 or 10 we were at Ikea and we were all very hungry, so we had lunch. There was nothing on the menu that Alex would eat, but he ate hamburgers, so the meatballs were a close second, right? He tried to be brave, he took a bite, said "oh these are kind of good" and had a few more bites, and then...and then....he couldn't keep it in, it was all coming back to haunt him, the lies he told, that he liked them when he really didn't...he puked, all over the table, and the floor, and maybe even on one of his younger brothers, quite possibly on both.

So we bought him that shirt, and one for each of his brother, and one for his father, for it was he who had the courage to clean up that un-holy mess that was once a swedish meatball, and they wear those shirts like a badge of honor....okay, they wear them for sleeping, but they were too good to pass up!

So what about you? Anything from Ikea that stands out for you, a must have?
I'd like to hear about it.

Making an Entrance

2009-06-07T17:53:00.004-05:00

Remember how dull my foyer was?
That bench? BLAH!
And then I was inspired by a photo in a magazine....

It was so simple...an expedit bookcase from Ikea, 8 baskets, also from Ikea, a few photos, some bamboo and blooms...and its so much better! I still have a project to do that will go on top, and maybe a few more accessories, but I have to say I am very satisfied with the result.
Each family member has their own basket, even Daisy, one is for my re-usable grocery bags and the other sits empty...for now.

Saturday Morning Flowers

2009-06-06T16:19:00.002-05:00

Lilacs, cut fresh this morning...
and even though they sit in the kitchen,
I can enjoy the fragrance all thru the first floor!

If only it were Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-05T22:41:00.004-05:00

Because I have no words. Frost Warning? June 5. JUNE.

I just spent about 20 minutes covering plants, the ones that I was stupid enough to plant since the last date for frost had past last weekend. What a damn fool I was. I hope they make it thru the night.

It's about blooming time

2009-06-05T06:47:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's June 5, and just now, things are blooming.
Spring is off to a late start this year, winter was long and cruel.

(Clockwise: Shubert Chokecherry, Tulips, Lilacs, Thunderchild Crabapple)

Oh, and Happy Anniversary to me my hubby...16 years today!

A quickie

2009-06-04T16:11:00.002-05:00

I really needed to get some new chairs for the deck this year...but nothing I liked was in my price range. Suddenly all the comfy chairs are $2000 a piece!!! So what's a girl to do when her cushions are all grungy and crunchy...replace them!

I really had no idea that all those replacement cushions would even fit the chairs I had...but I bought one at Canadian Tire, brought it home, and loved it.

Check it out!

Here's the old cushions....I think I've had the set for at least 9 years...a long time

and here's the cool-as-a-cucumber new blue cushion...
I love it! Still has the black, but its fresh looking, don't you think?

Here's my conundrum...the actual chair? well, its also about 9 years old, and I can't decide if I should spray them with a flat black. They are actually a powder-coated finish, and the husband says it will chip and flake right away, but I don't know....anyone have experience with that? I'd love to hear what you think.

The Scents of Summer

2009-06-02T10:38:00.004-05:00

Oh man, I wish you had scratch and sniff capability with computers...the fragrance from my trees right now is heaven scent ;)

Last year I planted some trees in my yard, and my #1 priority, besides being smallish, was blooms in the spring.

Here is the Shubert Chokecherry

and here is the Thunderbird Crabapple.
I think I have 2 of these, maybe the other is a different kind,
they sort of look and smell the same.

Look how blue the sky is! Very different from the blackness of yesterday and the lightening fast thunder and hail storm we had.

Now if I could only spend my day sitting outside...but alas, too cold!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-06-01T09:36:00.005-05:00

I can't believe another week has passed and its Monday again and not to mention its June. Its still cold out there!

I tried a few new recipes last week and 2 were blog-worthy...the Corn Bread was delish and the easy peasy Ramen noodle dish was a hit! And for more links to great recipes click on the icon at the top to take you to Orgjunkie, the host of MPM.

Here's the plan for this week:

Monday - Grilled chicken, veggies, rice
Tuesday - Burgers on the grill
Wednesday - Crispy baked basa
Thursday - PF Chang's Honey Chicken
Friday - Hot dogs/smokies for the kids...Michael and I are going out :)
Saturday - Steaks on the grill
Sunday - Going out I hope

Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sa Ramen

2009-06-01T08:10:00.005-05:00

This was on my menu last week, a recipe I had wanted to try for quite a while, since it seemed so easy and sounded yummy. It was both of those! I omitted the sugar and cinnamon from the original recipe, and I think I would add some Chinese 5 Spice next time, along with water chestnuts. The husband liked it, and 2 out of 3 children surveyed thought it was good too :)

1 lb ground beef, drained
3 (3 ounce) packets beef-flavor ramen noodles or chicken-flavored ramen noodles
5 cups boiling water
1/4-1/2 cup water
1 (16 ounce) can corn, drained
1 (16 ounce) can peas (drained)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Brown and drain the ground beef.
In a medium pan boil 5 cups of water.
Add ramen noodles. Boil for 3 minutes stirring occasionally.
Drain noodles and place them back in the pan.
Add water, corn, peas, soy sauce, red pepper, and 2 of the seasoning packets that come with the ramen noodles. Mix all together.
Cook on low heat while mixing for about 5 minute or until all heated.

Yum-a-rooski Corn Bread

2009-05-28T22:06:00.004-05:00

Back in March when I was in Phoenix for the first time, Michael and I went to Z Tejas for dinner on the recommendation of the front desk clerk at the hotel. We loved the corn bread there, it was like no other corn bread I have tasted...amazing! So of course when I returned home, I immediately searched online for it, and thanks to Recipezaar, we have a winner!

Ingredients

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup creamed corn
1/4 cup frozen corn
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (4 ounce) can mild green chilies (optional)

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Mix wet ingredients together in separate bowl, add dry ingredients.

Lightly grease a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet. Pour in batter. (I used a round cake pan, and preheated it as per directions on recipezaar.

Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes, rotating pan halfway thru.

Makes 8-10 delicious wedges!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-05-25T13:17:00.003-05:00

Oh how I have strayed! Life is so much easier with a plan. I took a quick peek in my pantry and freezer and here's what I have come up with:

Monday - homemade mac and cheese, salad
Tuesday - chicken kiev, veggies, rice
Wednesday - steaks on the grill, corn on the cob, wedge salad with grape tomatoes and pecans
Thursday - chicken fajitas, corn bread
Friday - smokies, coleslaw, zesty oven baked fries
Saturday - pizza and salads - its Brendan's wind up for basketball
Sunday - Rick's Ramen Noodles (haven't tried this yet, hope its good!)

Ahhh, I feel more in control already :) For more links to great menus and recipes, click on the happy guy up top. Wow, I'm looking forward to dinner all week now!

Home away from home

2009-05-25T12:08:00.005-05:00

We recently purchased a home in Arizona - a place for us to escape the bitter, bitter cold in the winter. The past 5 days was spent shopping, assembling Ikea furniture, swearing, and eating. Oh how I ate. There is too much good food!! But never mind that, here's what we have so far....

Our first night was spent on the floor in the living room on mattress that came in a box - and it was really comfy!

We went to Ikea pretty much right after arriving, but didn't have the strength to build the bed that night, but somehow we got the table done. What a mess!

The next day we back to Ikea and got more furniture to build. And when I say "we" I really mean "me" because the husband didn't do much in the way of building any furniture. He puttered around with the plumbing.

But after 3 days, we have 2 bedrooms ready to go

The dining room is ready
(I do have a ledge to install on the wall and I want to change the lighting)

we have a tv (a small one!), but no sofa (it didn't arrive when they said it would!)

Next time we go out we need to finish putting together the Lycksele Sofa and Chair for the tiny bedroom (so small that we couldn't put 2 twin beds in there, but I hope these work out okay)

and I really hope next time we have time for FUN! Nothing like coming back from vacation more tired than when you arrived. I need a vacation from my vacation!

The kitchen has pretty good storage for its size,
but I do want to replace the counter and have an overhang for stools

The fridge is new

and the other appliances work well. We had to replace the garbage disposal, it almost flooded when we turned the dishwasher on.

And that's it! We have the necessities, we are in a fabulous location - walking distance to so many good restaurants, groceries, gyms, Starbucks, there is a fab water park about 5 minutes away and we have a pool in the community as well. I cannot wait to take the kids in July! And to start adding some personality to the place as well :)

I'm sprung from spring cleaning!

2009-05-15T07:36:00.002-05:00

Right now, I am driving to Minneapolis with Brendan. He has a basketball tournament this weekend, so please everyone, say GO WESMEN! Thanks :)

I did the entrance yesterday afternoon. I kind of had to...I was looking for some gate hardware that I bought in the fall and I just knew it was on the top shelf, so I threw everything off in my attempt to find it. Not there.
Well, the job was halfway done, so I jumped in feet first and went to work.

