Playing School...

Monday: Omelets, Fruit and Toast
Tuesday: Chickpea Salad and Pitas
Wednesday: Roasted Veggies Pasta Salad
Thursday: Taco Salad
Friday: Sea Bass, Smashed Garlic Potatoes, Grilled Veggies, Stir Fry Veggies, Corn and Salad
Saturday: Black Bean Burgers with Veggies and Roasted Potatoes
Sunday: Leftover Black Bean Burgers

Omelets, Fruit and Toast
I have my two nephews with us for the next couple of days, one is six and one is nine. Entertaining the six year old I've got, actually Hannah's got it they have been hanging out together since Hannah was born, two days after him. The nine year old...I'm feeling like just hanging out and playing in the yard is not going to cut it. So, I have dug into my teacher bag and am going to try and make the next few days fun. Today we played soccer, chess and made a paper mache volcano - which we plan to paint, make a playdough village for and then erupt! I'm really just hoping the nine year doesn't have to poke his eyes out from boredom and still likes to come to my house.

Recipe
I haven't shopped yet and to be honest, my kids actually dance around in joy when we're having omelets - it's really the easiest way to feel like a great mom.

Chickpea Salad and Pitas
I am exhausted! We did a few things today, made some cards, painted our volcano and made the playdough village around it, sewed our own bean bags and had an obstacle course in the backyard. I kind of thought the obstacle course might be kind of lame, but it turns out Hannah and the nine year old are quite competitive (this actually came as no surprise), Harper loved it (I think she was just so excited to be part of some sort of organized activity), I think the only one it wasn't a total hit with was the other six year old, who seemed to enjoy it the first few rounds - but tired of it sooner than the others. I ran with each child as they completed their part of the course, timing them and was beat by the time we finished! We retreated in the house for smoothies, popcorn and Walking with Dinosaurs, which I kind of feel like is cheating because it's TV, but justify it with the fact that it's educational.

Recipe
Hannah was at a birthday party tonight where they were having hot dogs (we sent veggie dogs for her) and so Harper also had to have a veggie dog, Dave and I had chickpea salad from here, this is almost always our "what are we going to have" dinner, in the post it's from we have in in pitas with potatoes and tziki - that's usually my winter version, for summer we have it as is.

Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad
Today was science day! I planned six experiments for the kids, one of them being the volcano eruption. We started by bending water with a comb, making chicken noises in a cup, layering liquids, creating a lava lamp we then erupted the volcano...which was very anti climatic as I didn't realize how much vinegar I would actually need (we did this again after lunch, after I sawed the top off and we had the right amount of vinegar) and then we made slime. The slime was blue and there were a lot of witty smurf comments from the nine year old (and then repeated by the six year olds and then repeated by the three year old). My favorite part of the day? When I was cleaning up for lunch all the kids were in the living room together and, although I didn't dare sneak a peak in case of ruining it all, I could hear the nine year old reading them Stanley's Wild Ride and all of them giggling out loud (including the nine year old).



Volcano!

 

 

 

 

I've been slimed!

 

Today was really fun, I felt like I was able to channel a little of that teacher that I'm suppose to be trained to be. It also made me realize that when I do go back to work, I'm going to be very exhausted.

Recipe
I was a little reluctant to make this pasta salad, because I feel like I have been making pasta salad a lot this summer, and then I realized I haven't blogged all summer and you would have no idea how overused pasta salad has been. It was pretty simple and really yummy!

Eggplant, peeled on two sides and sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch slabs
Zucchini, sliced lengthwise in 1/2 inch slabs
Red onion, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
6 baby peppers (mix of yellow and orange), cut in half with seeds removed
3 tomatoes sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
Large handful of basil
1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
1/2 bulb garlic
Brown rice pasta, rigatoni
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Wrap the garlic in foil with a little drizzle of olive oil and a little pinch of salt and put on the preheated BBQ. Brush all veggies with olive oil and grill on the BBQ.

Cook pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Once veggies are done, chop them all up and place in a bowl with basil

Taco Salad

I headed out to the lake today with the girls. The plan had been to come out Wednesday night, but I was simply too tired and unprepared so I decided we would head out Thursday morning. My dad even came over this morning to watch the girls so I could get my grocery shopping done…we got out here at 4:30. I’m pretty sure someone filled my house with water making it oh so difficult to move at any sort of pace and they also sucked a bunch of time out of my day somehow. But, we’re here now. The girls were a huge help as I was unpacking the groceries they made up both beds with the clean sheets. They went swimming, we made dinner together, did the dishes and they are now asleep. It is late and they didn’t fall asleep right away, it took hours. They were in the room making tons of noise and I was letting it slide, until I noticed they actually had the audacity to turn the light on! I open the door and Harper’s up on the bed (not where she sleeps) looking at a book with all her stuffies, legs crossed not a care in the world…even when she saw me. This changed later when I heard Hannah get up to use the bathroom and I went over to the bedroom, Harper (who thought I was Hannah) started barking out some sort of order and when I said, “Harper it’s not Hannah it’s Mommy.” She immediately closed her eyes and pretending she was sleeping – little stinker. They finally fell asleep two hours after their bed time. The up side? It’s not my turn tomorrow night – sorry Dave.

Recipe
We had taco salad tonight, everyone helping to chop or wash or crumble, there is no real recipe, I feel like anything goes when it comes to taco salad as long as there's fresh squeezed lime juice and cilantro involved. We had lettuce, black beans, avocado, grilled sweet potato, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, fresh lime juice and crushed tortillas chips.

Sea Bass, Smashed Garlic Potatoes, Grilled Veggies, Stir Fry Veggies, Corn and Salad
It was my parents 39th anniversary last night which we celebrated with a fabulous meal and some fabulous wine (which is why this post was not written last night). I am so lucky to have them as role models, for how they love and respect each other! Happy Anniversary!

