Procrastinating....

I am supposed to be marking reflections tonight, but I'm so not motivated....Instead I thought I would update what's going on in our household these days!

So let's go way back...to Halloween. This is the first year that N really understood what was going on...and he loved every second of it. We had to deal with the "stinky" comments for the next month due to his choice of costumes, but he looked SOOO cute.

November is all a blur...birthdays, work, and just life in general... We did add 2 members to our family...Sandy and Hermy - the hermit crabs. M wants to be a vet when she grows up, and since there are allergies in our home, this seemed like the best alternative. I have to endure many comments about how I have crabs, but so far it's been worth it!

And now December. We're off to a busy start. We celebrate 2 family birthdays in December, and N's was first. He had a soccer themed party (hence the shorts & t-shirt in December)

And I attempted to make a soccer ball out of timbits (at the request of N) but it is next to impossible to stack timbits without gluing them together! I settled on arranging white and chocolate timbits to resemble the pattern of a soccer ball - you'll have to use some imagination!

Now I'm working at Christmas cards...I love doing a photo shoot with the kids. I might not get the best shot, but their personalities definitely shine through!

Next on the list...Christmas baking. If anyone has a great cookie recipe (no nuts, please!) I'd love to try it out :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving weekend has flown by and I haven't really taken the time to reflect on what I am truly thankful for.

M,on the other hand, has spent most of today working on a drawing of what she is thankful for..which includes, Halloween, Easter dinner with the extended family (cats included!), the park, school, Christmas...and the list keeps going as I write this post.

So what am I thankful for...

1) My family. I often underappreciate my husband and kids as I am too busy trying to get life organized. But I am so thankful to have them around to make me laugh, make me think..and even make me crazy sometimes!

2) My friends. I find that it's hard to keep in touch with everyone who has impacted my life, but I am truly thankful that my friends stand by me. It's often said that friends are the family you choose, and I totally agree with that!!

3)My team mates - they have encouraged me in my work endeavours with Norwex and Epicure, and have become good friends too!

4)My health. A few scares over the past years have made me want to work at keeping my health. And all test results have come back negative, so I am very thankful to be healthy!

and 5)Starbucks - I know that this is a bit sad, but a nice warm drink has brought me lots of comfort over the past year!! And lots of great conversation over a nice warm drink!

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Growing pains...

School is now in full swing, but I still feel like we're adjusting to the fall routine. M is having a more difficult time adjusting to school this fall, and we haven't figured out why...she loves her teacher and she loves learning, but she hasn't connected with her classmates yet and often says she plays by herself or she doesn't have any fun.

As the overprotective mother in me surfaces, I wonder if something has happened on the playground or if someone has said something mean in the class. I want to put a bubble around her so I can keep the twinkle in her eye shining brightly or keep her home with me to protect her from the world. I know this is not realistic and that I need to teach her how to be happy by herself, but I find this really difficult! I'm sure I went through these growing pains as a child too...but thank goodness I don't remember them!!

Another summer...

Where does the time go!!! It seems like just yesterday that I was struggling with the decision of what I wanted to do when M went back to school...and now she's back and I have a goal set for my business for the next year!

So what were we up to this summer?

Strawberry picking!!! (N may have sampled a few!)

Lots of fun at local splash pads and the beach

A visit to the Toronto zoo

Hanging out with cousins

Lots of gardening and attempts at preserving foods

T and I headed to NYC for a mini-vacation

And I went to Winnipeg for the 10th Anniversary Conference for Norwex.

A great summer overall!

And now M starts SK...she has grown up soooo much!
My beautiful little girl

First day walk to school

I anticipate great things for this fall season and I look forward to sharing them with you!

Decisions, decisions...

I have been relatively happy as a stay-at home mom...yes, there are days I'm ready to throw in the towel. But mostly I'm glad to be around to watch my kids grow up and participate in day-to-day activities.

I am glad that I added Norwex to the mix of things I'm doing, because it's nice to be out with adults once in a while...and the little extra money I make is good too!

But in the last few weeks, I have been questioning whether I am meant to do Norwex full-time... I have been lucky to have had a steady stream of shows. Enough to keep busy, but not swamped. And then in the last few weeks it seems like all of my shows are getting cancelled. I know the weather is nice, and let's be real....who would want to sit inside listening to a talk on cleaning products when it's so nice outside :) An aside - I try not to make it boring! And there is always great food! While cancellations aren't a bad thing, it means that I don't get new bookings - the life line of home party sales. And I am not a pushy person, so then how do I get more bookings to make this sustainable?