First thing I did was remove all the winter jackets and ski pants and boots. Yes, they were still in there, even though its May 14. I live in Winnipeg, aka Winterpeg. It might snow tonight.

That done, I vacuumed, washed the floor, moved the shelf from the top back to the bottom for the shoes, and placed all the shoes nicely on the shelves.

I even got some of the stains out of the carpet (Ikea! about 10 years ago)

Okay, that bench? BORING!!! It is soon to be replaced by this. Can't wait!

And if you think the shelves look kinda empty, its because they are. Only Connor and myself were home when I snapped the pic, there are now 4 more pairs of shoes on the shelves (I was wearing a pair at the time - the other 3 belong to Michael, Alex and Brendan)

Looks like the party is over. I had fun, I really did. I love cleaning (seriously!) and organizing, and blogging about it ain't too shabby either. But even though the party is over, my cleaning and organizing is not...I still have the home-gym to do, Alex's room and I have to continue with my office. There's a never ending supply of projects to do around the house! I love it.

Oh, and I found the gate hardware, in plain view in the other closet around the corner. I'm thinking I need to do something in there too.....

Spring Cleaning the Master Bedroom

2009-05-14T09:45:00.004-05:00

I was reading this post on Simple Mom this morning, and she said

"Today’s focus is the area on which we tend to focus least. Our master bedrooms should be your haven of the entire home, the one place where you can find solace with your spouse and some grownup time apart from the kids.

So why do master bedrooms become the storage unit for kids toys, the catch-all for clutter when company arrives, and the last place to get clean? I’m pretty sure it’s because as home managers, we take care of everyone else in the family, leaving ourselves last."

That is most definitely not the case for me! My bedroom is always the cleanest room of the house, because I need calm to be able to sleep. I don't know when this happened, because as a kid, my room was a mess - a bigger mess than all 3 of my boys' rooms combined. Oh how I have changed in my old age ;) And I make my bed the instant my husband drags his butt out of it each morning.

I vacuumed under my platform bed yesterday when I was cleaning Brendan and Connor's rooms...that's a fun task. I have to take the mattress off, and then the slats...but its so worth it, because the dust bunnies multiply like bunnies under there! I regret now not taking photos :( Its also where I hide Christmas presents because no one knows that hiding place exists!! Its awesome. Just hard to get to :)

So all I did today was put away the multitudes of bath and body works hand soaps that were on my closet floor, along with the sunscreens. One goes in my suitcase for Phoenix, the others go in the kids bathroom, which is where I store all the *extras*. They are boys, have so much storage space, and so little to store!

Oh and I added a vase of tulips too. I love fresh flowers, and I treat myself almost every week. I usually keep them in the dining room though...I deserve them in my bedroom too!

I told Daisy "NO" to eating the tulips. She looks annoyed, doesn't she?

My closets are generally pretty organized. I do have a shelf full of pants that don't fit but I am well on my way to fitting them again, so they stay. I edit my wardrobe at least 4 times a year.

I wish I could say the same for my husband...see all those shoe boxes at the top in the first pic? He has 12 pair of shoes the same, and he doesn't wear them because they make his feet hurt, but he won't get rid of them :/

I don't really like the set-up of my closet but I make it work. I would love to get a closet company to come in and re-do everything, but there are other things I need to put my money towards first.

The question of the day is "What do you love most about your bedroom?" and my asnwer is MY BED. It's huge, it's comfy, it's gorgeous. I also love the art above my bed...got that at Ikea. And a sculpture that replicates my family...the parents and 3 children - my husband got me that after our third son was born...and of course, the photos of my kids when they were young.

What I don't like about my bedroom is the color!!! Its like a bandaid, its awful, LOL

Spring Cleaning Continues....The kid's rooms

2009-05-13T10:03:00.005-05:00

I am feeling so ambitious and accomplished these past 10 days...I've done so much! Thanks again to SimpleMom who is hosting the Spring Cleaning Party.

I took a break yesterday - well, from cleaning! - and got busy early this morning. Its 10 am and I am DONE with Connor's room! Just in time for me to hit the gym ;)

Before After

I cleared off his desk and got rid of all the broken pencil leads, the dust, some chewed up lego (I think that was the dog) and a host of other things...my boy is a packrat!

I would have loved to get rid of some of those stuffed animals, but they are all precious to him right now...and even dusting under them was a trial because he likes everything *just so*...I had to pick one up, dust, put it back, yada yada yada...

I love it! Its like a breath of fresh air....I washed the walls in a few places, vacuumed the blinds, vacuumed under the bed (sucked up some lego, sorry Connor!) and threw out a waste paper basket full of broken toys, tickets, papers.

There are a few more things I would like to do in this room.

1. He needs a light near his bed for reading. He used to have a lamp, but it broke. I have a light to install on the wall, just need to install it.

2. He has an extensive Pez collection, and I would love to put some ledges on the wall so he could display them all. Right now they are in a basket under his desk. I'm going to Ikea this weekend so I hope to find something there!

This afternoon I am tackling Brendan's room. It shouldn't take long, he has all new furniture in there from about 1 month ago, and the room was cleaned well when it was empty, but its messy (of course it is, he is 13) and its not *done* either, I have shelves I need to buy and install, and his bedding is waiting to be picked up at the parcel place across the border.

*EDITED TO ADD*

I got Brendan's room done as well....I was so wrapped up in cleaning that I didn't go to the gym :/ It's okay, I'll get my workout in this afternoon now :)

Brendan's room was mostly just messy and dusty, but I did have a few little things that had to be done...
I moved his light to above his bed (the bed was against another wall before)

Pulled out from the closet (but didn't hang up) 2 pictures he made himself when he was little

And, the most impressive thing of all, is I finally hung up the 2 magnetic boards that he has been asking me to do for at least a year (bad mom, but I hope I redeem myself in other ways)

I have one more kid and one more room but I am buying him an expedit from Ikea on the weekend, so I am not doing anything in there until I get that sucker built!

Corner office with a window

2009-05-12T18:31:00.002-05:00

That's what I have now! Too bad its in a corner of my basement, but at least there is a small window for some natural light, except for in the winter when the snow covers it....

I took a break from The Spring Cleaning Party today because I had to get my computer back up and running, and I couldn't do that until I built my new expedit shelf and desk. Please people, do not try this at home, alone, like I did. It was hard to do by my lonesome! The desk was easy, but the expedit...yikes! Unless you have 4 hands, then you'll be okay.

So here it is! I've only just begun, I need a cork board, maybe a lack shelf or too, and I have so much stuff to move over from where my office used to be (and soon to be the home gym area of the house).

I can even spy on the children much better thru the empty shelves right now

I can't wait to get this all organized and pretty!

Spring Cleaning the Bathroom

2009-05-11T14:28:00.004-05:00

Its Day 6 of the Spring Cleaning Party, and today was the bathroom. Not a huge room for most of us, but it can be filled with clutter!

I have 3 bathrooms, I concentrated on my master bathroom. Its a very small room, hardly enough room to turn around in, but I am blessed with good storage.

The cabinet above the toilet is for my stuff and my stuff alone. I love it. I have room for everything!

I don't know why there is a tiny bottle of kahlua in there though

WOW I can find stuff!

And in the vanity, I have 2 drawers, deep ones, for my things. They get so messy.

After the clean up

Last year I bought myself a holder for my hair dryer and flat iron....still not put up! I would have done it today but I need shorter screws so I can install in my under sink door.

There is the rack, all ready to be installed!

We were also to do the linen closet but I just did mine and it still looks good. I do need new shelves, my shelves smell funny (I think) but I only have so much time.
Its on my list of things to do! The list is huge ;)

Spring Cleaning Day 5 - Finishing off the kitchen

2009-05-08T12:44:00.002-05:00

Day 5 and still alive! I'm really glad my kitchen is already in good shape because I have precious little time to spend on it today. I am having a garage sale tomorrow, and I need to get busy on organizing that!

I only had 1 cabinet that needed some structure, so I tackled that.
As you can see, it was a bit of a catch-all.

I really hate how everything was just shoved in there!

It didn't take long to do. The top 2 shelves were fine, each just has a big huge bowl on it, but this is where I store my casserole dishes. I found candy, paint, an empty water jug...what a schmozzle!

The question today was "what will you get rid of" and my first thought was "nothing" since I did a major purge last June and got rid of tons of stuff. But then I took a good hard look at my casserole dishes and there were 3 that I never use, so sayonara to those. I looked in a few more cabinets and found some thermos containers, pitchers and popcorn buckets that haven't seen the light of day in year, so buh-bye to you too.

Head on over to simplemom for more pics of kitchens at their best!