Recipe
The thing is, out at the lake, you never make the whole meal. We brought out some sea bass fillets that were grilled on the BBQ and we had that with watermelon salsa from here. I also grilled some veggies - eggplant, peppers, onions, just brushed with a little olive oil and sprinkled with salt. The rest others made and it was delicious!

Black Bean Burgers with Veggies and Roasted Potatoes
When I left the city Thursday it was 33C in the city, by the time I got out to the lake it was 23C. It feels like fall out here, there's this little chill in the air (it's not cold, but not hot) and there has been a cool breeze all day long. This does not seem to matter to my children who swam two or three times today while we shivered on the dock. I'm not complaining, I will happily sit on the dock and watch my children swim for as long as they can stand the shivering because last year, I had to be in the water shivering too!

Recipe
I forgot to take any food pictures this weekend. But, these burgers that are only slightly altered from Cooking Quinoa were great and they BBQed up beautifully! I was so excited about that.

1 1/2 flax eggs (1.5 Tablespoons flax + 4 1/2 tablespoons warm water)

¼ cup quinoa flour(or flour of choice)

¼ cup cornmeal

1 yellow or white onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 yellow pepper, deseeded and finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced (more or less to taste)

2 teaspoons natural liquid smoke (optional)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups cooked or canned black beans drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked quinoa

½ cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

 

Make flax eggs by combining ground flax seed (or flax meal) with warm water and mixing well. Set aside. Combine quinoa flour and cornmeal in a small dish and set aside.

 

Heat a large skillet to medium heat and spray with olive oil. Add onion, jalapeno, red bell pepper and green bell pepper. Cook for 10 -12 minutes, until tender. Add garlic and cook for one minute more. Sprinkle with liquid smoke (if using), oregano, crushed red pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt and remove from heat.

 

Place black beans and quinoa in a food processor and pulse a few times until the beans are mashed but not pureed. Alternatively, mash with a potato masher or large fork. Transfer to a bowl and combine with onion mixture, bread crumbs and parsley. Stir in flax egg. Form into 6 patties and dredge each patty in flour/cornmeal mixture to coat. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to allow to set. (Or the refrigerator for a couple of hours.) We then grilled them on the BBQ for about 12 minutes a side.

 

Leftover Black Bean Burgers

This was the conversation in the car on the way home from the lake today.

 

Hannah: I bet the sun is just hundreds of fireflies with their bums pushed together!

 

Harper: Boogers are good, everyone likes boogers!

 

Hannah: I like boogers, but I don't eat them.

 

Harper: Boogers are sugar!

 

I'm not even sure what to say about it.

 

Recipe

Hannah was at a birthday party tonight so Harper, Dave and I had leftover burgers for supper.

I hope the sun shines down on you this week!

Where Does the Time Go?

Strawberry picking!

Wow! I'm not too sure what happened. I thought I would take a couple weeks off blogging, and suddenly it's the middle of August. The summer is flying by this year. It started busy with a glorious family trip to Nova Scotia to visit Dave's parents and I kind of thought that we would just mellow out after that with slow, lazy days but, I discovered that I could be out at the lake with the girls during the week while Dave was at work and it just kind of snowballed into a back and forth, never really knowing what you're going to eat or with whom, kind of few weeks. I'm not complaining, it was really good and the busier (and by busy I mean swimming, going for walks, canoe rides etc...) I was, the less I dwelled on the fact that Hannah was going to be in full time school, and although I know it will all be fine, I'm a little concerned that Harper and I are going to be lonely and missing her. I know, here she goes again - kids grow up, get over it. I'll try.

Building Sandcastles.

I'm very curious and nervous about Harper starting pre-school two mornings a week. She's never been left without Hannah with anyone other than my mom and dad. I have a feeling that she won't look back and I'll be sad, until I realize that I am alone for the morning on a weekday and then I may skip all the way home...I'm hoping this is what happens anyway.

I am ready to start back into some sort of routine and I thought why not start with a proper menu plan and a little blogging. I hope that you all have been having a glorious summer!

Exploring the beach!

Monday: Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Salad
Tuesday: Tortillas and Homemade Refried Beans
Wednesday: Dal Makhani with Brown Rice and Cucumber and Tomato
Thursday: Shrimp Burgers
Friday: Whole Bowls
Saturday: Pizza and Salad
Sunday: Sea Bass, Smashed Potatoes, Yellow Beans, Corn on the Cob, Salad and Fresh Berries over Ice Cream

Riding the mini trains with cousins!

Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Salad
I took the girls school supply shopping this morning. I know, it's early! I feel like the last couple weeks are going to be busy and so I wanted to get this done and out of the way. Still, I couldn't get everything! Can you believe that? I started three weeks early and still they were sold out of pencil boxes in two different stores. I have to say, it's not doing a lot for my procrastination problem when things like this occur. I did buy the 64 box of crayons because it was on sale, but mostly because I always wanted it when I was a kid, you know the one with the sharpener in the back. There was always a couple kids in the class that had one and I always wanted all that colour choice...Dave tells me that now he thinks there's some 124 box or something and honestly I think it's only fitting.

While we were shopping Hannah was so excited about school supplies she ran into three people, knocked over a whole display of those large Mom calendars and fell and tripped and hurt her toe...she is so my kid!

Recipe
It feels really good to have a meal plan this week, it grounds me or something. Tonight we just had a really simple pasta and a salad. I thought I bought artichoke hearts, but when I got home it was hearts of palm which I had never tried. When I mentioned this, my mom's friend told me that they were really delicious on their own, in salads and so we tried them. I loved them, no one else really cared for them (I hate it when that happens).

Basic tomato sauce.

large glugg of olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, squashed and roughly chopped
2 -3 large handfuls of fresh basil (divided)
pinch of sea salt
1 28oz tin of whole tomatoes
a splash of red wine vinegar
Brown rice pasta

Heat the olive oil over low heat and add the garlic, one handful of chopped basil and salt until fragrant. Add the tin of tomatoes (keeping the tomatoes whole) and increase heat to bring to a boil and then simmer for half an hour. Once the sauce it ready use kitchen scissors (or whatever you like) to cut up the tomatoes in the pot and stir in a splash of red wine vinegar.

