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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
win some scrapbook supplies
Just found this giveaway for some great scrapbooking supplies. But hurry, contest ends tomorrow! Just click here to enter.
Monday, January 25, 2010
A Rainbow of Colors
Everything that Avery colors,
or crafts,
has to be done in a multitude of colors (or rainbow) as she calls it
So I could only think of one thing to make for her preschool birthday snack tomorrow that she would absolutely love! Can't wait for her reaction in the morning!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Avery's 5th birthday
Avery turns 5 on Wednesday, so today we celebrated her party with her friends. We took 7 girls to the Walmart build-a-bear and then next door to the McDonalds for lunch.
Avery picked a penguin and named it "Keta"--(she also has a white cat named Keta as well--named after her very favorite white cat she's known since it was just a tiny little kitten rescued off of a farm)
All the girls got to decorate a white T-shirt for their animals. Avery of course colored hers in rainbow colors. She was the last one to finish and I'm sure would have sat there all day coloring it if she could have.
I was very, very, very impressed with the staff at this location. She was excellent with the girls and the whole thing ran so smoothly. She even came next door to the McDonalds to see how the girls were doing. I would definately recommend this for a birthday party to anyone!
Finally cake--in rainbow colors of course--and presents. Then home to open all those difficult boxes and play with each and every gift she got.
To end the day, Kari and Danica came over for supper and brought a just finished rainbow cake over--see her blog here. It looked awesome and tasted soooo good. Then the kids headed back over to Kari's for a sleep-over which left mommy plenty of time to play with her laptop while lounging in bed. Of course I first had to shovel the driveway for the 5th time today----but I'm love, love, loving this snow----hopefully a good sledding day tomorrow!
Avery picked a penguin and named it "Keta"--(she also has a white cat named Keta as well--named after her very favorite white cat she's known since it was just a tiny little kitten rescued off of a farm)
All the girls got to decorate a white T-shirt for their animals. Avery of course colored hers in rainbow colors. She was the last one to finish and I'm sure would have sat there all day coloring it if she could have.
I was very, very, very impressed with the staff at this location. She was excellent with the girls and the whole thing ran so smoothly. She even came next door to the McDonalds to see how the girls were doing. I would definately recommend this for a birthday party to anyone!
Finally cake--in rainbow colors of course--and presents. Then home to open all those difficult boxes and play with each and every gift she got.
To end the day, Kari and Danica came over for supper and brought a just finished rainbow cake over--see her blog here. It looked awesome and tasted soooo good. Then the kids headed back over to Kari's for a sleep-over which left mommy plenty of time to play with her laptop while lounging in bed. Of course I first had to shovel the driveway for the 5th time today----but I'm love, love, loving this snow----hopefully a good sledding day tomorrow!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Resolution #2
So my New Years Resolution #2 is to get back to the gym and back in shape.
I started going to the gym when Avery was just 7 months old--for over 3 years I went at least 4 days a week. I was in the best shape of my life!
But then, I fell off the wagon--don't know why, but I got sooooooooooo lazy. For the last year I'd be lucky to get to the gym once or twice a week, with 2 or 3 or 4 weeks of not going. I'm always tired and I've gained 15 pounds! I've never weighed this much in my life. I don't know if my metabolism is slowing down now that I turned 35, but I have NEVER had to worry about my weight in my entire life!
So, enough is enough! I needed a change, a kick start, so I'm going to boot camp twice a week. (at World Gym--I feel like such a traitor, but Mawson doesn't offer boot camp in the winter, so I had to do it!) This past week was the first week and yesterday I could barely roll over in bed I was so sore and stiff! But I love it--I love that feeling of knowing you've worked your ass off--that hurt is a good feeling. But twice a week isn't enough, so on top of going to boot camp I'm going to continue going to Mawson's at least twice a week. My goal is to go Monday and Friday mornings at 6:30 AM--which I'm hoping to begin after this weekend--and once or twice on the weekend. If anyone cares to join me--I'd love a buddy--I need someone to motivate me again!
New Years Resolution #2 is off to a good start as well--how are you all doing with your resolutions?
I started going to the gym when Avery was just 7 months old--for over 3 years I went at least 4 days a week. I was in the best shape of my life!
But then, I fell off the wagon--don't know why, but I got sooooooooooo lazy. For the last year I'd be lucky to get to the gym once or twice a week, with 2 or 3 or 4 weeks of not going. I'm always tired and I've gained 15 pounds! I've never weighed this much in my life. I don't know if my metabolism is slowing down now that I turned 35, but I have NEVER had to worry about my weight in my entire life!