Fashion Friday

2009-05-08T06:59:00.001-05:00

I'm looking at some classic pieces this week. Must-haves. I have always wanted a Diane Von Furtstenburg wrap dress, have tried them on a time or two, but never bought.

The Julian is timeless

And the Jeanne is hot!
Something about that collar....oh and I wish I could find those shoes.

Miranda's water broke all over a very similar pair of Carrie's shoes,
but in hot pink...I loved those too

But I digress....

There are a few must-haves that I actually have

I used to love wearing pearls back in the 80s! I had multiple strands...
I still love that look

And my favorite bracelet that I rarely take off

My favorite classic-must-have of all time though?

Gap Jeans

The Party's in the Kitchen - Day 4 Spring Cleaning Party!

2009-05-07T12:55:00.004-05:00

Thanks again to simplemom....I love the progress I am making! Taking photos and blogging makes me want to get it done :)

I was almost going to not participate today, because my kitchen is pretty well organized and clean, I'm a bit fanatical about it since we re-did the whole shebang last year. But then I took a peek at my pantry, and thought, yeah, needs some work, so I took some pics and got started. Only an hour's worth of work, and its amazing!

I have a nice sized pantry - about 60" wide in total, and 5 feet high. There are more cabinets above but that's for liquor and seldom used glassware.

Its best to pull out all the food so you can organize it before it goes back in

I love having the pullouts - you can see everything

This is the top drawer of my pullouts

I put like things with like...all the pasta together, the rices together, baking basics together, spices together - although I have more spice storage near my stove so its just the seldom used items that are left in the pantry

The question of the day:

What do you love about your kitchen? What one thing do you most want to change?

I love everything about my kitchen! I have lots of storage - that is key for me - and its roomy and well-lit now....the only thing I would change (and still might, give me a few years!) would be to replace my island with a massive island that takes the place of my kitchen table. I prefer sitting higher, and people tend to congregate around an island.

Driving Miss Daisy

2009-05-06T21:55:00.005-05:00

To the vet. And back to the vet. And then again, to the vet. And where now? Oh why not, let's go to the vet.

My poor Daisy has had quite the rough time as of late. First of all, she got spayed 2 weeks ago tomorrow. She is healing fine from that, thank goodness. But within hours of taking that damn cone off last week, she was having a field day, chomping on her front paw, and it looked so awful Connor thought she had a Maynards Swedish Berry stuck on her foot.

Turns out it was a Histiocytoma. There's an ugly image on Wikipedia for you to, erm, enjoy.

So back on goes the cone, plus a bandage, and wouldn't you know, she still managed to get that bandage off. She's clever and nimble, my girl Daisy. Now the bandage is off, she is wearing just a sock that I have to tape onto her fur to keep it on, oy vey!

My poor Daisy has suffered enough I think.
And then Michael's friend makes up this lovely image...

OH THE HUMANITY!

Day 3 - The living room, part deux

2009-05-06T16:12:00.003-05:00

I actually woke up early today to start on my declutter for the living room. I had to go to the gym and the chiropractor, so I knew my time was limited today!

Here's the inside of those storage boxes

And I even had time to do the basement living area!

The gray chaise is actually part of the furniture from my family room...all of that will eventually

make its way to the basement once I find something new for there....

Thanks to simplemom.net for hosting this party! It really has motivated me :)

Day 2 - Living Room, Part 1

2009-05-05T21:40:00.003-05:00

I actually have three living areas, so I chose the family room to start with. Its the one we use most often, and its a work in progress right now. I need new furniture, a mantle, I want to hang the tv on the wall, but mostly this room needs personality. I have plans, but it takes time. And money :)

So here is my before - Its not really bad, I have some clutter shoved in the corner and below that blank wall behind the sofa is a picture that needs hanging. It used to be where the tv is, but obviously a picture behind a tv doesn't really work

That strange machine is a chi machine! My husband loves crazy health gadgets. And Daisy's crate, which we rarely use anymore. Moved that to the basement!

Okay, so after, doesn't really look much different, but I hung the picture, and in the corner where the lamp is...there used to be this old, ugly cube that I finally am getting rid of. I moved the little glass table there...much better than being in front of the patio door.

I feel much better with a glass table in the corner, rather that just out there, waiting to be crashed into

SO what did I do in this room besides remove a few things? I actually wiped down all the pictures and the top of the blinds - oh so dusty! - and vacuumed every square inch of the room. Wiped down the walls by the door and light switch, vacuumed the sofas under the cushions, and as I look at this pic, I realized I should have cleaned the fireplace doors too....tomorrow!

Day 1 Spring Cleaning Party

2009-05-04T17:46:00.002-05:00

Let's get the party started!

Today was the clean sweep....quickly going thru your home and decluttering what you don't need, want or love. Luckily, decluttering is a way of life for me, but I still have some major hot-spots where the stuff piles up.

Kitchen before

and after. Lots of magazines and filing on that pile!

Front foyer before and after

I actually cleaned the inside of that bench as well, didn't think to take pics.

Dining room before....I use it as a folding table!

And after, with the towels put away.
Imagine some pretty tulips in that vase, I didn't have time to hit the florist today

My bedroom dresser...laundry to be put away

And after its put away (and dusted too!)

My night stand before (more laundry!)

And after...most of the books are going in the garage sale this weekend

I took some 'before' shots of Brendan and Connor's room, but I don't know that I will get those rooms done tonight. It's already 6pm, and Gossip Girl starts at 7, so, ummm, yeah, I need to clean the kitchen before the show starts, so BYE!

I'll be back tomorrow with the next phase of the party :)

Shoestring Jicama

2009-05-03T21:08:00.002-05:00

I've never had jicama in my life, but decided to try it this week when I saw it at the grocery store today. It looks kind of a like a turnip that married an onion ;) I'm hoping this is a good substitute for fries. I'm eating low carb again and I'm feeling good about it, my weight is dropping, and I have no more itchy skin from my annoying wheat intolerance...losing that side effect is worth never having bread again.

Ingredients:
Vegetable Cooking Spray
2 ts Vegetable Oil
1 cl Garlic Crushed
3/4 lb Jicama -- peeled and julienned
2 tb Chopped Red Bell Pepper
1/8 ts Paprika
1/8 ts Salt
1/8 ts Pepper

Instructions:

Coat a medium skillet with cooking spray; add oil.
Heat oil over medium heat, add garlic, jicama & red pepper.
Sprinkle with seasonings and saute for five minutes; stirring frequently.

Spring Cleaning!

2009-05-02T11:15:00.001-05:00

We all need to do it. Why not make it fun?

Call anything a party and I am so in! Bring on the chips and salsa!

There's even a schedule. I like schedules even more than parties
(and I am seriously not kidding!)

Here’s the Spring Cleaning Party schedule:

Monday, May 4 - a clean sweep
Tuesday, May 5 - the living room, part one
Wednesday, May 6 - the living room, part two
Thursday, May 7 - the kitchen, part one
Friday, May 8 - the kitchen, part two
Monday, May 11 - the bathrooms
Tuesday, May 12 - the kids’ rooms, part one
Wednesday, May 13 - the kids’ rooms, part two
Thursday, May 14 - the master bedroom
Friday, May 15 - the front entry

Shoe Shopping Saturday

2009-05-02T00:18:00.000-05:00

I am always looking for shoes, because you can really have too many (can you?)

I love these ones from Donald J. Pliner

DKNY at Piperlime

J. Crew of course
I would love a pair of these in every color, pink, yellow, green...my kind of everyday shoe

I already have a pair of these - well, not these exactly, mine are from Target, that exclusive French store...but Daisy has taken a liking to them and has learned how to open the closet doors and takes them out to play! So I need new ones.

Fashion Friday

2009-05-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

The new J. Crew catalog came in the mail the other day, and so much to love, as always. I am a true J.Crew-Aholic!

Just a few things I covet - this dress looks so easy to wear

Sadly this toothpick jean doesn't even come in my current size (or is that, thankfully?) but in a few months, they will be mine! I will work out for fashion, its always been my best form of motivation

I adore this necklace...$98! I am picking that up when I am back in Phoenix next month

And this bracelet!!! OMG I will take off my Tiffany bracelet to wear this, its bold and blingy

My fave thing in the world to wear...a tee.

And don't get me started on the shoes! I'll save that for tomorrow....Shoe Shopping Saturday :)

My latest obsession

2009-04-28T16:00:00.002-05:00

The butterfly chair.

This kind...

Not this kind...

That one scares me.

I have a vision of having a few on my deck, in a conversation area, and then I saw this picture, and am coveting this badly, oh so badly...

Of course, my kids would probably set them on fire while toasting marshmallows, but it would be gorgeous while it lasted!