Cook pasta according to pasta directions, I always take it off a little under cooked and then rinse it under cold water. Then when I toss it in the hot sauce it doesn't over cook.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss together. Serve with a generous topping of chopped basil and a little grated Parmesan cheese.

I made the salad about an hour before supper. I chopped tomatoes, cucumber (that I grew in my garden!), red onion, green olives and hearts of palm, sprinkled it all with a little feta, salt and pepper. I tossed it all together and then let it sit at room temperature.

Tortillas and Homemade Refried Beans
I'm not sure how other families work, but we seem to slide into the same old routine. We go along and things are good, we're all positive and making an effort (I'm mostly talking about parenting here) and then slowly things start to slide a bit and we catch them, and then a bit more and we catch a little less and then eventually I find myself laying on the bed telling Dave that I wish I could keep the kids up for another hour tonight so that I could have a shot at not being grumpy with them for a whole entire hour, but that I don't actually trust myself to pull this off so we better just put them to bed at regular time...

This becomes the holy shit moment, how did we slide so far? When did the carefree, unstructured days of summer become total chaos? It feels like we're never going to get back, like we've slid so far down that hill that I may not be able to make the climb this time, especially since I need to lead it, and right now I just want to continue whining about it instead (mmmm, don't tell my kids about the whining part). The carefree, unstructured was fun, but I suppose it's all fun and games until mommy looses her mind (and then it's a sport? No, no)...So not only are we going to inject some routine in our eating, but I am going to get off my ass and inject some routine back into our life.

Recipe
There is something so incredibly good about onions and cumin. We had homemade refried beans, with lime slaw and guacamole on corn tortillas, mmmm - it was delicious.

The refried bean recipe is from Moosewood Cookbook. They are easy and far better than any canned refried beans you buy in the store. The only thing is you need to remember to soak the pinto beans at least 4 hours ahead (I did mine overnight).

2 cups dry pinto beans, soaked
2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups minced onion
5 to 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
black pepper

Cook presoaked beans in plenty of boiling water until very soft (about 1 1/4 hours). Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion, half the garlic, cumin, and salt. Saute over medium heat about 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add remaining garlic, season with black pepper.

Turn the heat to low, add beans, and mix well. Mash with a fork or a potato masher, and cook for just a few minutes more. Serve right away or store in the fridge or freezer until time to reheat.

For the slaw I mixed together about 8 oz of shredded cabbage mix with 2 Tbsp mayonnaise, 4 Tbsp sour cream, the juice of a lime and a little salt.

For the guacamole I mashed two avocados with 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 large clove of garlic minced, a chopped deseeded tomato and the juice of 1/2 lime (to taste).

We piled it high on homemade corn tortillas (Masa flour and water) that Dave and the girls made, and it was delicious!

Dal Makhani with Brown Rice and Cucumber and Tomato
I love listening to the girls play house, especially when they are being nice moms. I don't like it quite as much when they are being mean moms and all my faults as a parent are laid out in front of me, then it feels more like a bad therapy session or something. But, when they are carrying their babies around in slings, nursing them and kissing Their booboos better, I love it. I did leave out the part where Harper first throws her baby down the stairs to get the booboo, before she can kiss it better - this part I just block out, it's easier that way. Today they were getting their babies ready to go to school, buying school supplies and new clothes. Hannah was explaining to her baby that, "She may feel a little afraid about school and that's OK, she did too the first time, but it turns out it's really fun. Really fun, like more fun than being home with mom all the time." So maybe, I didn't like that last part quite so much, but we are all looking forward to school starting again soon!

Recipe
Here's the thing, I love Indian food. I don't cook it very often (because I don't know how), half the time I don't really know exactly the names of the dishes that I love so much when we eat out, but I know that I love pretty much all of it. I was inspired by a cooking lesson on naan bread that I received (actually, Dave received the lesson and told me all about it) from my parent's friend, Ramesh, to try and cook a few different Indian dishes. Dave got this cookbook from the library for me, From Mom with Love, from which I made the Dhal Makhani that we had tonight. I have to say, it was fabulous - one of those dishes that as you're eating it, you're thinking I can't believe I made this. So I recommend it, but it is time consuming because you first have to make the precooked masala. The good news is that you end up with three more portions of masala in the freezer for the next time you cook it, which will be handy.

Precooked Masala

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
1 large or 2 medium green chilies
2 cloves garlic
2 small pieces of ginger
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
4 black cardamons
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
4 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp paprika

Grind onion, green chilies, garlic and ginger in food processor to a fine paste. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and black cardamons. When cumin seeds start to pop, add onion paste. Lower heat to medium-low and stir occasionally until onions turn golden brown (about 20 minutes).

Add the rest of the spices and tomatoes to onions. Stir. Turn heat to low. Cover and let cook for 40 -45 minutes, stirring occasionally. When oil separates from rest of the sauce, the masala is done.

Dal Makhani

1 cup whole urad (also called black lentils)

4 cups water
3/4 tsp salt
1/4tsp tumeric powder
1 Tbsp oil
8 oz sour cream
1/4 stick butter
3/4 cup precooked masala
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 Tbsp coriander, chopped

Wash and soak dal for 30 minutes in warm water. Rinse and drain. Put dal in pressure cooker, adding water, salt, turmeric powder and oil on medium-high heat. Close lid and put weight on. After pressure builds up, turn heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes or until dal gets soft but not mushy. Turn off heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Put pressure cooker under cold running water to reduce pressure and open lid.

Put pressure cooker back on stove on medium-low heat. Add sour cream, butter and stir. Cook half covered for 30 minutes.

Add precooked masala and stir. Add red chili powder and cook for about 30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Add garam masala, stir and turn heat off. Garnish with chopped coriander.