I do enjoy this job and feel passionate about teaching people about how to protect themselves and the environment from all sorts of nasty chemicals. So I know I can find answers to my questions if this is the route I choose...

Then in the last 2 days, I have been 1)offered a job with a company that I do some contract work for and 2) emailed a job posting for a job that I've considered in the past. I know I could do both jobs..but do I want to? Or I am thinking about it b/c I'm the type of person who likes new challenges but will be bored in a year from now...

So now I am trying to decide what to do...I am thankful for the opportunities, but I don't know what's going to be best for me and my family. How to decide....

I tried...

So a while back, I was going to come up with a great source of coupons and make some meal plans for as cheaply as possible. And I wanted to stay organic as much as possible.

Well, I tried. I really did! I checked out several on-line coupon sources and even joined a "coupon train". And while I accumulated lots of coupons, I discovered that I don't really use the products that have coupons attached.

For example, I don't buy any cleaning products anymore, so that removes about 1/3 of the available coupons. I try not to buy prepackaged food, so most of the Kraft and Cash for Kids coupons go unused.

I did find some organic coupons..Stonyfield Organic has a downloadable coupon (but it's only good for one use) and Earthbound Organic sends weekly email coupons and some by mail. Unfortunately, they are both American companies, so I'm a bit torn about that.

But now that summer is approaching, I have a share at my cousin's CSA and am very excited to get fresh, local, organic produce. I also discovered that we have a local organic grain place, Oak Manor Farms. I am also planning on attending a workshop on the 100-mile diet in our area, so I hope to find a good source of organic meat, milk and eggs.

So back to the drawing board...I'll try to post recipes and costs once I get my sources figured out!

In the meantime, if anyone needs some coupons, let me know!

ScrapFest 2009

This weekend was ScrapFest at the Aud in Kitchener. I sometimes hate to admit that I've gone...there are some strange people at these things!

As part of the admission, you are entered into a grand prize draw. And guess what...I won!!! What are the chances! I think there is well over $200 of product in the grand prize...I was so excited when I found out!

But besides winning the grand prize, I really did have a good time. I learned some new tricks to create some beautiful layouts..but ones that don't require tonnes of work. We took home some great "make-n-takes" and maybe a few more kits :)

A great show for anyone interested in paper crafting!

The Beauty in Death

The last few weeks have been very emotional in our family. Two weeks ago, my grandma had a stroke. From that point on, she was unable to take any food or water. My aunts and uncles took turns being by her side...I'm not sure there was a moment when Grandma was by herself. Grandma passed away peacefully on Saturday afternoon surrounded by 8 of her 11 children.

I chose to visit my grandma in the last few days of her life...partly because I felt guilty that I hadn't visited her in over a year (she wasn't able to communicate with us anymore) and partly because I wanted to support my dad. I also wanted to be there to provide some closure. It wasn't easy to see a once vibrant woman lying still on her bed with very little sign of life other than the steady breathing. But there was also something beautiful about being surrounded by people who loved Grandma and seeing Grandma's eyes flicker when someone talked to her. Even though she couldn't speak to us, I know that Grandma heard us. And there was a sense of peace around her. I know how much Grandma loved God, and I know that peace came because she knew she would be with Jesus soon.

Today was the funeral for Grandma..and it was very emotional. Although she lived a long, healthy life, it still hurts to lose such an important role model in my life. I grieve for dad - I can't imagine what life would be like without parents around. I grieve for my children...they won't remember the loving, accepting person who helped shape the person I have become. But I loved seeing Grandma's family expressing their love for her...from her sister, to her nieces and nephews, her sons and daughters and her grandchildren. And I loved how you could feel God in the church through the 4-part harmony singing and through the words being read from Grandma's journal. I was moved by the pastor's comments talking about how appropriate it was that Grandma passed away as the dead of winter is giving way to the early blossoms of spring. Knowing how much Grandma loved nature, the timing seems so appropriate, and I will be reminded of her every spring as I see the first crocus peek through the ground.


So what are my memories of Grandma....

A wise woman who loved me unconditionally. She never judged me or asked me to be someone I'm not. She encouraged me in my faith both in words and just the way she lived her life.

I remember a woman who was passionate about gardening and all things about nature. She took the time to teach me about weeding, and had a lot of grace when I accidentally pulled out the plants instead of the weeds.

I remember the twinkle in her eye and her contagious laughter. And her love for life was displayed in all that she did..from her airy whistle in the morning, to her exclamations that "This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

The fun times we had playing games, her amazing cooking, cross country skiing in the bush, spending the night and waking up to a hearty breakfast accompanied by a daily dose of cod liver oil, and on and on I could go.