Daring Bakers April - Cheesecake

2009-04-27T17:18:00.005-05:00

Okay, I love cheesecake. I could eat an entire cheesecake by myself (and in all honesty, I ate most of this one!). I have tried probably 10 different cheesecake recipes, and this one, by far, is my favorite!!!

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

I had no troubles with making the cheesecake (s) - because I did the recipe twice, but I had technical difficulties! The first cake I did for Easter, and because I was hosting a myriad of picky eaters, I couldn't go too fancy. I did the cake rather plain, adding amaretto as a flavouring, and then toppings were a choice of chocolate and fresh strawberry.

I have ONE PICTURE because I had no good camera, I took pictures on our old camera for the baking - and my husband then deleted them (grrr!) and then too many people were around when I was serving when I finally had the decent camera. Because of this, I did the challenge a second time, and ALL those photos were deleted by my other half (notice I did not call him my better half). That cheesecake was a delightful pumpkin cheesecake with a sour cream topping. You will have use your imagination for that one.

Now onto the recipe!

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake:

crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil "casserole" shaped pans from the grocery store. They're 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.

Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Please plan accordingly!

What I liked about this cheesecake: It was rich and creamy but not so rich that you could only enjoy a few bites before feeling sick. I was able to eat good size pieces!

I used splenda in my cheesecake because I was feeding a diabetic and also, I am being as sugar-free as a I possibly can. Its helping a lot, I'm down 15 pounds...even with eating 2/3 of that cheesecake! And about 1/2 of the other one!

Living Simple

2009-04-27T13:04:00.003-05:00

Arizona Sunset - Photo 1
Originally uploaded by J. Stephen Conn

As I was rushing around this morning, stripping the beds (5 of them!) to wash and remaking them, picking up some of the clutter in the kids rooms before I could dust, I had a thought: Life would be so much simpler if we had less stuff. I know, stunning revelation! Like no one has ever said this before.

I'm currently shopping to furnish our new vacation home, and I am getting the bare-bones-basics: Places to sleep, eat and relax. Because when I am there, I want to relax, not clean, not declutter. So why don't we live like that every day?

Its not even like I have a lot of clutter....I have been decluttering daily for more than a year, probably closer to two years really. Stuff has been donated, sold, tossed in the trash...and yet, I still have stuff. I think I need all this stuff, in fact, I don't think I have anything in my home that I don't use or love (the exception being all the stuff in bags in boxes in the basement that are being donated or for garage sale). Its still so much though. And its so overwhelming at times.

I want my home to be like I'm on vacation every day...stress free, relaxed, and the drinks that keep on coming ;)

Menu Plan Monday!

2009-04-13T08:02:00.006-05:00

Its Monday again, and I have a plan! We have lots of leftovers from yesterday so I am working those into the menu, muwahahaha!

Monday - Meatballs, mashed potatoes, ham, green beans
Tuesday - Chicken fajitas
Wednesday - Steak Bites ala Pioneer Woman, roasted potatoes, brocolli
Thursday - Grilled Cesar Chicken, rice, some kind of veggie
Friday - pizza for the family, I am going out for Indian food, YUM
Saturday - Shrimp stir fry
Sunday - burgers and dogs on the grill, roasted veggies

And for more menus and recipes, please click on the Happy Grocery Shopper at the top of the post :)

Revamping the Foyer

2009-04-09T15:07:00.002-05:00

Last year I re-vamped the front foyer closet, and that's still pretty as a picture, its working very well for us! So now I want to tackle the foyer itself.

We have a storage bench right now, which does store some stuff inside, but really, its a catch-all for the coats and jackets. I really want a place where I can efficiently store hats, mitts, etc in the winter, and ball caps and whatever else comes with summer. Flip flops! Yes, I need a place to store flip flops, we have lots and lots of flip flops!

I came across this in an older House and Home magazine yesterday, and I am just kicking myself for not thinking of it myself...

Its an 8 cube Expedit from Ikea! *smacks self in head* I LOVE Expedits! I have one in the living room, one in the basement (still in the box!) and this is the perfect solution. Eight cubicles...a clean surface on top to do tablescapes...and it comes in black-brown to go with the rest of the dark wood I have going on. The way the stairs are in this pic is exactly how mine are, its meant to be. Stay tuned. I am not going to Ikea until May, but if the shipping price is right, I might order this NOW. Along with other stuff I am sure ;)

This is what heaven smells like

2009-04-09T10:21:00.003-05:00

Cooking with wine. The absolute best way to make your home smell like heaven!

I got this little recipe booklet in the mail this week...from Minute Rice. I don't usually use minute rice, but there were a few good recipes, so I picked up a box of the whole grain brown rice. And here is the recipe I made this morning (yes, this morning...I have a busy day ahead, and have to bring a dinner to my friend Chris, its a book-club thing).

Country Mushroom Chicken and Rice

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used breasts)
1 tsp each salt and pepper, divided
2 tbsp butter, divided
3 cups coarsely chopped mixed mushrooms (boring me, just used button)
1 cup chopped leeks or cooking onions (I used onion, again, borrrring!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp dried thyme
2 cups Minute Rice Instant Whole Grain Brown Rice
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup dry white wine (I admit, I used a little more!)
1/3 cup 18% cream
1/2 cup frozen peas

Season the chicken with the half the salt and pepper. Heat half the butter in a large skiller over medium high heat; brown chicken on both sides. Push the chicken thighs/breasts to the side of the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms, leeks, garlic, thyme and remaining salt and pepper; saute for 5-7 minutes until golden and fragrant.

Stir in rice, stock and wine; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Remove from heat.

Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Uncover and stir in the remaining butter.

Makes 4-6 servings

Now, if you want to use regular rice, this is what I did: I added 1 cup of rice and 1 cup broth, 1/3 cup wine, and 2/3 cup water. Bring to boil, simmer for 20 minutes. Add cream and peas, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Add butter, yada yada yada...the rest remains the same.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-30T11:47:00.003-05:00

I am back planning my menus! And hooo boy do I need it this week, the kids are on spring break and I need to be organized or we will be eating KD every night ;)

Monday - beef stirfry with bokchoy and brocolli
Tuesday - dinner out for The Smart One's birthday
Wednesday - eggplant parmesan - and spaghetti for the haters
Thursday - chicken fajitas
Friday - pizza night
Saturday is up in the air right now....we might be having a dinner party for Alex's birthday or we might just do cake and coffee and appetizers
Sunday - breakfast for dinner

For more wonderful menus please check out www.orgjunkie.com or just click on the smiley guy up top :)

New Name!

2009-03-29T11:42:00.004-05:00

I had been thinking about changing my blog name for a long time, but really, had no ideas at all. I originally started this blog to document my kitchen reno, hence the name Kitchn Khronicles, but 2 weeks later my reno was done, and I still wanted to blog :)

I needed a blog name that would reflect all my interests - cooking, decorating, my family - but what? My friend Chris was an awesome brainstormer, had a billion and one ideas for me, and while I didn't use one of her suggestions, she got me thinking. This blog was about me living my life...living la vida Lulu (my childhood nickname, which I still adore). The big daisy is in honor of my fur baby girl, Daisy. How cute is she?

Blessed are the Cheesemakers - R2R Challenge #1

2009-02-28T08:26:00.004-06:00

My very first Recipes to Rival challenge...and it was something I had never considered doing before, because I thought it would be too difficult. I was so wrong! Thanks to Lauren of I'll Eat You for this cheesy challenge :)

The recipe:

Fresh Ricotta

you'll need:
1 gallon milk (you can use 1 percent on up, remember that the more fat in the milk, the more cheese it will yeild.)
1 quart buttermilk

-cheesecloth (a good, tightly woven one, not the kind you buy at the supermarket)- If you don't have one of these, you can get by with a slotted spoon, but you may lose some of the cheese.

-a thermometer (mine is for oil and candy)

Place buttermilk and milk in a pot, heat on med-low heat until it reaches 185 degrees.

It will begin to separate into curds and whey.

Be sure to stir occasionally to make sure no curds stick to the bottom and burn. You will see that as the temperature approaches 185, the whey becomes clearer as the curds coagulate more.

Pour the curds into a cheesecloth lined collander.

Tie the ends of the cheesecloth together and hang for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from cheesecloth and place in an airtight container.

Voila! Cheese!

When I was heating my milk I was pretty worried that it wouldn't curdle because the milk was pasteurized, and everything I read stated that pasteurized milk would not curdle. The temperature was well above 185F and still not curdling, so I cheated and added a little bit of vinegar...well that got the curdling going!

It was a really fresh tasting ricotta, and so much easier to do than I ever expected. I was boring and predictable and made a lasagna :)

Daring Bakers February - Chocolate Valentino and Ice Cream

2009-02-28T06:18:00.001-06:00

This was the perfect challenge for February, and I am sure I was not alone in preparing it for dessert on Valentines day.