We had ours with rice and sliced tomatoes and cucumber on the side.

Shrimp Burgers
This is what the 2012 Summer Olympics has brought to our house:

Hannah is now asking for me to find and play her music by The Spice Girls, Dave and I have responded with The Beatles, The Who and The Rolling Stones.

She has also spent her entire day in the backyard practicing her Gymnastics.

Both girls try to use the living room couch as a hurtle and balance beam (perhaps this isn't a result of the Olympics).

They both have a strange obsession with Micheal Phelps, oh, and flags.

Recipe
I got this recipe from The Galley Gourmet. They were fantastic, the right juiciness and tastiness, we will have these again for sure. It makes six very generous burgers and I think I will make them into eight next time. I bought buns from St. Leon, they are Vin Rouge and Shallots (from Le Croissant) and toasted them a little on the grill.

2 slices of quality sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 extra large egg, beaten
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon dry Sherry
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste (optional)

For the tartar sauce I mixed together a chopped dill pickle, red onion, mayonnaise, a few capers and a squirt of lemon juice, this is all to taste.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the bread crumbs to fine crumbs and transfer to a bowl ( you should have about 1 1/2 cups crumbs). Wipe the food processor clean and pulse the shrimp until there is an even mix of finely minced and coarsely chopped pieces, about 7 pulses. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse once more to break up any large pieces stuck on the side.

In a large bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, beaten egg, scallions, parsley, lemon zest, sherry, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using) until combined. Gently fold in the processed shrimp and bread crumbs and mix until combined.

Shape the mixture into 6 equal portions about one inch thick. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

I brushed the skillet with a little oil and cooked them over medium high heat for about 6 minutes a side, until they were nice and brown and cooked through.

We put a thick slice of tomato, the burger, some lettuce and tartar sauce on the grilled bun.

Whole Bowls

Harper is...well, she's is as difficult as she is cute these days. Which I suppose is a balance of some sort. Man, I keep reminding myself that these stubborn, non complaisant qualities are the ones that are going to serve her well as a teenager (hopefully) and adult. These are the qualities that make her strong. I don't wish for her to change, even though every single thing from brushing her teeth, to getting dressed, to picking up, to choosing something to eat involves her throwing herself on the floor. There's no, simple task that doesn't seem to involve some sort of battle. I just hope I'm still sane to see these qualities being used for good!

Testing some muffins in their fort!

Recipe

Tonight we had whole bowls from this post here.

Pizza and Salad

Have I mentioned our reno lately? It is happening slowly but surely. Mostly we are just making decisions and pulling together all the plans. We haven't actually done much actual work, we are waiting for the permit to go through for the wall and have the contractors come and take it out. Today, Dave and my dad cut out the kitchen floor in the eating area and laid new plywood to ready it for the hardwoods, the same will be done to the rest once the wall and cupboards come out. Harper, loves the new floor and I can't seem to convince her that it is not the actual floor that we will see in the end.

Recipe

We had dinner at my Mom and Dad's tonight for my aunt's birthday. Homemade pizza and salad with chocolate cake and ice cream.

Sea Bass, Smashed Potatoes, Yellow Beans, Corn on the Cob, Salad and Fresh Berries over Ice Cream

This morning I came out from the laundry room to this...

The girls had made homemade lemonade, toast and set the table - they are so adorable!

Recipe

Dinner was at Mom and Dad's again tonight, I know what leeches we are!

I hope the sun shines down on you this week!

Almost there...

Monday: Leftover Pasta
Tuesday: The Fridge in a Pita
Wednesday: Grilled Salmon, Rice and Fennel and Orange Salad
Thursday: Salmon Salad and Egg Salad in Pitas
Friday: Calzones
Saturday: Out to a BBQ
Sunday: Mexican Rice Casserole, Salad, Corn Bread and Ice Cream

Hannah's counting the apples!

Leftover Pasta

" I love rock and roll, put another house in the cemetary, I love rock and roll, put another house in the cemetary!"

This is what Hannah has been singing all day. It's amazing I really feel like the words to that song, or at least that line, are pretty easy to get. She is very much my child!

Recipe

We had lots of leftover pasta from last night, no mussels of course Hannah finished those today. So I threw in the roasted veggies and a little of the pesto from the other night - it was delicious!

The Fridge in a Pita

Wow. Hannah's had a little bit of trouble sleeping lately and she is very sensitive to her clothing, especially when she's tired. So today, five minutes before we need to leave for school, she can't find any pants that don't bug her. I'm trying to be sensitive, but to be honest it can be really hard to believe that none of her clothes (all of which have been fine for so long) feel good. She had herself so wound up that any comment such as, "Did you try some tights and a dress?" was met with tears. This went on for half an hour with no end in sight, so I called it, "I think maybe you need a break today." I called the school to let them know we weren't coming, Hannah put on some pj's and we sat in front of the TV watching Tree House and eating popcorn for a good part of the afternoon. It's been so cloudy lately and I think that it's not just me that it affects, but tomorrow I'll be sure to have her get dressed for school very early.

 

 

Recipe

I was going to run out to the store this afternoon, but that didn't happen so I had to scrounge around the kitchen. I peeled and cut an eggplant and sweet potato in rounds, layed them out on a cookie sheet, sprayed them with olive oil, sprinkled them with salt and then roasted them in the oven at 450F.

I put a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas in a pan with some olive oil and sauteed them until they were nice and crispy adding some garlic powder to them.

I mixed some leftover pesto with a little mayonnaise and spread it thinly on half a pita, then added the eggplant, sweet potate, chickpeas, some sundried tomatoes and a little feta. It was quite good, the crunch of the chickpeas with the smooth insides of the sweet potato and the little bit of oil from the sundried tomato went really nicely together.