I don't think I ever told my grandma how important she was to me, but I hope she knows how much I loved her. I will miss her dearly.

What's Cooking Wednesday #16

I haven't been in much of a cooking mood lately, so I fell back on a traditional comfort food recipe for this week's What's Cooking Wednesday:

Tuna Cheese Chowder

2 medium carrots, shredded (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 can flaked tuna, drained
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a 3 qt saucepan, cook carrots and onions in butter until onion is tender but not brown. Blend in flour. Add milk and chicken broth. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in tuna, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Heat through. Add cheese; heat and stir until cheese is melted.

4 servings (I usually double the recipe as it freezes well)

So it might not look overly appetizing, but it is so good! Serve with a nice crusty bread for dipping!

What's Cooking Wednesday #15

Last week, we were having some beautiful spring weather. It totally got me in the mood for BBQ! So this week's What's Cooking Wednesday is:

Homemade Hamburgers

Ingredients (amounts are approximate)

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup sweet potato puree

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together. Form into 16 miniature patties. Cook on the BBQ!

We didn't have any hamburger buns, so I followed the advice in Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious...take whole wheat bread, and cut out rounds with a glass. Then toast the rounds on the BBQ before serving.

Add your favourite toppings and enjoy!

What's Cooking Wednesday #14

March is a birthday month in our home, so in honour of M's 5th birthday, this week's What's Cooking Wednesday is:

Chocolate Sheet Cake



Ingredients
2 cups flour (can make with 1/2 whole wheat)
2 cups sugar (I used slightly less)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 cup water
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2c buttermilk/sourmilk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Icing:
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 Tbsp buttermilk/sourmilk
2 1/4c icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecan or coconut (optional)

Grease and flour a 13X9X2 pan.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

In a microwaveable dish, combine butter, water and cocoa powder. Melt until just to a boil, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add to dry ingredients.

Beat on low just until combined. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat on low about 1 minute. The batter will be soup-like.

Bake in 350F oven for 30-35 minutes.

When the cake is done, allow to cool slightly while you make the icing.

Combine butter, cocoa powder and sourmilk. Melt in microwave about 30 seconds. Add icing sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in pecans.

Pour hot frosting over warm cake evenly. Cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Budgets and Meal Planning

I've been reading a lot about meal planning and budget meals..and although I'm impressed with people who can make $5 meals for their family of 4, I wonder if that would be realistic for me.

I am trying to eat as organically as possible, so I don't think $5 would be reasonable. And I choose not to buy all store-brand items as often times they are higher in sugar, sodium or contain MSG. So in an attempt to eat healthier, it is more expensive.

My goal over the next month is to figure out a reasonable weekly budget for groceries..then I hope to prepare weekly meal plans with costs associated.

If anyone has a great Canadian source for coupons, I'd love to hear about it!!

What's Cooking Wednesday #13

The weather has been warmer and I was feeling like spring, so when a friend gave me this fantastic salad recipe, I just had to try it!

Fiesta Salad



Ingredients

4 cups cooked brown rice
1 8oz. can of corn, rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 carrot, grated or finely chopped
3 tbsp fresh parsley
4 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
Ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large bowl combine rice, corn, red pepper, onions, cranberries, carrot and parsley.

2. In a separate bowl blend soy sauce, lemon juice and olive oil.

3. Pour olive oil mixture over salad to evenly coat. Add roasted sunflower seeds and black pepper to taste.

This salad is best served the day it is prepared, but is still good as leftovers the next day (the rice just absorbs most of the liquid)

For more great What's Cooking Wednesday ideas, check out the home of WCW!

I've Been Bitten.....

So I finally caved....I had a Chapters gift certificate from Christmas, and I took the plunge and bought Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer.

I had heard all about this vampire series, but wasn't sure it would be my thing. So I started reading it while waiting for a doctor's appointment...not a good idea! I couldn't put it down!! I think I finished it at 12:30 am last night - I may pay for the late night, but now I can focus on something else :) The book is very fast paced, and the way it is written, makes it seem totally normal. I liked that there was romance and suspense...a good balance to keep me reading to the end.

Now I just have to decide...do I get the next book.....

What's Cooking Wednesday #12

Here's a photo to entice you for this week's instalment of What's Cooking Wednesday....Stuffed Chicken and Roasted Potatoes..







I'll upload the recipe soon...super easy and tastes so good!

