Playing Outside!

Monday: Breaded Cod, Roasted Cauliflower, Balsamic Potatoes and Salad
Tuesday: Hearty Lentil and Kale Pasta
Wednesday: Black Bean Wraps
Thursday: Mushroom Pecan Burgers with Carrots, Cucumber and Peas
Friday: Rice Wraps
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Pasta with Roasted Veggies and Shrimp, Strawberry Salad, Bread and Ice Cream and Berries

Breaded Cod, Roasted Cauliflower, Balsamic Potatoes and Salad
We've been having trouble getting Hannah to go to bed lately. She always goes down and then is up five or six times after and can't seem to fall asleep until it's quite late. When she gets up she complains about not being able to sleep, to being lonely, to having random body parts hurt, in short she's trying to play us. We've been trying our best to just send her back to bed without playing into her, but I have had this fear that we're going to find her up there throwing up on her own because we didn't believe her...although it's a risk we're apparently willing to take. This had been going on for a couple weeks and we had been getting really frustrated until we suddenly had this brilliant idea. I'm calling it brilliant, because honestly sometimes parent epiphanies are hard to come by and I think that we need to point them out to make us feel better about all the not so brilliant moments. We gave her a lamp, a timer and a basket of books. We've been tucking her in every night and setting the timer for 15 minutes and when it goes off she turns out the light and goes to sleep. She is so proud to have this responsibility and is such a rule follower that every night we've checked, she's turned her light out and is fast asleep.

Recipe
For dinner tonight I just dipped some cod in a little egg and Dijon mustard and then in some panko crumbs and cooked it on the side grill of the BBQ.

A touch crispy, but still good.

I tossed the cauliflower with a little olive oil, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2tsp of sugar (just like the crack broccoli of last week) and roasted it in the oven at 500F for 8-10 minutes.

The dark part was the best.

I just cut up and boiled the potatoes and then added a little salt and lots of balsamic vinegar, I couldn't seem to get them vinegary enough.

For the salad we had tossed greens with toasted almonds and sunflower seeds, fresh strawberries and a dressing of 3 parts olive oil, 1 part apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp mustard powder, 2 tsp honey and a little salt and pepper to taste.

Hearty Lentil and Kale Pasta
Hannah and Harper were very busy outside today setting up all the toys in the yard. They had them all lined up outside by the garden and Hannah also set up the horseshoes, ring toss, Frisbee golf and drew hop scotch on the patio stones. They then came in and invited me to come out and play. I went outside and Hannah stood in the middle of the yard and explained, "Now, I have set up a bunch of stations and you can pretty well play at whatever station you like." She then very clearly explained every station and demonstrated how to use each one with or without a partner, she reminded me of a very organized gym teacher.

Explaining and demonstrating the Tball station

Recipe
This recipe can be found on this post here, we all love it and it's really easy.

Black Bean Wraps
I was out all today volunteering at a conference and it sounds like the girls had a good day, but Harper had a rough evening. It all started after I picked them up from my parent's. Harper did not want to come home and cried the whole way home (didn't hurt my feelings at all). It was that kind of unfocused constant crying, when you're quite certain they can't remember why they're crying but they can't stop. There was a short break where Hannah was able to distract her outside, but once dinner time came and she was not permitted to have seconds before she finished what she already had, it was all over. She cried for seconds, then cried because her napkin fell on the floor, then she cried because she'd been crying so much that she got all stuffed up and every time she breathed her nose made a sniffling sound, yes I'm serious. She'd breath and then collapse into tears on me and say, "I want to do this (taking a big breath in through her nose), but I don't want it to make that souuuuunnnnd..." and it was difficult to get this out because she needed to take at least one breath during that statement, it was a very sad sight. I held her while she cried and then quietly carried her upstairs and brushed her teeth. I tried to get her to put on her PJs but this led to a full on tantrum in which she repeatedly threw herself on the floor and struggled with wanting to be comforted by me to being really mad at me and wanting me to leave. It all ended when she told me to leave as she climbed up on my lap and cried and cried on my shoulder until she fell asleep. I sat on the floor, exhausted and sad that she fell asleep so distraught but also selfishly treasuring being able to have her asleep in my arms.