Salmon, Rice and Fennel Orange Salad
Tonight as I'm putting Hannah to bed she says to me, "I saw Soleil (a little girl from her preschool class last year) in the hall at school today with her big sister, when I was going to the bathroom from music."  I said, "Oh, did you say Hi?" Her eyes got big and round, "No, Mama. We're not allowed to talk in the halls...but, I did wave to her, but just a little one." She's so funny.

Recipe
It was cloudy and rainy again and so I had planned on a clear soup with salmon and rice but, then the sun came out and it was warm and soup just didn't seem right. So I grilled the salmon on the BBQ, just brushing it with a little sesame oil. We had basmati rice with peas and green onions and then I just seasoned it with a little rice vinegar. The salad comes from Moosewood at Home. Slice the bulb of fennel, after removing the tough outer layer, into thin strips, add two sectioned oranges (cut into sections so the juice can run), toss together with a Tbsp of olive oil and a little salt and pepper and chill in the fridge, covered, for at least half an hour.

Salmon Salad and Egg Salad in Pitas
Looking over the blog this week, I realized I hadn't written anything for Thursday. So, I decided I would think about Thursday and add a little blurb...yeah, right - like I can remembe Thursday. I barely remember today....

Recipe

I do remember that we had salmon salad and egg salad pitas (mostly because it's written down and there's a picture). I mixed the leftover salmon with pickle and a little mayonnaise and did the same with some hard boiled eggs stuffing it into pitas with lettuce and red onion.

Calzones
Dave came home early from work today and as I'm heading out the door to go work out I can hear him and Harper conspiring in the kitchen. Harper' s negociating some order of activity and says, "Play a game, go get Hannah, then make the cookies." to which I respond, "Cookies? Who's making cookies?" Harper looks at me and says, "I can't tell you."

They did make cookies, six delicious imperial cookies which we took with us to Assiniboine Park where we played in the Children's Garden and went over and listened to the Winnipeg Orchestra Symphony that was playing in the park. It was lovely, the best part being that the kids were all invited to come up and dance at the front of the stage. Harper was back and forth from us to the front. Hannah on the other hand spent the entire time up front dancing, sometimes she was the only one, spinning and jumping and dancing and free!

Recipe
Even though these are a little different there's no new recipe. I divided the dough that we usually use for pizza (which we buy) into four, sauced one half and added onions, sundried tomatoes, olives, mushrooms and a little cheese and then folded them together pinching the edges (I'm sure you could make them look a lot neater and prettier than I did, but that's not really my thing).

Out for a BBQ
I took the girls up to one of the parks in our neighborhood this morning. There's one that has four or five different kinds of monkey bars (who knew there could be four or five different kinds?), my monkey was in heaven!

For the record we biked there and she ran to the bars, I don't make her wear a helmet when she does the monkey bars...although secretly I would like to - but I squash that down!

Harper was in love with this slide!

Recipe
Dave and I had a lovely evening out at my cousin's for a BBQ. We had veggie burgers that were actually cooked on the BBQ! I'm going to get the recipe and try them, although she's not sure she'll be able to remember exactly what she added. They were delicious, on beautifully grilled bread with lettuce and thick slices of pickles. She also made two yummy salads!

Mexican Rice Casserole, Salad, Corn Bread and Ice Cream
It's really hard to believe that we are heading into the last week of school. This end of school excitement seems a little odd for me as the past few years it really hasn't affected me. I'm so looking forward to having Hannah home all day, the freedom and carefreeness! I'm not sure what life is going to be like next year and I kind of feel like we've somehow made this climb, where we are now perched on the top of this hill. We'll stay at the top of this hill, perched and carefree enjoying our little bubble for the summer. Once September comes I feel like the bubble is going to pop and we are going to topple down that hill, a little head over heels, into a new stage for us. This, school age (full days) child stage. It's not that I feel like our "bubble is going to burst" in the negative way, I think the decent down the hill is going to be fun and it may take some time to find our footing and get comfortable with the pace of the slope but we will and then we'll start to slowly make the climb again...

We had a delicious dinner at my mom and dad's tonight. The girls were really tired from a day in the sun, not to mention Dave, and we came home a little early.

We are heading out in a few days to spend two weeks with Dave's parents in Nova Scotia. We are all so looking forward to seeing them and reconnecting. We'll be at their cottage for the most part and I won't have my computer with me so I will be not be posting for the next couple of weeks.

I hope the sun shines down on you!

Happy Father's Day!

Monday: Cheese and Bread Soup with Edamame Beans
Tuesday: Tofu Curry over Rice
Wednesday: Fried Egg with Sizzling Vinegar on Toast with Watermelon
Thursday: Blackbean Burgers with Salad
Friday: Walnut Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Peas
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: Linguine and Mussels with Roasted Veggies and Salad Followed by Apple Pie and Ice Cream

 

Cheese and Bread Soup with Edamame Beans
I failed an MRI. Did you know you could fail? I've had this knee issue for, well I guess since I was a kid but it has recently gotten worse so I've been going to physio, wearing a knee brace and waiting to get an MRI. Tonight I had the appointment and she had to do it three times and then still it was blurry and she had to try to take some stills which she apparently was able to get a couple. She (being the nurse or technician) came in the first time and says to me (very firm and matter of factly), "Well, it's blurry so you must have moved - what's the problem?" For those of you that don't know me very well, I like to follow the rules and instructions and get things right in these types of situations, so I felt bad that I had failed, apologized and we tried again. She was really very...I want to say mean, but I don't think she was mean, I think she was just very abrupt and it kind of made me feel like I was ten and being scolded. So she went back for a second time and I realized that my legs were moving all over the place, twitching, but I couldn't stop them so I was dreading her return again, and sure enough, "Is there a problem?" to which I responded in my quiet, intimidated ten year old girl voice, "No? But I can feel them twitching and I can't seem to stop it?" to which she responded, "Well, if it's involuntary muscle spasms there's nothing we can do. I'll try one more time" Now, this response was not softer or nicer but it made me feel like at least it wasn't really my fault, but in a way like I was just damaged or something, not in a way like sometimes this happens to people and we'll try one more time before trying something else. So back she went and I could tell right off that this one would be no better, I could feel all the muscles in my legs twitching and spasming. Sure enough, she was back and I felt I should be hanging my head in shame. In the end she was able to get some stills, who knows how with a damaged, twitching mess like me, and in the light of day I feel a little less damaged.