What's Cooking Wednesday #11

Better late than never :) I've been under the weather this week, and so I had to dig through my photos to come up with something super yummy to share. This week I took my What's Cooking Wednesday recipe from the Kraft magazine...Creamy Crab and Red Pepper Dip






Ingredients:



1 tub cream cheese (I used Philadelphia light)

1 can of crab meat

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced



Mix all of the ingredients together and chill for 1 hour. Serve on baguettes or with crackers.

Super easy and super yummy!!!

What's Cooking Wednesday #10

Another week gone by...where does time fly? So for this week, I did a search on swagbucks.com to find a recipe that incorporated pasta, ricotta cheese and tomato sauce (because these are the ingredients I have on hand!) Based on my search I modified a recipe, and here is what I plan to make for What's cooking Wednesday dinner tonight:

Penne with Tomato Sauce and Ricotta Cheese

1 pound Penne, Mostaccioli or other medium pasta shape, uncooked
1 jar of Eden Organic pasta sauce
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh basil or parsley for garnish

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat pasta sauce to boiling, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes.

When pasta is done, drain well. Return pasta to cooking pot, add the tomato sauce and heat over low heat until sauce is simmering and the pasta is coated with sauce. Remove pot from heat and stir in ricotta and Parmesan cheeses until evenly distributed. Divide among serving plates and top with chopped fresh basil or parsley.

So I ended up baking the pasta..I like the crusty top on pasta and I wanted to see if the cheese would melt some more. It ended up okay...but not my favourite recipe. Next time I think I'll cut back on the ricotta cheese and add some shredded cheese and chicken....

How well do you know me....

I often get emails that ask you to answer a bunch of questions about yourself, and then forward the responses on to all your friends. Well today I decided I would actually answer one...but by posting it here, you can actually choose if you want to read it :)

So here it goes:

1.What is your occupation right now? SAHM, Norwex Sales Consultant, Accounting Services provider

2.What colour are your socks right now? Black with grey stripes

3.What are you listening to right now? An analysis of the Federal budget

4.What was the last thing that you ate? Potato chips!

5.Can you drive a stick shift? no

6.Last person you spoke to on the phone? Dawn

7.Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes

8.How old are you today? 32

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? do I have to watch any....

10.What is your favorite drink? unfortunately, Coke

11.Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes

12. Favorite food? all things pasta

13.What is the last movie you watched? Bourne Supremacy

14.Favorite day of the year? the first warm day after winter

15.How do you vent anger? you'd better ask T :)

16.What was your favorite toy as a child? Cabbage Patch Kids

17.What is your favorite season? Summer

18.Cherries or Blueberries? cherries

19.Living arrangements? family dwelling

20.When was the last time you cried? sometime in the last month, I'm sure!

21.What is on the floor of your closet? shoes, laundry, kids toys....

22.What did you do last night ? slept in the hall until N fell asleep..then did some work

23.What are you most afraid of? death

24.Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Cheese

25.Favorite dog breed? non-barking, non-shedding variety

26.Favorite day of the week? Saturday

27.How many provinces have you lived in? One

28.Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds

29.What is your favorite flower? Daisies

What's Cooking Wednesday #9

So this week I'm cheating...I cooked this meal last week. We were at a birthday party tonight, so I didn't need to cook! But this was a yummy recipe, so I still wanted to participate in What's Cooking Wednesday.

I decided to try my hand at making quiche..so here's my recipe based loosely on other quiche recipes I found.



Ingredients

1 pie shell (I bought mine from the Stone Crock, but feel free to make your own!)
1 cup grated cheese
5 eggs, separated
1/2 cup milk
ground pepper to taste
1/2 small onion, chopped finely
1/2 red pepper, chopped finely
5 mushrooms, chopped finely

Preheat oven to 350F

Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese onto the bottom of the pie shell.

Whip egg whites until frothy. Add yolks, milk and pepper. Mix together until blended.

Pour mixture into pie shell.

In a small frying pan, heat a small amount of olive oil (a spray will work too) Saute onion, pepper and mushrooms, about 2 minutes. Add to the pie shell.

Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top of the pie shell.

Bake for 45 minutes (top should be nicely brown, and a toothpick inserted in centre should come out clean).

Options - add cooked sausage, chopped into small bites; add any other vegetable (ie spinach, broccoli etc)

Enjoy!

Project 365 Week 4 (Jan9-15)

What a busy week we had! It's a busy time of year for T's work, and I've picked up some work on the side...unfortunately we both had deadlines and spent more time apart than together! But the time we did spend together was filled with fun. Here are a few photos from week #4:



The kids were in a cuddly mood, so we all piled into a chair to get our snuggle fix for the day.