Recipe
One of my favorite things is fresh corn off the cob in a salad. I made this salad and we put it in wraps and topped it with feta, banana peppers and a little green salsa. It would have been great without the wraps too.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cobs of corn
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup cilantro
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
10 green olives, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
I did also throw in the rest of the potatoes, just to use them up

Mix all together.

Mushroom Pecan Burgers with Carrots, Cucumber and Peas
I was out all day volunteering again today. I have to say there comes a time when you've been home for awhile and the opportunity to help out at a conference and even sit in on a couple sessions is almost (almost) like a spa day. Spending the whole day surrounded by adults can be really wonderful. I had a really great day and met a lot of interesting people. Sometimes it makes me wonder, would I rather be "out there" working instead of home. If I start to become unfulfilled at home before Harper starts school full time (when I'm planning to go back to work) will I recognize it and do something about it? I hope if that happens I will and I was a little concerned since I had such a great day, that I was missing something, thinking that perhaps I could maybe be happier working out of the house, honestly I barely thought about my kids while I was away. Then I got home and Dave was curled up on the couch with the girls and I realized how much a missed those little faces and how much I'm looking forward to spending the day with them tomorrow.

Recipe
I left this recipe from epicurious for Dave to make these burgers for supper. I can't offer a lot of input into the process because I wasn't here to make them. There were mixed opinions about these. Harper and I really liked them, they are very mushroomy and earthy. Dave and Hannah did not enjoy these and found them too mushroomy. They did completely fall apart and ended up like more of a hot spread then a burger as we loaded them on in chunks, although I did notice they suggest also putting it in a loaf pan and baking at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes, I think that may be the solution.

1 1/2 pounds (685 g) cremini mushrooms

1/2 cup (30 g) fresh parsley

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, divided

2 large-size yellow onions, finely chopped

3 large-size garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 to 2 cups (165 to 220 g) bread crumbs or cracker meal

3 tablespoons (45 g) tahini

2 tablespoons (30 g) hoisin sauce

3/4 cup (85 g) toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped

3 tablespoons (45 ml) tamari soy sauce

1 teaspoon (2 g) dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

salt and ground pepper, to taste

In a food processor, mince mushrooms and parsley. Remove and set aside.          

In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil and cook onions and garlic for 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to a large-size bowl, and combine with minced mushrooms and parsley, bread crumbs, tahini, hoisin sauce, chopped nuts, tamari, oregano, sage, salt, and pepper.

Place mixture in refrigerator for at least half an hour. Mixture will be soft, but you should be able to form patties. Add additional bread crumbs or tahini, if needed.

Create patties using your hands. In a sauté pan, warm remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil, and fry patties over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and crispy. Be careful to keep patties intact.

Rice Wraps
You know what I love about nice weather? The playing outside. I rarely have to say, "Go play outside." and when I do it's usually met with, "Can I wear flip flops?" instead of a "No, it's too cold." I love that no one even remembers Friday night movie night because they are too busy being pirates, riding the wagon and running from island to island in the yard. Who would want to sit and watch a boring movie when there are new lands to discover in every corner of the yard?

Harper doing some serious hoolahoop'n today.

Recipe
Hannah's pick this week was of course rice wraps found here.

Leftovers
Dave's parents brought a card game for the girls when they came called Skip-Bo, the kid's version. It's a really great game, Hannah's learning to strategize a little with it and it helps Harper with her number recognition. We've been playing it as a family before bedtime to give the girls a little down time from playing outside before they go to bed. I also like it because it gives us time as a family to sit around and connect at the end of the day. Hannah is also learning a new way to stall before bedtime as she will opt to play a different card instead of playing the one that will win the game so we can play longer.