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

I made them both on the same day I was serving them....I would suggest making the ice cream the day before, it didn't firm up as much as it should have, it didn't affect the taste though ;)

Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.

2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.

3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.

4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).

5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.

6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.

7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.

8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C

9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.

Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.

10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

The cake was rich and fudgy and my 14 year old son devoured the majority of it!

Wendy's Ice Cream Recipe
Vanilla Philadelphia Style Recipe
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
2 cups (473 ml) of half and half (1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of whole, full fat milk)
1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
2/3 (128 grams) cup sugar
Dash of salt
1 (12 grams) tablespoon of vanilla

Mix all ingredients together (we do this in a plastic pitcher and mix with an emulsifier hand blender-whisking works too) (I actually heated it so the sugar would dissolve completely and then let cool for 4 hours)

Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer

Mix in your ice cream maker as directed.

Put into shallow container and let firm up for at least 8 hours.

This was the first ice cream I made without using eggs, and it was really good! Had a nice creamy texture and vanilla flavor came thru really nicely. My kids loved it, I will do this one again, its a keeper!

Teenager's Room by Ikea

2009-02-15T10:32:00.004-06:00

Brendan turned the ominous THIRTEEN 2 weeks ago. It's official, I am the mother of 2 teenagers! I don't know how that is possible since I never age...but somehow, its happened, so I will deal.

His bedroom is a schmozzle, thru no fault of his own. He has a twin bed and the old, but stylish dresser that used to be in my room. It has a big wood top that comes off so the two drawer units are apart with a space for a desk in between. It was working out okay for a while, but now the bottom drawers are not opening and closing easily. He keeps in socks in the bottom drawer, and he keeps it open, and he we have a dog who loves socks...so you can see where this is headed.

I like my kids rooms to be as good looking as the rest of the house, and have a place for everything so there is no mess....and his room was just not working anymore. I looked at EQ3 for some furniture, since they are local, but the beds are all too wide and same with the dressers...he has a small room, only 8'x11', and I really wanted a double bed for him.

So this is what we are ordering for him....Hopen double bed, Hopen 4 drawer dresser, Mikael Desk, Mikael drawer unit on casters, and of course Lack shelves. Lack shelves are the greatest invention known to mankind!

Granted, Ikea furniture is not of the highest quality, but it will last if you don't move it around all the time. We have had Klippen sofas for 10 years and we had our first casualty on NYE when one of Alex's heathen friends sat on the arm and broke it....we don't know which friend because no one has come forward, but I suspect Gabe...the other friends would have confessed, Iam sure of it. Brendan is 13, he may go away to school in 5 years (OMG NO!!! NOT MY BABY!) but even if he decides to go to Uni here, I'm sure the Hopen will still be hoppin' (wow that was really bad, my apologies).

Red Velvet Cake

2009-01-19T18:34:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I was hosting a dinner for Michael's aunt and godmother's 80th birthday. I was really hoping for another cake with Daring Bakers, but alas, it was not meant to be, so I had to come up with something....

It didn't take long for Red Velvet Cake to pop into my head. I always thought it was a Winnipeg thing...I always had it at Eatons for dessert, and Salisbury House has it too, and if those two places don't scream WINNIPEG, then I don't know what does. But then I grew up and found out it had southern roots...let me tell you, it practically devastated me. But being a Winnipeg girl, I put on my big girl pants and dealt with it ;)

I always wanted to try the Magnolia Bakery Red Velvet Cake recipe, so that's what I did. What I didn't do was use the traditional white icing...I used cream cheese, and I think that was a mistake. It was good and all, but something was not quite right...didn't have me oooooing and ahhhhing like it should have...but it sure looked pretty! I confess, when I was looking for recipes one of the first places I went was to Tartlette's blog, and her RVC was so bloody gorgeous that I had to decorate mine just like hers :)

MY CAKE :)

Needs more icing...

Red Velvet Cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting
From MORE FROM MAGNOLIA cookbook, pages 86 & 87

Cake
3 1/3 C cake flour
3/4 C unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ C sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 T red food coloring
3 T unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ tsp vanilla exract
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ C butttermilk
1 ½ tsp cider vinegar
1 ½ tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease and lightly flour three 9 x 2-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a small bowl whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.
In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then ice the top and side of tge cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting
from MORE FROM MAGNOLIA cookbook, page 126

This silky smooth frosting is made by beating together softened butter and sugar with a thick saucelike base. Be sure to follow the recipe directions exactly.

6 T all-purpose flour
2 C milk
2 C unsalted butter, softened
2 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10 - 15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, on medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.
Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer - set a timer!). Use immediately.

The Birthday Girl

Getting back in the saddle

2009-01-11T09:28:00.002-06:00

OR, How I Lost My Saddle Bags ;)

I started running again last week, and I'm clearly not one of those people who can be in-active for months and months and just run a 5K....I ran, I walked, I ran some more....manged to do 2.2 miles in 30 minutes. I thought that was pretty decent, considering I have only run maybe a handful times in 2008.

I'm the monkey in the middle here

I ran the Manitoba Marathon Half Marathon in 2006. My time was 2:18:19 (I think?). And then, I kind of stopped running regularly. My left foot was somewhat injured, whether it was from the marathon or if it was from a 2l bottle of coke falling on it, I'll never be sure. But I lost my focus. I'm goal-oriented I guess....and since I had reached my goal, I just stopped.

To be fair, I didn't completely stop running, I still did it, but not like I once did. And over the past 2.5 years I have gained back a good portion of the weight I worked so hard to lose...not a good feeling.

It became obvious to me that in order for me to get back into the best shape I have ever been in was to train, once again, for the half marathon. Welcome to my journey :)

The Year of Getting Organized

2009-01-04T09:43:00.004-06:00

and staying that way.

I am always getting organized....I declutter, I sort, and yet, I still can't find stuff. Yesterday I was hunting for a ball pump....I have 3 of them, at least, and yet couldn't find one. I realized the reason I couldn't find one is because I don't have a place that I normally keep it.

A few months ago I re-did the front hall closet and I am happy to say that it is still organized. I had to take out a shoe stacker to make room for boots, but it all fits and there is a place for everything...so that tells me right there what I need to do.

There are a few *homes* I know I need to make:

Sewing Supplies
Gift Wrapping Supplies
Tools (this is a huge one, we have a lot of tools)
Painting supplies

I'm going to start with the easiest - the sewing supplies. Right now I have some in a ziploc bag and some more stuff in a drawer in the basement....I'm going to purchase a nice sized sewing basket (like my momma has!) and put it all in there, and keep it on a shelf in my laundry room. And now comes my favorite part of any project....the shopping!

Stay tuned to see what I get :)

Daring Baker Challenge for December

2008-12-28T21:00:00.002-06:00

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.
They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand

This was a really scary challenge! The recipe, as printed out, was 18 pages long. However, that was full of variations, and I think reading thru the recipe took longer than actually creating the gorgeous French Yule Log.

I decided the best way to do it was in sections. First thing I made was the praline feuillete and I used rice krispies, and next time, I would change that and make the gavottes. My feuillete was rather thick.

Next I made the creme brulee. Again, a learning experience. I used two pieces of parchment to line my pan, big mistake, as it gave the creme brulee a place to hide! I had a heck of a time getting it off the parchment once frozen, it wasn't pretty.

I decided against doing the dark chocolate mousse since I don't really like dark chocolate. I did the milk chocolate chantilly instead, but I did add gelatin while whipping to give it some structure. It was delish, I confess to licking the bowl ;)

Made the dacquoise next and it was delicious! I figured I could easily make this a gluten free dessert by just adding more almond meal instead of the flour, so my Celiac sister in law could enjoy it as well. (Oh and of course, using gluten free rice krispies). I think the dacquoise is my favorite layer so far :)

The dark chocolate ganache was disappointing for me, very bitter. White chocolate might be a good substitution for next time.

Assembling this beauty was pretty straight forward. I realized after I didn't cut my crisp layer small enough to be ensconced in mousse (oh, doesn't that sound heavenly?) but no matter...

A mousse layer

The Praline Crisp Layer

The Dacquoise

My yule log was wrapped tightly in both plastic wrap and foil and put in the freezer for 12 days. I made it on the 16th but iced it on the 28th...had a little trip to Mexico in between :) The icing was a bit of an issue for me, I didn't wait long enough for it to cool and it started to melt my mousse....I think it turned out okay though.

I really did not want to cut into this! It was too pretty :) And once again, my MIL's husband thought I bought the cake....best compliment ever for me!

I obviously got brave enough to cut it....again, so pretty!