I've been putting off cleaning b/c I really don't enjoy the process...but I love how I feel when it is all done. I decided that today's photo would be about this necessary evil in life. It is amazing how much faster it does go when you just clean with water (these are my Norwex cloths..it's all I used to clean that day.)



We had a crazy cold snap this week...-23C without the wind chill! On the first day of the cold snap I bundled up the kids and walked M to school. This is N after that walk...his eyelashes were caked with snow! Since then my neighbour and I have been swapping school walking duty!

M got in on the Project 365 action. She got a Fisher Price digital camera for Christmas, and loves to take photos. This is one of her first shots (the original family photo was deleted by N, who loves the trash button on the camera!)

What's Cooking Wednesday #8

So I've kept up with one of my New Year's Resolutions..to create meal plans each week. I've definitely found we've been eating better! This week's What's Cooking Wednesday's meal was adapted from one of Sandi Richard's recipes....so good!

Stuffed Pasta Shells

100 g frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

1 egg

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese grated

24 large pasta shells

1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 680 mL can Eden Organic pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 375F

On stovetop, cook pasta according to package directions (you just want to soften the shells, not completely cooked)

While the pasta is cooking, drain spinach in a colander. Lightly squeeze out the excess water. Combine spinach, egg and cheeses together in a mixing bowl.

When pasta is ready, drain and rinse in cold water. Return to pot and gently toss with olive oil.

Stuff the spinach mixture into each shell with a small spoon. Place, stuffed side up, in a large lasagna pan. Cover shells with pasta sauce and place in preheated oven. Set timer for 30 minutes. Serve with a fresh salad. Delicious!!

Note: You could also add 1/3 cup feta cheese and one finely chopped shallot to the filling mixture. I left out the cheese b/c there was so much cheese already. And the kids refuse to eat anything onion-like, so I left this out too!

Project 365 week 3

I can't believe how fast time goes! I feel like I just posted Week 2 pictures, and now I'm doing week 3. So here are a few of my favourite photos from the week!

One of my goals for January was to clean up our office/scrapbooking area. So on this day, I tackled my pile of scrapbooking magazines. I pulled out all of the articles, ideas that I hope to use someday, and will give away the magazines for someone else to use! I was amazed at how much space I gained....but now I have to do something with all the loose paper :)



On Thursday, my wonderful mother-in-law agreed to watch N for the day while M was at school. The plan was to pick him up right after school...unfortunately the snow plow decided to show up just before I needed to head out. So while I shovelled, M played out in the snow...she was so happy! This is what winter is all about!




One of our daily routines, is that the kids get to each choose a movie to watch after lunch. N will devour his lunch as quickly as possible just so he can choose his movie. So one day I sat down to watch with him. As I looked over at N, I fell in love with him all over again. He is my little sweetheart!

Project 365 journaling thought

As usual, I had a a list of New Year's resolutions...eat healthy, exercise, get more things done around the house etc. So every day I've made a list of things I'd like to get accomplished. Well, so far, I haven't been successful in completing my to-do lists, and I find that so frustrating which leads to nothing getting done!

So instead I've decided to make lists of what I have accomplished during the day...it's amazing to see what I really do get accomplished! Maybe it's not what I had planned to do during the day, but at least it's something :)

What's Cooking Wednesday #7

In the New Year, I promised myself I would attempt to do more meal planning in hopes of reducing the amount of money we spend on eating out. So this week's What's Cooking Wednesday came from Sandi Richard's "Dinner Survival" book. I made some adjustments, so here's my take on the recipe:

Not-So-Chili Pasta

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tsp chili powder (this makes a mild version, add more if you like spicy)

1 can pasta sauce (I like Eden Organic...very yummy!)

3 cups bow tie pasta

Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Brown beef; drain grease. Add onion to pan and cook until it is translucent. Add chili powder and pasta sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to a simmer.

When pasta is cooked, drain water. Add pasta to beef mixture and stir until it is coated.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Project 365 Week 2

So I've started working on my Project 365 album, but don't have a complete layout. So instead, I'll post some of my week 2 pictures (Dec 26-Jan 1).




After the holidays, reality sets in! I think N and I folded 6 baskets of laundry today! He loves to pass me the clothes and tell me who they belong to. Thankfully I don't have to rely on his accuracy :)

M and N are having a great holiday together. M learned that she's strong enough to pick him up..and he loves going over to her and saying "up, up, up." I'm sure this fascination will end...but for now, I'm enjoying the break from carrying N around!

Happy New Year! Every month we update our calendar..M was especially excited because she got to change the year too!