Recipe
It was cold and dark and rainy today. So we had soup, well I made soup for the rest of them I wasn't allowed to eat before my MRI, which is odd to me because it was of my leg. This recipe or the idea is from Moosewood Simple Suppers. It really is an idea, a very simple yummy idea, perfect for cold rainy days.

Vegetable Stock

Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Herbs
Cheese, grated
Toast or dry bread
Olive oil

The amounts you use are going to depend on how much you want to make. We often have this for lunch on cold days because it's so quick, warm and gooey. Heat a glugg of olive oil in a pot and saute some garlic (as much or little as you like) for 30 seconds to a minutes, add the stock, season with a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile grate some cheese (whatever you have on hand), I use about 1/3 cup per bowl but use as much as you like. If the bread is stale, perfect (we had leftover baguette that was rock hard), if not you may want to toast it, break it up and put it in a bowl topping it with cheese. Ladle the hot broth over the bread and cheese and top with fresh herbs, I used a mixture from my garden of basil, oregano, sage and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. I also cooked up some edamame beans on the side to bulk up the meal.

Tofu Curry over Rice
Why do our children think that we want to see, hear or taste their gross things? I can remember this as a child, if the milk was sour, we'd say, "Oh, gross mom taste this." and she'd always say no, and I would think, "doesn't she want to know what I've been through?" seriously, that self entered. Hannah stands beside me this morning, takes a tissue and blows her nose really hard and then says, opening her tissue and putting it up to face, "Look at all the snot that I blew out of my nose." and when I responded with, "Ewww, no I don't actually want to see all the snot you blew out of your nose." she was dumb founded and couldn't actually believe me, "No, mom but look."

Recipe
We had the insides to the samosa wraps from here over basmati rice. We used tofu but it would also be good with chickpeas if you don't want the tofu.

Fried Eggs with Sizzling Vinegar on Toast with Watermelon

Harper has decided that she is going to be a ghost for Halloween and has been running around the house with her arms in the air going, "Ooooooo, OooooooOooooOoooo!" she is extremely proud of this, it's quite funny (and such an easy costume - yay! Let's hope it lasts).

Recipe
This meal was super simple, easy and yummy. It is from the lovely Catherine Newman's blog Ben & Birdy. It may sound odd but, it is definitely worth a try - yum!

2 pieces of bread

2 tablespoons butter, divided use
2 very fresh eggs
1-2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Kosher salt and pepper

Put the bread in the toaster and heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add half the butter, then break in the eggs and fry them however you like your eggs. When they’re done, slide each onto a piece of toast.

Add the rest of the butter to the pan, along with the vinegar and a generous pinch of salt and grinding of black pepper. Swirl the pan until the sauce is foamy and reduced some (it should like shiny but not like heavy syrup—not that it really matters that much), then turn off the heat and divide the sauce over the eggs over the toast. Eat hot.

Black Bean Burgers with Salad

It's been a long time since we've taken Harper anywhere besides the bus stop and my Mom and Dad's, poor kid. Today I ventured to swimming lessons with her. We were almost ten minutes late, because there was this crazy construction traffic, and Hannah got out of her lesson five minutes early because it was the last one (so we were there for about 15 to 20 minutes) but, Harper and I still managed to be in the bathroom seven (SEVEN!!!!!) times, but she didn't have an accident - really when could she have? This was the conversation (and of course it's always loud with Harper).

H: I'm peeing, I'm peeing through my ureda (urethra)!

H: What comes out of my bum?
M: Poo.
H: What comes out of my Bagina?
M: That's where the babies come out.
H: Why can't babies come out your uriea?
M: Because they won't fit and it's not connected to where the babies grow.
H: Why can't...poo come out your bagina?

and so on and so on, all different combinations and questions, not just in the bathroom, but also walking back to the seating area, during the 5 seconds that we were sitting in between and on the walk back to the bathroom...I think the other parents are going to miss us!

Recipe

Sometimes you can make all kinds of complicated veggie burgers or in a pinch you can mash up a can of black beans, add a small handful of panko crumbs, garlic powder, liquid smoke, salt and pepper and cook them up on the griddle until they are brown on both sides. We put ours in a bun with sauteed onions, pickles, tomato slices, grainy mustard and a little mayonnaise. We had it with a simple green salad.

Walnut Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Peas
Ahhh, Hannah didn't have school today, it was so nice. We headed up to the park to take pictures for Dave's Father's Day gift and get a little playtime in. Hannah is such a cooperative model, Harper...not so much. Either way, it was wonderful to have Hannah with us all day, not rushing around for lunch and the bus.

Recipe
We had this pasta from geez Louise!, I slightly altered it by using a different pasta, leaving out the bacon and I only used about 1/4 cup of the pesto when it calls for all of it and I think it was very tasty with a little less fat. It was gobbled up by all.

2 Tbsp salt
8 oz rigatoni pasta
1 cup frozen peas, rinsed and thawed
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp red onion, chopped fine
2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup walnut pesto

Bring a pot of water to boil, add salt and cook pasta. Once pasta is cooked and drained, add the pesto and mix until coated then mix in the peas, pine nuts, tomatoes and onion.

Pesto:
1 cup walnuts, toasted
4 cloves garlic
Zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup packed flat leaf pasley
1 1/2 cup packed basil
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

Process all ingredients, except olive oil, in a food processor until well blended like coarse sand and then stream in olive oil while processor is running until blended.