So, enough is enough! I needed a change, a kick start, so I'm going to boot camp twice a week. (at World Gym--I feel like such a traitor, but Mawson doesn't offer boot camp in the winter, so I had to do it!) This past week was the first week and yesterday I could barely roll over in bed I was so sore and stiff! But I love it--I love that feeling of knowing you've worked your ass off--that hurt is a good feeling. But twice a week isn't enough, so on top of going to boot camp I'm going to continue going to Mawson's at least twice a week. My goal is to go Monday and Friday mornings at 6:30 AM--which I'm hoping to begin after this weekend--and once or twice on the weekend. If anyone cares to join me--I'd love a buddy--I need someone to motivate me again!
New Years Resolution #2 is off to a good start as well--how are you all doing with your resolutions?
Sunday, January 10, 2010
New Years/Decade Resolution #1
I just realized that not only is it a New Year, but it's a New decade--this makes my New's Years Resolutions that much more important.
So far I'm off to a good start:
New Years Resolution #1: To reconnect with friends I haven't seen in awhile and keep connected with my best and new ones.
So Friday night Dale and I hosted our first ever dinner party for my friend Darcie's birthday. We are currently addicted to the food network---we don't get necessarily get our recipes from there, just some good hints, and techniques. Technique and presentation has especially become very important to my husband. The morning was spent at Cava Wines and Cuisine picking out the proper wines to serve and of course adding to the wine glass collection I started him on at Christmas time.
Then, there was no way we could serve the food on our gray/green Denby plates. Food only looks good presented on white square plates, so he spent over an hour searching for the right plates---nothing at Homesense, nothing at Home Outfitters, but finally he found some at Pier One. However, he didn't go away empty handed from Home Outfitters--he was able to pick up a couple of serving platters for the dip and some tiny serving spoons to go with it. I would have just served everything on what we had--but this wasn't good enough for my new gourmet husband!
He set the table--I'm surprised he didn't search the internet for the correct way to set things--but after about a half an hour, he was satisfied with the way it looked. He was a little disappointed that we didn't have a nicer table cloth, or candles or some type of centrepiece, but I'm sure that's soon to come!
With alot of prepping throughout the day, we were finally ready when our guests arrived--there was six of us in total.
Our first dish was our appetizer: Sweet Bacon Chicken Wraps served with a sparkling Rosado wine. Apparently the sparkling wine opens up your tastebuds to get you ready for your meal. Eating a salad before a meal also achieves the same effect. This was the one dish that Dale made all by himself and it ROCKED. The taste was to die for and the chicken was so moist, it just melted in your mouth. This is one appetizer we will use again and again.
Then we moved onto the salad: Arugula, pear and Asiago cheese salad with a citrus vinaigrette. And yes, we made the vinaigrette from scratch--we even freshly squeezed the grapefruits and oranges. All the plating was done by my husband--apparently I really suck at it. Our friends liked this salad, but Dale wouldn't have it again--Arugula is very bitter and it's hard to mask that, so the only thing I would change is to probably use spring mix, rather than solely baby Arugula.
We knew our main dishes would be loved---everything here we had tasted before, so we knew it was good. I mainly did all the cooking on these ones as I was the one who had made it before, so I just knew how to do it.
Mine and Kari's Coconut Shrimp and Pineapple Curry Rice,
Pan-fried Asparagus,
And the best-ever....Stuffed Lobster Tails--this is the BEST LOBSTER I have ever tasted and I will never cook Lobster any other way ever again. I found this recipe a week ago and made it for Dale as I needed something else to go with the left-over coconut shrimp I had brought back from Kari's. He couldn't stop raving about it-- we wanted to have it again soon--thus we knew we had to do it for our dinner party. The recipe is posted below--you have to try it!
Our wine for the main meal was of course white--that's what is best with Lobster. I don't normally drink wine as I'm still trying to acquire a taste for it, but I really, really enjoyed the Bucci.
Finally to complete our meal: A simple classic Chocolate Mousse served in Martini glasses and topped with fresh whip cream, chocolate shavings and a mint sprig. I made this the night before, but accidentally bought semi-sweet chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate--Dale wanted to redo it, but I told him to wait to see what it tasted like--it tasted quite good, so we went with it--a little sweet, so I'd like to make it again with the unsweetened chocolate to see what that's like.
It ended up being a very successful dinner party for us. Can't wait to do it again. I'm actually trying to talk my husband into doing it for me and a bunch of girlfriends, so that I can just sit and visit!
So far I'm off to a good start:
New Years Resolution #1: To reconnect with friends I haven't seen in awhile and keep connected with my best and new ones.