Recipe
Dave was working on the fireplace again today, but it's kind of down to a one person job so the girls and I went to the park and to my friend's for a playdate. I had planned on egg sandwiches, knowing we would be busy and the house would be in chaos but trying my best to avoid ordering something, but Dave and Harper had both eaten two eggs for breakfast and so I couldn't in good conscience feed them more eggs today. We had some leftover mushroom burgers and hummus in the fridge and had that for supper.

Pasta with Roasted Veggies and Shrimp, Strawberry Salad, Bread and Ice Cream and Berries
Renos always take much longer than you think they will. Dave worked all day on the fireplace today and he still there are no tiles up. They are all cut though so I think that the next time will be it (knock on wood). On a whim yesterday I ordered a yard of dirt for the front garden (as my mom was already ordering some), I had done nothing in the front to get it ready for the dirt and of course already had a garden full of weeds. I was planning a whole day in the yard today with the girls because I was sure it was going to be beautiful. I woke up to dark grey skies. It looked like it was going to open up and pour any minute. So we rushed around outside weeding and edging the garden and filling it with dirt. the girls helped by using their little wheel barrel we got them for Easter. they were really quite cute. Once the garden could not hold anymore dirt I realized that still had a significant amount left. Of course, because this is how we roll, I had yet to rake the yard so spreading it on the grass was going to be difficult. There I was madly raking in order to spread the dirt before the clouds opened up on me. I did get it all done, grass seed spread as well with time to spare as it didn't start raining until supper time.

As always we had a delicious meal at my parents. The girls played happily in the basement because there was a new box down there. My parents bought a little kid picnic table which came in a tall skinny in box in which the girls would climb inside from the bar stools and then tip themselves over, they did this for an hour or more until Harper got hurt and then they came up to ask for dessert.

I hope the sun shines down on you (although I am hoping for light overnight rain for my grass seed) this week!

Good Byes and Renos

Monday: Black Bean Soup and Quesadillas
Tuesday: Lemon Orzo, Broccoli and Edamame Beans
Wednesday: Omlettes, Toast and Fruit Salad
Thursday: Cod Burgers on Ciabatta with Green Salad
Friday: Curried Quinoa Cauliflowe Salad
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: Potabello Mushroom Burgers with Corn on the Cob, Salad and Roasted Potatoes

Black Bean Soup with Quesadillas
I'm always a little facinated with the history of foods, or more so comfort foods. I know that we eat to live (some days at least), but obviously a lot of my life centers around food. One of my favorite comfort foods is Dave's cinnamon buns. He got the recipe from his mom and makes them every now and then on a weekend morning, mostly by request. He also made them the morning Harper was born and they have become a standard comfort around here. He always lets the girls help and I'm sure it won't be too long until Hannah's making them on her own. It's the relation that intrigues me, the way Dave's mom made them (they are quite famous and sought after by the community at the cottage) for her kids, passed the recipe on and Dave and the girls have created a ritual of making them together and every now and then when we are lucky enough to have Dave's parents here they get to make them with their Grammie, like today.

Hannah also spent the afternoon sewing with her Grammie and made this pillowcase and a blanket for Harper for her birthday. Dave's mom is a very talented seamstress and so Hannah has been waiting for her to come and help her sew (because, although we have the best intentions - kind of suck at helping her learn). She brought out a couple learn to sew patterns and Hannah did all that stitching, I thought it was pretty straight for a first timer (straighter than I can do), if I can brag about her a little. She also asked to make a blanket for Harper for her birthday out of some of her material - I love that kid!

Recipe
The black bean soup is slightly altered from The Best of Bridge: That's Trump I used two cans of black beans and I think I would use 3 next time, it wasn't quite beany enough for me.

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves
2 stalks celery
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp fennel seeds
6 cups low sodium veggie stock
28 oz can of tomatoes
4 tsp fresh lime juice
Sour cream, salsa and hot banana peppers

In a large pot saute onions, garlic and celery in olive oil until soft. Stir in chili, oregano, cumin and fennel and cook for 1 minute. Add beans and the stock and summer for 30 minutes. Add tomatoes and lime juice and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree soup in batches and garnish with sour cream, salsa and hot peppers.