Pizza
The potty fairy came this morning. Yes, that's right I said potty fairy. She leaves a magic wand for kids to hold when they need to poo on the potty (yes, I said poo - all the books refer to pooing on the potty as going potty - this drives me crazy! It's poo, just say it! Poo, poo, poo!) and the magic in the wand makes it not scary, and helps the child go poo. So I spent Friday night decorating a stick with sparkly silver ribbon and gluing on a pink felt star covered in sparkles (sorry, I hope I didn't ruin it for you, I'm the potty fairy), and Saturday morning while the girls were off playing I put the wand outside the door, rang the doorbell and quietly closed the door again and went back upstairs (this is from a book by the way, I'm not this crazy...I mean creative, I am actually this crazy because I have considered offering her hundreds of dollars - if only she understood the concept of money). Both girls came running, opened the door and Harper found the wand outside with a note on it addressed to her. We brought it in, she was excited to find out it was addressed to her and we sat down together to read the note. When I finished, she was smiling and kind of excited, Hannah was wide eyed and gape mouthed, "I didn't know there was a potty fairy!" I began to wonder if I was causing her some social damage, will she go to school and tell all her friends about the potty fairy? Will this be a bad thing? I was snapped out of my thoughts when Harper took the wand and ran to the potty, she sat down and squeezed and squeezed the wand and then declared, "Mmmmm? Nothing is happening, I tink it doesn't work." When I explained again, that it didn't make your body have to poo it only helped you poo when your body already needed to poo, she looked at me and said, "No, I tink it's a potty wand for peeing."

Recipe
I went out tonight and Dave and the girls made pizza.

Linguine and Mussels with Roasted Veggies and Salad Followed by Apple Pie and Ice Cream
Happy Father's Day! Father's Day with littles is always a little busier. The girls and I were up this morning and the energy that was radiating off of them, waiting for Dave to wake up, could have lit up a large city at Christmas, they were bouncing off the walls.When Dave emerged they served him breakfast and gave him gifts and wished him a happy father's day over and over and over again. Dave, spent the whole morning with the girls, playing in the yard, they all cleaned the lawn mower together (well, they played around Dave and offered words of encouragment while he cleaned it), he took them to the park and to play tennis. The girls fell over each other trying to be the one to carry his sandwich to the table or clear his glass, it was all very cute. By 4:00 Dave sat down with two little girls glued to his side to watch some golf on T.V. and he kind of looked like he may fall asleep.



This is Dave's traditonal Father's Day and Birthday Sandwich.



Dave had this sandwich twice a year, the idea came from a Jaime Oliver Cook Book.

You take three slices of bread and butter them lightly, put on sliced old white cheddar, sauteed onions (saute them in a little oilve oil and white vinegar, the original calls for pickeled onions), a good kettle cooked chip (this one was jalepeno cheddar) and then repeat. It is not healthy, which is why he only has it twice a year, but it makes him so happy.

We had my parents and my aunt for dinner and Hannah and Harper set the whole table, table cloth and all. When I sent Hannah up to get the napkins she asked how many and I named the people coming. She then counted them up on her fingers, "Us is four (puts up her four fingers) then Willow makes five (puts up her thumb on same hand), Grandma and Pepere are two (raises her two fingers on her other hand) and that makes seven. I used one hand for us and Willow because Grandma and Pepere go together and so-o, I didn't want to separate them on two different hands because they live together and love each other and should stay together on one hand and then they can join the other hand, like they're going to join us for dinner." seriously, how does her head not explode?

Recipe
The recipe for the linguine was from Epicurious and was simple, easy and yummy. I altered it slightly, omitting some butter. We had it with a tossed salad my mom made with a vinaigrette and some roasted veggies. The veggies; peppers, eggplant, onions and mushrooms, I just tossed with two tablespoons of the leftover pesto from the other night and then cooked them in the basket on the BBQ.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, sliced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

2 pounds cultivated mussels, scrubbed

1 pound thin linguine

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 1/2 cups chopped herbs such as basil, dill, flat-leaf parsley, and oregano

Heat oil in a 5-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat. Cook garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, stirring, until garlic is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mussels and cook, covered, shaking pot occasionally, just until mussels open wide, 5 to 8 minutes. (Discard any that remain unopened after 8 minutes.) Remove from heat and keep warm.

          

Meanwhile, cook linguine in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain linguine.

          

Toss linguine with mussels and any liquid from pot, cheese, and herbs. Thin with reserved cooking water if desired.

To end the meal my mom made an apple pie, but instead of a traditional crust it was made with filo, brushed with a honey water mixture. It was delicious!

I hope you are all as blessed as I. There are a million and one things about my Dad that makes him great, a great Dad and a great man. Most importantly my whole life, I have always felt loved and supported unconditionally from him and for that I am blessed and ever so grateful.

 

I hope the sun shines down on you this week!

  

The Good and the...

Monday: Roasted Veggies Wraps
Tuesday: Omelets, Fruit and Toast
Wednesday: Hearty Lentil and Kale Pasta
Thursday: Chickpea Salad
Friday: Grilled Shrimp, Bruchetta with Grilled Eggplant and Baby Bok Choy
Saturday: Taco Salad
Sunday: Peanut Noodle Salad with Shrimp, Greek Salad, Bread with Rhubarb/Apple Crisp and Ice Cream

Roasted Veggie Wraps
We have a little lilac tree out front, which I love. We have had to chop a large chunk of it off because it's dead and we are hoping that it fills in. The main reason I love this tree is because the butterflies love it. We usually have two fluttering around it and often up to five or six. Today we were standing on the front step watching them and Hannah looks at me and says, "Why do they call them butterflies, they don't look like butter or eat butter?" I love how their minds work sometimes, so literal.

Recipe
We still have left over baba ganoush and roasted red pepper dip from last week so I tossed some mushrooms, eggplant, slabs of onion and tomato with some olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled them on the BBQ. I stuffed it in a wrap with the two dips and some avocado!