And finally, the taste test....it was delicious, except the creme brulee layer was frozen even after being in the fridge for 45 minutes....I don't know what I would do to make that better....it was still yummy though. I loved every layer except the ganache, not a dark chocolate fan (as I am sure you have gathered at this point ;)

Final thoughts....would I make this again? Possibly. Was it worth the effort? Yes, it was. It was a showstopper dessert that tasted very nice....I get to bring the leftovers to a friends house tomorrow, can't wait to see their reactions :)

And finally, the recipe....

Element #1 Dacquoise Biscuit (Almond Cake)

Preparation time: 10 mn + 15 mn for baking

Equipment: 2 mixing bowls, hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment, spatula, baking pan such as a 10”x15” jelly-roll pan, parchment paper

Note: You can use the Dacquoise for the bottom of your Yule Log only, or as bottom and top layers, or if using a Yule log mold (half-pipe) to line your entire mold with the biscuit. Take care to spread the Dacquoise accordingly. Try to bake the Dacquoise the same day you assemble the log to keep it as moist as possible.

Ingredients:
2.8 oz (3/4cup + 1Tbsp / 80g) almond meal
1.75 oz (1/2 cup / 50g) confectioner’s sugar
2Tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour
3.5oz (100g / ~100ml) about 3 medium egg whites
1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

1.Finely mix the almond meal and the caster sugar. (If you have a mixer, you can use it by pulsing the ingredients together for no longer than 30 seconds).
2.Sift the flour into the mix.
3.Beat the eggs whites, gradually adding the granulated sugar until stiff.
4.Pour the almond meal mixture into the egg whites and blend delicately with a spatula.
5.Grease a piece of parchment paper and line your baking pan with it.
6.Spread the batter on a piece of parchment paper to an area slightly larger than your desired shape (circle, long strip etc...) and to a height of 1/3 inches (8mm).
7.Bake at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 15 minutes (depends on your oven), until golden.
8.Let cool and cut to the desired shape.

Element #2 Dark Chocolate Mousse (I did milk chocolate mousse)

Milk Chocolate Whipped Cream (Chantilly):
(Can be made the day before and kept in the fridge overnight)
2/3 cup (160g) heavy cream 35% fat
7.8 oz (220g) milk chocolate
2 1/3 tsp (15g) glucose or thick corn syrup
1 1/3 cup (320g) heavy cream 35% fat

1. Chop the chocolate coarsely.
2. Heat the 160g of cream to boiling and pour over the chocolate and glucose syrup.
3. Wait 30 seconds then stir the mix until smooth. Add the remaining cream.
4. Refrigerate to cool, then whip up.

Element #3 Dark Chocolate Ganache Insert

Preparation time: 10mn

Equipment: pan, whisk.
If you have plunging mixer (a vertical hand mixer used to make soups and other liquids), it comes in handy.

Note: Because the ganache hardens as it cools, you should make it right before you intend to use it to facilitate piping it onto the log during assembly. Please be careful when caramelizing the sugar and then adding the cream. It may splatter and boil.

Ingredients:
1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar
4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp/ 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)
5 oz (135g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened

1.Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge).
2.While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil.
3.Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth.
4.Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Element #4 Praline Feuillete (Crisp) Insert

Preparation time: 10 mn (+ optional 15mn if you make lace crepes)

Equipment: Small saucepan, baking sheet (if you make lace crepes).
Double boiler (or one small saucepan in another), wax paper, rolling pin (or use an empty bottle of olive oil).

Note: Feuillete means layered (as in with leaves) so a Praline Feuillete is a Praline version of a delicate crisp. There are non-praline variations below. The crunch in this crisp comes from an ingredient which is called gavottes in French. Gavottes are lace-thin crepes. To our knowledge they are not available outside of France, so you have the option of making your own using the recipe below or you can simply substitute rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K for them.
If you want to make your own praline, please refer back to the Daring Baker Challenge Recipe from July 2008.

To make 2.1oz / 60g of gavottes (lace crepes - recipe by Ferich Mounia):
1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk
2/3 Tbsp (8g) unsalted butter
1/3 cup – 2tsp (35g) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp / 0.5 oz (15g) beaten egg
1 tsp (3.5g) granulated sugar
½ tsp vegetable oil
1.Heat the milk and butter together until butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat.
2.Sift flour into milk-butter mixture while beating, add egg and granulated sugar. Make sure there are no lumps.
3.Grease a baking sheet and spread batter thinly over it.
4.Bake at 430°F (220°C) for a few minutes until the crepe is golden and crispy. Let cool.

Ingredients for the Praline Feuillete:
3.5 oz (100g) milk chocolate
1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) butter
2 Tbsp (1 oz / 30g) praline
2.1oz (60g) lace crepes(gavottes) or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

1.Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
2.Add the praline and the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate.
3.Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Element #5 Vanilla Crème Brulée Insert

Preparation time: 15mn + 1h infusing + 1h baking

Equipment: Small saucepan, mixing bowl, baking mold, wax paper

Note: The vanilla crème brulée can be flavored differently by simply replacing the vanilla with something else e.g. cardamom, lavender, etc...

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (115g) heavy cream (35% fat content)
½ cup (115g) whole milk
4 medium-sized (72g) egg yolks
0.75 oz (2 Tbsp / 25g) granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean

1.Heat the milk, cream, and scraped vanilla bean to just boiling. Remove from the stove and let the vanilla infuse for about 1 hour.
2.Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks (but do not beat until white).
3.Pour the vanilla-infused milk over the sugar/yolk mixture. Mix well.
4.Wipe with a very wet cloth and then cover your baking mold (whatever shape is going to fit on the inside of your Yule log/cake) with parchment paper. Pour the cream into the mold and bake at 210°F (100°C) for about 1 hour or until firm on the edges and slightly wobbly in the center.
Tartelette says:You can bake it without a water bath since it is going to go inside the log (the aesthetics of it won't matter as much since it will be covered with other things)....BUT I would recommend a water bath for the following reasons:
- you will get a much nicer mouth feel when it is done
- you will be able to control its baking point and desired consistency much better
- it bakes for such a long time that I fear it will get overdone without a water bath
Now...since it is baked in a pan and it is sometimes difficult to find another large pan to set it in for a water bath, even a small amount of water in your water bath will help the heat be distributed evenly in the baking process. Even as little as 1 inch will help.
5.Let cool and put in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up and facilitate the final assembly.

Element #6 Dark Chocolate Icing

Preparation time: 25 minutes (10mn if you don’t count softening the gelatin)

Equipment: Small bowl, small saucepan

Note: Because the icing gelifies quickly, you should make it at the last minute.
For other gelatin equivalencies or gelatin to agar-agar equivalencies, look at the notes for the mousse component.

Ingredients:
4g / ½ Tbsp powdered gelatin or 2 sheets gelatin
¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content)
2.1 oz (5 Tbsp / 60g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50g) water
1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1.Soften the gelatin in cold water for 15 minutes.
2.Boil the rest of the ingredients and cook an additional 3 minutes after boiling.
3.Add to the chocolate mixture. Mix well.
4.Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

How To Assemble your French Yule Log

Depending on whether your mold is going to hold the assembly upside down until you unmold it or right side up, this order will be different.
THIS IS FOR UNMOLDING FROM UPSIDE DOWN TO RIGHT SIDE UP.
You will want to tap your mold gently on the countertop after each time you pipe mousse in to get rid of any air bubbles.

1)Line your mold or pan, whatever its shape, with rhodoid (clear hard plastic, I usually use transparencies cut to the desired shape, it’s easier to find than cellulose acetate which is what rhodoid translates to in English) OR plastic film. Rhodoid will give you a smoother shape but you may have a hard time using it depending on the kind of mold you’re using.

You have two choices for Step 2, you can either have Dacquoise on the top and bottom of your log as in version A or you can have Dacquoise simply on the bottom of your log as in version B:

2A) Cut the Dacquoise into a shape fitting your mold and set it in there. If you are using an actual Yule mold which is in the shape of a half-pipe, you want the Dacquoise to cover the entire half-pipe portion of the mold.
3A) Pipe one third of the Mousse component on the Dacquoise.
4A) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.
5A) Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.
6A) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.
7A) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.
8A) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.
9A) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight eidge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.
10A) Close with the last strip of Dacquoise.
Freeze until the next day.

OR

2B) Pipe one third of the Mousse component into the mold.
3B) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.
4B) Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.
5B) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.
6B) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.
7B) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.
8B) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight edge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.
9B) Close with the Dacquoise.
Freeze until the next day.