For the quesadillas I sauteed peppers, mushrooms and onions until soft with a little low sodium fajita seasoning until soft. I filled half a whole wheat tortillas with veggies and grated cheddar cheese, floded them over and baked them in the oven on a parchment lined cookie sheet at 400F a few minutes a side until browned and cheese is melted.

Lemon Orzo, Broccoli and Edamame Beans
Dave's parents are heading home tomorrow morning. It seems like it was such a short visit, barely a week. We really packed today in and met Dave for lunch at Stellas and then headed down to the art gallery to see the Norman Rockwell exhibit. I had Harper in tow and so was able to look at a lot of The Saturday Evening Post (with security only approaching us once because Harper was too close...she wasn't touching - which she did mention to the security guard). Just as I was starting to sweat and wonder how this was all going to turn out we rounded the corner to find a table and chairs set up with coloured pencils and blank pages titled The Saturday Evening Post where you could create your own. Harper and I spent the rest of the time sitting there, with Dave's mom spelling me off here and there. I love Norman Rockwell for the stories they tell, and it was really well done with an audio of his son telling the stories of some of the paintings. I think as a child I liked them because they had kids in them, as a parent I can relate to a lot of them...

Recipe
It was a bit of a what do we have to use up, and here's what I came up with...

I made the lemon orzo from The Fit Housewife. Which I quite liked, but I felt it needed a little something, I would add a little diced red onion next time.

1 cup uncooked orzo

1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

zest of one lemon

sprinkle of sea salt

12 grape tomatoes, halved

5 basil leaves, finely chopped

Cook orzo according to package directions. In a serving bowl, mix together yogurt, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest, and salt. When orzo is finished cooking, drain and add to yogurt mixture. Add tomatoes and basil and toss together. Serve warm or place in fridge for a couple of hours and serve cold.

I made the Broccoli from Catherine Newman's blog. She calls it crack broccoli it was really quite good and addictive in that funny way where you may not realize it at the time, but ever since you've had it you've been thinking about it.

1 large head broccoli

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

 

Peel the broccoli with a sharp paring knife as best as you’re able. The thick peel will keep the broccoli from going fully tender, so you really do want to remove it.

Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a large rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Cut the stem off of the broccoli, and cut it into long, ½-inch thick pieces. Cut the rest of the broccoli into long, fairly narrow florets, then put it in a bowl, drizzle it with the oil and toss well until evenly coated. Sprinkle with the salt and sugar, and toss to combine. (The sugar helps it brown, so please don’t omit it.)

Working quickly, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully transfer the broccoli to the baking sheet and spread it in an even layer, placing it flat sides down wherever possible.

Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast until the stalks are well browned and tender and the florets are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

 

We also had some edamame beans.

 

Omlettes, Toast and Fruit
I may have lost it today...I did lose it. I try to be very patient with the girls and their mud antics, because when else in their lives are they going to be able to play in the mud? Usually they end up covered a few times a week, it ranges from a little on thier hands to needing to wash everything. Today they were covered from head to toe. It's been weeks and weeks of this (and I actually didn't have to deal with the last two as Dave's mom cleaned and washed up after them one day and Dave the last time) and finally it broke me. I was so mad and took this picture hoping it would change my attitude and I could make light of the situation, it didn't work.

After this picture was taken I started to try and clean them up. Hannah had handfuls and handfuls of mud in her pockets (in HER POCKETS), between her telling me it got in there by accident and listening to them complain about having to be cleaned up, I started screaming. I'm not proud of this moment, every voice in my head (I mean the voice in my head, there's only one, reallly...) was telling me to stop, be an adult - that's enought, yet I couldn't stop screaming, finally I walked away. It was porbably my least proudest moment as a parent. When the dust had settled we all sat on the floor, and I apologised for screaming and we decided that there will be no more playing in the mud this year. They were very forgiving and understanding of my outburst which kind of felt like a knife of guilt right through my heart, but fair enough. I spent the rest of the day feeling very guilty, and have checked on thier little innocent, forgiving sleeping bodies twice already.