Omelets, Fruit and Toast
I have to be honest I am kind of loosing my mind with potty training. Everyone always says, you just need a couple full days at home, it's been five. My cousin is the potty whisperer. She has two out of three of her children trained (at a much younger age than Harper and her third is only a few months old) and so I messaged her yesterday to find out what book she read/method she uses. Last night I read the book and today we started with this 3 day potty training method. Basically, you never ever let your child leave your site so you can catch them and put them on the potty, you're positive and encouraging about everything and you don't have them "try", or ask them if they need to go only remind them to let you know if they need to go. It's a little intense, but so is cleaning up mess after mess, and it is very positive. I think Harper and I both felt better about the whole thing at the end of the day and she did have some successes today! Although, nothing else got done, nothing. Reading this book last night I thought, we're together most of the day anyway, but actually being in the same room and focusing all my attention on her while in the same room all the time is really quite exhausting.

Among a million other things we were tigers today, this is Harper's best roar!

Recipe
It's difficult to get a proper dinner ready and constantly watch your child for sings of peeing and pooping (can you say that on a food blog?) so we just had eggs tonight.

Hearty Lentil and Kale Pasta
So I volunteered to go on the farm trip with Hannah's school. When I started potty training Harper last week I honestly thought that six days later she would pretty much have the hang of it and it wouldn't be a big deal to leave her for a day. Lucky for me, I have the most understanding, generous mom in the world and she watched Harper for me today, diaper free and all, while Hannah and I went to the farm. I took a million pictures of her today, but she was so busy with her friends that it was really hard to get her face in the photo. Last year I went on her preschool farm trip where her and I hung out all day long, what a difference a year makes. I was just background today. Every once and a while she would come over and see me, or "check" on me to make sure I was there and having a good time.

Recipe

We had one of our favorite pasta's from here.



Chickpea Salad
Back on potty watch today, all day. There seems to be very little progress, but progress none the less so I'm trying to focus on the fact that this will all be a faint memory in a couple of days. Hannah is in the I'm going to copy everything you say all the time phase...it's annoying, but so much easier to tolerate as an adult - I can remember being copied and it being so maddening as a child. She often does it with Dave and I and we try and get her to say things like, "I'm going to clean my whole room and do the laundry." which normally puts an end to it. Today she was trying to bug Harper by copying everything she said, Harper didn't get it and it backfired on Hannah. Every time she would copy what Harper said, Harper would correct her, "No, you're not doing that, I am!" Hannah would repeat again, Harper would repeat what Hannah said with great emphasis and so on and so on until Hannah would get really frustrated, "Because you're not copying me, I'm copying you!" She was quite frustrated, I don't think my giggling helped.

Recipe
We were suppose to have curry tonight, but it was just so hot. I made up the chickpeas and salad from this post and served it with slabs of fresh bread.

Grilled Shrimp, Bruchetta with Grilled Eggplant and Baby Bok Choy
I sent the kids out to play in the backyard when Hannah got home from school today. (I am still on vigilant potty watch, but Harper needed to run and I needed to get dinner ready so we took a risk). They both came running back in a couple minutes later and Hannah looks at me wide eyed, "There's something really scary next to the playhouse, for real mom I'm not even joking." So I go out to the playhouse (I'm not going to lie, a little apprehensively) and there on the ground is an injured bird, it looked like a cat had gotten to it's wing or something. I tried to move it with a shovel, gently, but it could hop really well, and every time I went near it another bird on the fence would squawk and swoop at me. Finally I got it moved to a far corner of the yard and the protector bird perched itself on the fence above it, chirping and then would take off and come back with some food for the injured bird. The girls stayed inside for awhile and when we went out to have dinner we couldn't find the injured bird anywhere and the protector bird was flying around the yard like crazy and squawking, I think maybe the cat came back...

Recipe
I made this BBQ sauce from epicurious. I cut the eggplant in rounds and sliced the bok choy in halves, tossed them with a little olive oil and salt and grilled them brushing them and the shrimp skewers with the BBQ sauce.

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 ½ tsp minced chili
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp sesame oil
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and chili; sauté until fragrant and light golden. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons water and bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes (sauce will be thin). Remove barbecue sauce from heat; whisk in sesame oil.

Preheat the oven to 350F, wrap as much garlic as you like in foil with a little drizzle of olive oil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until tender. For the bruchetta I cut a baguette in rounds, brushed them with olive oil and grilled them on the BBQ. I mixed some chopped tomato with lots of basil from the garden and the roasted garlic together and stacked it on the toasts.

Taco Salad
It's a soccer extravaganza! Which is Hannah's little soccer tournament this weekend. The forecast is for rain with thundershowers, it didn't disappoint today. Her first game was early and so we made it out and back before the rain, even managing to fit in a little bike ride. Dave and Hannah went up for the afternoon game, dark sky and rain, Hannah did not care she wanted to play. There were seven players in total (including both teams) and Hannah had a blast!

Recipe
We have taco salad a lot during the summer, either planned or as a way to use up some leftovers and whatever is close to going bad in the fridge. Today we used, lettuce, tomato, avocado, corn off the cob, red and orange pepper, cilantro, fresh lime juice, tortilla chips, black beans, green onion, cheddar cheese, sour cream and green salsa.

Peanut Noodle Salad with Shrimp, Greek Salad, Bread with Rhubarb/Apple Crisp and Ice Cream
I may go completely insane potty training Harper. It is getting really hard to be positive and upbeat, especially after the fourth accident this morning. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror while I was with her after the fourth and I had a total scary joker smile going on. I immediately found Dave and told him that I needed to escape for a few hours. I think it's not the actual moment for me but the prospect of another week stuck at home monitoring her bathroom habitss Plus I set myself up for three or four days instead of weeks! I went out for a couple hours, avoiding any and all pottiness, this did help and I was able to return calm and collected - hopefully it lasts all week.

We ran down to my parents in the rain to enjoy a really yummy dinner and some great company.

I hope you have a great week and the sun shines down on you!