If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with TWO pieces of Dacquoise the order is:
1) Dacquoise
2) Mousse
3) Creme Brulee Insert
4) Mousse
5) Praline/Crisp Insert
6) Mousse
7) Ganache Insert
8) Dacquoise

If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with ONE piece of Dacquoise on the BOTTOM ONLY the order is:
1) Mousse
2) Creme Brulee Insert
3) Mousse
4) Praline/Crisp Insert
5) Mousse
6) Ganache Insert
7) Dacquoise

If you are doing the assembly RIGHT SIDE UP in a springform pan the order is:
1) Dacquoise
2) Ganache Insert
3) Mousse
4) Praline/Crisp Insert
5) Mousse
6) Creme Brulee Insert
7) Mousse
8 OPTIONAL) Dacquoise

THE NEXT DAY...
Unmold the cake/log/whatever and set on a wire rack over a shallow pan.
Cover the cake with the icing.
Let set. Return to the freezer.
You may decorate your cake however you wish. The decorations can be set in the icing after it sets but before you return the cake to the freezer or you may attach them on top using extra ganache or leftover mousse, etc...
Transfer to the refrigerator no longer than ½ hour before serving as it may start to melt quickly depending on the elements you chose.

HAVE FUN! I did :)

Daring Baker Challenge for November

2008-11-28T11:00:00.001-06:00

The Challenge for this month is not eating the entire cake in one sitting. Oh, um, I mean, the challenge for this month is Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting. The recipe is courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon, and was originally published here. (http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2006/12/24/caramel-cake-the-recipe/)

Thank you to this months hosts - Dolores , Alex, Jenny, and with a gluten-free version, Natalie.

This was somewhat time-consuming...all those steps! And don't get me started on the caramel syrup....I messed up the first time, I didn't know how long it would take, and I am not a patient person. It would have been helpful for the recipe to state the approximate amount of time it would take to caramelize.

Thankfully, that was my only issue. Once that was done and it had cooled somewhat (I love that word today ;), I began on my cake batter, and man oh man! what a delicious batter! It baked up beautifully....the aroma wafting thru my kitchen was divine.

The frosting was yummy too.....I had never made brown butter before...well, not on purpose, anyways, and that smelled amazing too. It really did smell like pancakes, like like noted in the recipe. The frosting was amazing! It was sweet, but I like sweet. And it was fluffy and creamy and my only complaint was there wasn't enough for me to do a layer cake.

I ended up making the cake for a birthday dinner in celebration of my mother-in-law's 70th birthday, and all my guests thought I had bought the cake at a high end Italian bakery, so GO ME! It was delicious....the texture of cake was dense but moist, so a small piece really did satisfy. I added chopped pecans to the top of the cake, and whole pecans at the edges, and drizzled the whole thing with caramel sauce. My son Connor really loved it, so if he asked, I would make it again :)

Now onto the recipe!!

CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)
2 each eggs, at room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.

Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.

Sift flour and baking powder.

Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}

Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.

Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.

Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.

CARAMEL SYRUP

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for "stopping" the caramelization process)
In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber. Laurie's note: this took almost 20 minutes for me!

When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.

Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}

Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.

CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.

Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner's sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month.
To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light

Laurie's note: If you intend to make a layer cake, I would double the frosting. I had extra doing a single layer, but I know I would not have had nearly enough to do a layer cake - which is what I had really wanted to do. Next time ;)

11 things about me

2008-11-01T19:06:00.001-05:00

My friend Kris tagged me in this a few weeks ago (oh I am so bad about reading emails lately!) so here it is :

There is a little meme going 'round... this one is quick and so, since I likey quick and easy, here ya go!

Clothes shop – The Gap, Jacob, Nordstroms
Furniture shop – Design Manitoba, Room and Board
Sweet – ice cream is my biggest weakness, and honey
City – New York, New York
Drink – water, corona
Music – too much to list. NO COUNTRY
TV Series – Lost, Dexter, True Blood, Heroes
Film – Love Actually, Star Wars, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Much Ado About Nothing, The Matrix
Workout – Yoga, and I used to run
Pastries – Lemon Meringue Pie
Coffee – with half and half and Splenda, with a dash or two of cinnamon thrown in before brewing

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie

2008-10-29T21:12:00.001-05:00

that's amore ;)

This months Daring Baker's Challenge was none other than PIZZA! And what perfect timing too....I was really wanting to attempt home made pizza dough. This dough is possibly the nicest pizza dough out there too, much better than the stuff I buy at the Italian food market, and even better than my mum's (thank goodness she doesn't have internet and read blogs!)

THE CHALLENGE: You have to use the tossing method (as explained below) for at least 2 Pizza Crusts. If you are not comfortable with it, then you can switch to the rolling method, but you HAVE to try the traditional method and exercise it, using at least two dough pieces. You should also capture the moment by either filming or photographing yourself while tossing the dough.

THE RULES: This month’s recipe leaves you with much freedom! You can either make the Pizza Dough gluten-free or the normal way. You may use the sauce (anything liquidy, saucy and spreadable like cream cheese, flavored oils, pesto, Nutella, Peanut Butter, pumpkin puree, etc...) and toppings of your choice, may they be savory or sweet, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian or non-vegan/vegetarian. You must use BOTH (sauce & toppings).

JUST USE YOUR IMAGINATION!!!

EQUIPMENT: Stand mixer with paddle and dough hook attachments (optional, see recipe), cooking thermometer, baking sheet, parchment paper, cooking oil, plastic wrap, pizza peel/scraper, pizza stone or pan.

RECIPE SOURCE: “The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread” by Peter Reinhart. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA. Copyright 2001. ISBN-10: 1-58008-268-8, ISBN-13: 978-158008-268-6.

~ BASIC PIZZA DOUGH ~
Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled - FOR GF: 4 ½ cups GF Flour Blend with xanthan gum or 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1 ½ cup arrowroot, potato or tapioca starch + 2 tsp xanthan or guar gum
1 3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Instant yeast - FOR GF use 2 tsp
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 Tb sugar - FOR GF use agave syrup
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE

Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

Or

2. FOR GF: Add the oil, sugar or agave syrup and cold water, then mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

Or

8. FOR GF: On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the number of desired dough balls from the refrigerator. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a gluten free flour. Delicately press the dough into disks about ½ inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil. Lightly cover the dough round with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

Or

10. FOR GF: Press the dough into the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough).

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.
During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping.
In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.
You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

Or

11. FOR GF: Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

Or

12. FOR GF: Place the garnished pizza on the parchment paper onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.

NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.

Or

13. FOR GF: Follow the notes for this step.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

One of the rules was that we had to toss the dough....very intimidating!!! I tried, I didn't get it up too high

I ended up making a basic pepperoni and cheese pizza (I have 3 picky boys)

and then a dessert pizza - just sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, and I made a simple icing to dip into.

Both were amazing! I made a few more pizzas after the initial one, always meaning to take photos, but the pizza gets gobbled up so fast, you will have to be content with what I have :)

If you want more, see the Daring Bakers Blogroll. You'll be glad you did :)

Pumpkin Pecan Tarts

2008-10-13T11:09:00.001-05:00

1 can pumpkin pie filling (I like E.D. Smith)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
36 2" tart shells (I bought frozen ones)

Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp melted butter

Combine pie filling, milk, eggs and spices, mix well. Divide mixture evenly among tart shells. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake for another 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare topping....combine brown sugar, pecans and butter. When tarts are done, divide topping mixture evenly among tarts, and place under broiler for a few minutes, until bubbly.

Add a dollop of whipped cream and pecan half and serve. Expect oohs and aahhhs....

Photo to come!

Menu Plan Monday, Thanksgiving Edition

2008-10-13T10:44:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian Friends! I decided on Thursday that I would host a dinner for my mum and in-laws...but I didn't feel like doing a turkey this year. Too many leftovers, and since I am jetting off to Toronto on Friday, I just didn't want or need all that turkey hanging around. For more recipes and menus, click on that smiley face to take you to orgjunkie, the host of Menu Plan Mondays.

Here's my menu for today:

Chicken Kiev (recipe below)
Crash Hot potatoes
Roasted carrots
Homemade rolls (dough done in breadbaker)
Pumpkin pecan tarts (recipe coming!)
Homemade vanilla ice cream (made with new kitchen aid ice cream bowl attachment)

And for the remaining week:

Tuesday - Italian Sausage with peppers, zuchinni, pasta with fresh tomato sauce,
Wednesday- Butter chicken, gobi aloo, naan
Thursday - Burgers on the grill

CHICKEN KIEV

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
flour, for dredging
Herbed butter (recipe follows)

Garnish

fresh parsley, chopped
butter (seasoned drippings from the chicken pan)

PREPARE CHICKEN: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place one chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a mallet, flatten to an even thickness of about 1/2". Repeat with remaining breasts. (NOTE: If desired, once you pound the breast out flat, you can cut it in half lengthwise to make smaller serving sizes).

Dredge chicken breasts in flour. Lay pieces on counter, (As a referrence: if skin were on the breast, it would be skin side down). Sprinkle a little flour on the side facing up.

Take 1/16 of the butter and roll it in a log shape the width of a breast. Roll the log in the flour generously.