So Friday night Dale and I hosted our first ever dinner party for my friend Darcie's birthday. We are currently addicted to the food network---we don't get necessarily get our recipes from there, just some good hints, and techniques. Technique and presentation has especially become very important to my husband. The morning was spent at Cava Wines and Cuisine picking out the proper wines to serve and of course adding to the wine glass collection I started him on at Christmas time.
Then, there was no way we could serve the food on our gray/green Denby plates. Food only looks good presented on white square plates, so he spent over an hour searching for the right plates---nothing at Homesense, nothing at Home Outfitters, but finally he found some at Pier One. However, he didn't go away empty handed from Home Outfitters--he was able to pick up a couple of serving platters for the dip and some tiny serving spoons to go with it. I would have just served everything on what we had--but this wasn't good enough for my new gourmet husband!
He set the table--I'm surprised he didn't search the internet for the correct way to set things--but after about a half an hour, he was satisfied with the way it looked. He was a little disappointed that we didn't have a nicer table cloth, or candles or some type of centrepiece, but I'm sure that's soon to come!
With alot of prepping throughout the day, we were finally ready when our guests arrived--there was six of us in total.
Our first dish was our appetizer: Sweet Bacon Chicken Wraps served with a sparkling Rosado wine. Apparently the sparkling wine opens up your tastebuds to get you ready for your meal. Eating a salad before a meal also achieves the same effect. This was the one dish that Dale made all by himself and it ROCKED. The taste was to die for and the chicken was so moist, it just melted in your mouth. This is one appetizer we will use again and again.
Then we moved onto the salad: Arugula, pear and Asiago cheese salad with a citrus vinaigrette. And yes, we made the vinaigrette from scratch--we even freshly squeezed the grapefruits and oranges. All the plating was done by my husband--apparently I really suck at it. Our friends liked this salad, but Dale wouldn't have it again--Arugula is very bitter and it's hard to mask that, so the only thing I would change is to probably use spring mix, rather than solely baby Arugula.
We knew our main dishes would be loved---everything here we had tasted before, so we knew it was good. I mainly did all the cooking on these ones as I was the one who had made it before, so I just knew how to do it.
Mine and Kari's Coconut Shrimp and Pineapple Curry Rice,
Pan-fried Asparagus,
And the best-ever....Stuffed Lobster Tails--this is the BEST LOBSTER I have ever tasted and I will never cook Lobster any other way ever again. I found this recipe a week ago and made it for Dale as I needed something else to go with the left-over coconut shrimp I had brought back from Kari's. He couldn't stop raving about it-- we wanted to have it again soon--thus we knew we had to do it for our dinner party. The recipe is posted below--you have to try it!
Our wine for the main meal was of course white--that's what is best with Lobster. I don't normally drink wine as I'm still trying to acquire a taste for it, but I really, really enjoyed the Bucci.
Finally to complete our meal: A simple classic Chocolate Mousse served in Martini glasses and topped with fresh whip cream, chocolate shavings and a mint sprig. I made this the night before, but accidentally bought semi-sweet chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate--Dale wanted to redo it, but I told him to wait to see what it tasted like--it tasted quite good, so we went with it--a little sweet, so I'd like to make it again with the unsweetened chocolate to see what that's like.
It ended up being a very successful dinner party for us. Can't wait to do it again. I'm actually trying to talk my husband into doing it for me and a bunch of girlfriends, so that I can just sit and visit!
STUFFED LOBSTER TAIL --remember you may have to 1/2 or 1/4 the recipe depending on how much lobster you have. □ 12 lobster tails, medium sized □ 1 lb. fresh crabmeat or lobster meat □ 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs (I used Panko crumbs) □ 1/3 c. olive oil plus 2 tbsp. butter □ 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper (or to taste) □ 1/2 tsp. garlic powder □ 2 tbsp. paprika Sauté crabmeat or lobster with olive oil, butter and bread crumbs. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside. Broil (highest setting) lobster tails for about 5 minutes. Once warmed, split each tail in half. Place stuffing in the middle of each lobster tail, top with bread crumbs and sprinkle with paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Broil or bake for about 15 minutes or until the lobster meat is cooked and flaky white and the crumbs are toasted. Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges. |
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Christmas wind-up
With my New Years Resolutions to think about, I need to get my 2009 blogging done before I can do anything else. So without further ado--here is a quick summary of our Christmas Eve and morning.
Pretty much anyone who knows me, knows that all I really wanted for Christmas was a new laptop. With the kids getting older, I just didn't want to have to share the computer anymore. I'm selfish--I wanted my very own, that nobody else touches! However, I was saddened when all I saw under the tree was this great big box--nothing near the shape of a small little laptop.
But wait---there's a big blanket in here and a couple of cushions.....
And what is this---another wrapped present--it's sure shaped like a laptop box---could it be?
Yes it is! My very own laptop--so slim, so shiny, so portable, so MINE! What a wonderful husband I have--deceitful, but very, very wonderful!
Oh, and the kids ended up getting lots of loot too. My favorite were the electrified piggy banks we ordered off of the internet for them. Now I won't be finding coins in every nook and cranny in their rooms--we told them they don't come apart, so they won't be able to play with the money anymore!
Avery also got her Barbie castle and camper from Santa that she wanted so bad! And Santa completed Blake's dinosaur hot wheels set However, his favorite was the Super Mario Brothers WII game that he's been wanting for months now. I have to admit that we're all a little bit addicted to this game now!
Was it that Avery got the barbies, and Blake the hot wheels or was it the other way around?
So cute! Blake was wandering aimlessly around Avery playing with her camper, when I heard him say "we can play with anything we want, right Avery". Then he wandered around some more and then came and sat on the couch without saying anything. I looked at him and said "Blake, if you want to play with Avery's Barbies, you can" He looked at Dale and said "don't laugh, okay" and they proceeded to play with each others toys. I couldn't resist snapping some photos---I'm sure these will make an appearance later on in his life!
Hope everyone had a good XMAS---All the best in 2010!
Pretty much anyone who knows me, knows that all I really wanted for Christmas was a new laptop. With the kids getting older, I just didn't want to have to share the computer anymore. I'm selfish--I wanted my very own, that nobody else touches! However, I was saddened when all I saw under the tree was this great big box--nothing near the shape of a small little laptop.
But wait---there's a big blanket in here and a couple of cushions.....
And what is this---another wrapped present--it's sure shaped like a laptop box---could it be?
Yes it is! My very own laptop--so slim, so shiny, so portable, so MINE! What a wonderful husband I have--deceitful, but very, very wonderful!
Oh, and the kids ended up getting lots of loot too. My favorite were the electrified piggy banks we ordered off of the internet for them. Now I won't be finding coins in every nook and cranny in their rooms--we told them they don't come apart, so they won't be able to play with the money anymore!
Avery also got her Barbie castle and camper from Santa that she wanted so bad! And Santa completed Blake's dinosaur hot wheels set However, his favorite was the Super Mario Brothers WII game that he's been wanting for months now. I have to admit that we're all a little bit addicted to this game now!
Was it that Avery got the barbies, and Blake the hot wheels or was it the other way around?
So cute! Blake was wandering aimlessly around Avery playing with her camper, when I heard him say "we can play with anything we want, right Avery". Then he wandered around some more and then came and sat on the couch without saying anything. I looked at him and said "Blake, if you want to play with Avery's Barbies, you can" He looked at Dale and said "don't laugh, okay" and they proceeded to play with each others toys. I couldn't resist snapping some photos---I'm sure these will make an appearance later on in his life!
Hope everyone had a good XMAS---All the best in 2010!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Well, it's the night before Christmas Eve and I'm falling a little behind on my posts. We were away this past weekend at Dale's mom and dad's to celebrate XMAS with them.
Remember when you had to sit at the Kids table!
Remember when you had to sit at the Kids table!
The kids couldn't wait to open their presents-you try to make them do it one by one, but it never works out that way!
Avery mastered the slinky in no time at all and Logan and Blake took their new sleds out for a spin.
Always lots of bush stuff to do in Meadowlake. Quadding...
Snowmobiling....Dana and EJ bought their kids a child snowmobile, so we had Blake take it for a spin. He loved it, but his mommy and daddy don't think a child should have something so expensive for XMAS. Sorry Blake that we're so cheap!
Once we got home, I was able to finally pull this craft out and get it done. I found this at the "Toys and Games" store at the Midtown and just could not resist it! I haven't done shrinky dinks since I was a kid.
Blake colored a couple of ornaments, but then soon lost interest----that was until it was time to bake them! Then he sat and watched every batch curl up and shrink. It really is quite mesmerizing.
Avery put together the tree almost all by herself and decorated it by herself too.
And of course, our December month wouldn't be complete without making and decorating sugar cookies. I had Dale run to Michaels in the morning and pick up the disposable decorating bags and a decorating bag holder. It sure makes things alot easier and alot less messy!
Oh, I bet Santa can't wait to have these cookies on Christmas Eve! Delicious!
Merry Christmas to all of you!
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