Place the butter log on one end of the breast. Dust with a little more flour. Roll the breast up, securing with a toothpick if needed. Take another 1/16 of the butter and spread over top.

Place in baking dish. Continue with the other7 breasts. (NOTE: At this point, you can cover and place in fridge for as long as the next day and bake when needed). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

To serve: Place on dinner plate, drizzle the drippings over top and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

HERBED BUTTER

2 cups butter, softened to room temperature
8 teaspoons soy sauce
8 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped fine
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon rubbed sage

In a bowl, Beat to combine all ingredients well. Place on plastic wrap and form into a log, place in fridge for firm up.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-05T17:37:00.001-05:00

Can you believe I got complaints about trying new recipes? You would think people would want some variety in their dinners, but not my boys, no sirreeee....they want the same chicken, the same tacos, the same, the same THE SAME!

So this week....nothing new to try. But if you want something new to try, click on the them Menu Plan Monday logo and it will take you to Laura's blog Orgjunkie and provide you will lots and lots of meal plan ideas.

Oh, and its Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend but my athletic middle son is playing in a basketball tournament, so no turkey for us (until Monday, if I feel up to it, and if we get no better offers ;)

Monday - roast chicken (because I didn't do on Sunday)
Tuesday - beef stir fry
Wednesday - chicken fajitas
Thursday - tacos
Friday - probably eating out....Brendan has a tournament and I have no clue on the times of games yet
Saturday - baked chicken breasts, home fries, veggies
Sunday - pizza....homemade!

Front Hall Closet Makeover

2008-10-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

This has been something that has needed to be done forever....there are 5 of us living in this house, and we have no mudroom, so the front hall closet sees alot of action. Its the only closet on the main floor that is used for coats and boots....I have another closet, but its used for the vacuum and all the cleaning stuff, and also needs a makeover, but that's another day's work....

Here is the before. I am so ashamed!

The shoes just got shoved in there, that white wire shoe rack did nothing to help...

The top of the closet was no better....more shoes shoved up there plus ball caps and a few jackets (my husbands!!)

There are hooks at the side that were put there for the kids to hang up their things - this was when they were too short to reach the hangers....but those are Michael's jackets hanging there....the kids hang theirs on hangers now

So I spent about half the day and roughly $75 on the stuff I needed to make it organized. The closet maid stackers were so easy to put together (and I have a few in white elsewhere in the house) but the maple-look goes so nice with the floor.

And here is the finished product....Lovely! The hooks are still at the side (Connor can still hang his jacket there, and I hang my liquor store bag there too ;)

I had no idea I had so many shoes in there....but I wear those ones all the time! Honest! And don't even think about looking in my bedroom closet....there are more shoes there ;)

I hung up the jackets, put the shoes on the shelves, got rid of a few out-grown caps and stacked the rest according to owner....and there is so much room now!

I am so relieved this is finally done! I don't know what took me so long to do it, it seemed so daunting, but October is a great month for getting organized before winter comes. When the snow flies, we will have moved the majority of shoes to the bedroom closets, to make room for boots, and I hope to have baskets or something for the hats, mitts, scarves that we need to get us thru the long, cold winter that surely lies ahead....

Blog Tag! Show us your kitchen

2008-10-01T09:32:00.001-05:00

I got tagged by my friend Kris to show my kitchen....and I am delighted to, since its just now finished! Except the lighting, I am getting new lighting, don't know when, I am not holding my breath its anytime soon....anyways....onto to the tour of my brand new kitchen ;)

This is the view from the family room. On the immediate right is my huge pantry! I love it. No more storing food in the basement.

Here is my little *junk counter*...the area where the pantry is now used to be a huge counter where the junk piled up. Now I have about 9" so it stays clean ;)

The view from the eating area. You can see my dining room and living room thru the doorway.

Here we go behind the island...view to the sink

and view to the fridge (it really needs to be changed to stainless, I know)

I love my new sink and faucet!

And my spice drawer and this handy dandy pullout by the stove are two of my fave things

The view coming in from the dining room

A peek into the pantry

Our backsplash (emperador marble and glass mosaic) was finally sealed on Sunday, and I think it was the perfect tile for the kitchen, I am so in love...

And last but not least...I am finally putting away all the things that have been stashed elsewhere...like my crystal

There you have it! The tour is over. Now go blog your own kitchen, and leave me a comment with a link so I can see it ;)

Menu Plan Monday

2008-09-29T00:00:00.001-05:00

Well, I missed posting last week, but I still did have a plan! I find I need to re-think what I am cooking...there are a few nights a week that I need to be out of the house pronto after dinner, and my family is not very good about cleaning up after dinner....so, I'm thinking, those nights are nights for casseroles, crock pot or the grill. Just load the dishes in the dishwasher, and the leftovers go right in the fridge...

I am trying 3 new recipes this week! Follow the links to find out where I found them ;) And for even more great menu ideas and links to recipe, check out Laura at Orgjunkie :)

Monday - Pasta Carbonara, thanks to the Pioneer Woman.
Tuesday - Harvest Pork and Apple Bake
Wednesday - Ranchero Mexican Crostada ala Picky Palette
Thursday, aka Fright Night - Burgers on the grill
Friday - Shrimp stir fry, rice
Saturday - pizza night - with home made dough made in my new breadmaker
Sunday - The Return of the Roast Chicken

Lavash - Daring Bakers Challenge

2008-09-27T11:00:00.001-05:00

My first challenge with the Daring Bakers! I have to admit...when I saw it was lavash, and that it had yeast...I was a little afraid. Yeast and I don't have a happy history together. But that, dear readers, was about to change....

The recipe is from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, hosted by Musing From the Fishbowl and Gluten a Go Go .

LAVASH
Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt
1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast
1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar
1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature

* Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bre … ong-Enough for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.\

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

7. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

My first batch was a savory one, I added cumin seeds, coriander and kosher salt. I really wanted a dip to go with that had tomatoes and avocados....I like to mix my salsa and guacamole together all the time, I'm greedy that way ;

Avo-Salsa

3 small tomatoes diced
1 green onion, diced
½ avocado, peeled and diced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
½ lime, juice only
2 tsp of dried coriander (fresh would be better, 2 tbsp, if you had it)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the tomato, spring onion, avocado, olive oil, lime juice and coriander into a large bowl.
Toss the ingredients together and then season to taste.
Transfer the salsa to a serving dish and serve with savoury lavash crackers.

My second batch of lavash was sweet...I added a sprinkling of sugar, and way too much cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg...have a bit of a heavy hand there.

I wanted a cracker to go with some kind of fall apple chutney, to use of the multitudes of apples from the neighbors.

Now I was too busy enjoying my savoury lavash with the avo salsa and I forgot to take pictures of this....and I just made all this up as I was going along, using what I had....so I hope its good ;)

Apple, Date and Cranberry Chutney

2 apples, diced
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup thompson raisins
pinches of: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cayene, ginger

Add apples, cider vinegar and sugar to saucepan, bring to boil, and cook down until apples are soft. Add dates, cranberries and raisins...add the spices. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes.

Serve with cinnamon dusted lavash. I had it warm, and it was soooo good.

Next time, I will divide the dough into 3 parts, not just two....I like a really crispy lavash. Mine was crispy and crunchy but some parts were still somewhat bread-y...I like it to be almost transparent, like store bought, but better tasting :)

Zucchini-Potato Frittata

2008-09-22T10:53:00.002-05:00

Zucchini-Potato Frittata
I made this last week, forgot to take photos though, but it really wasn't pretty enough for a picture ;) It tasted great though, and I have some leftovers in my freezer for a fast brekkie!

1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced
Salt
4-5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed
1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes, thinly sliced (I used red, didn't know what *waxy* meant)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 pound smoked Canadian bacon or ham, diced (I had no bacon, so I left it out)
6 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Cheddar

1. Combine the zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt in a colander and toss well. Set aside to drain for 30 minutes.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or ovenproof nonstick skillet. Add the potatoes and onion, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, flipping and stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and continue cooking, tossing occasionally, until the potatoes are are brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon but keep the skillet on the burner.

3. Transfer the zucchini to a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Add the zucchini and Canadian bacon to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat, until the zucchini is just tender, about 4 minutes. Remove the zucchini and Canadian bacon with a slotted spoon. Keep the skillet over the heat.

4. Beat the eggs and pepper to taste in a medium bowl until well blended. Fold in the potatoes, zucchini and Canadian bacon, and cheese.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil to the skillet as needed to lightly coat the bottom. Pour in the egg mixture, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook without stirring until the bottom is set, about 10 minutes.

6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the top is set, 5 to 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes.

7. Place a serving plate on top of the skillet and carefull invert. The frittata should fall out of the pan. Cut into wedges and serve.