Cod Burgers on Ciabatta with Green Salad

Harper: What do you do at a gween wight?
Me: Go.
Harper: What do you do at a wed wight?
Me: Stop.
Harper: What do you do at a yewow wight?
Me: Slow down and get ready to stop.
Harper: What if the wight is green and you're stopped?
Me: You go.
Harper: But what if you're stopped?
Me: Then you need to start moving because green means go.
Harper: But what if you're stopped?
Me: Then you need to start moving because green means go.
Harper: But what if you're stopped?
Me: I don't know, what if you're stopped?
Harper: Mo-om you're just being siwy, I'm asking you.
Me: Oh.
Harper: What do you do at a gween wight?

Reread this conversation about 50 times and you've got my afternoon with Harper.

Recipe
So I threw together these fish burgers, tried to cook them on the side griddle of the BBQ and after almost blowing myself up, and then finding them there cold after they'd been "cooking" for 10 minutes, I baked them in the oven. They were good, Hannah loved them, putting them up on her list with rice wraps and Grandma's macaroni and cheese.

1 lb cod, chopped up fairly small

1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
3 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp grainy Dijon
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup panko crumbs
1 egg beaten

Combine all ingredients and make into 4 large patties or 5 smaller ones, place on wax paper or parchment, cover and chill in the fridge for at least two hours. In the end I baked these at 450F on parchment lightly sprayed with a little olive oil.

We had ours on a hunk of ciabatta that was brushed with a little olive oil and then grilled on the BBQ, topped with sliced tomatoes and then the burger and a green salad on the side.

Curried Quinoa Cauliflowe Salad
The whole day outside, little girls smelling like sunshine and a great bid snuggle before bedtime. Ahhh, life's good.

Recipe
The recipe for the quinoa is from this post, yummy!

Pizza
We've started! We've started! We have started our renovation, it's going to be on going for quite awhile. We have decided to redo the fireplace and tear the beams down in the family room while we're waiting for our drawings from the engineer. My mom and dad have graciously taken the kids for the weekend and we spent last night and today tearing down the old brick, shopping, and doing a bunch of other stuff which doesn't seem to make a lick of difference visually but needed to be done to do the fun stuff...I didn't like that part as much. It's now 10:50 pm Dave's working on the last thing we're going to do tonight and I'm waiting to be able to put a second coat of sealant on the slate tiles. We're not pretty right now and my hands hurt but it'll all be worth it.

Recipe
We're keeping track of all expenses in regards to the reno, even trips to the dump ($20 so far in dump fees) and I think that we may need to add take out to the list. We were just too busy and dusty/dirty to cook, I think I may need to make a meal plan for these kinds of days, we ordered in.

Potabello Mushroom Burgers with Corn on the Cob, Salad and Roasted Potatoes

Happy Earth Day! We didn't do anything to celebrate earth day, unless you count taking down the beams from the ceiling and pulling out all the nails so that we could reuse the wood, that's kind of earth dayish, right? My parents took the girls to The Fort Whyte Center where they made some crafts, got their face painted and cooked bannock on a stick in over a fire. My mom said there was also a place where they could take little nets and dip into the marsh and scoop something out and there were people there who would tell you all about what you had. My mom was telling Hannah about it and she looked up at her and said, "We don't have life jackets." and Harper exclaimed, "Yeah, that's dangerous." So they steered clear of all water activities and I found a little peice of comfort.

 

My parents not only took the girls all weekend, they also still had us for dinner. We worked until five, Dave a little longer and then washed up and walked down to my parents. We still are not done but are very hopeful to finish next weekend. We will sleep extremely well tonight I think.

 

I hope the sun shines down on you this week!

There's Nothing Better Than a Good Visit

Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Minestrone Soup
Wednesday: Grilled Talapia, Roasted Baby Potatoes, Baked Asparagus and Salad with Roasted Beets
Thursday: Falafel
Friday: Out for Dinner
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: Salmon, Rice Pilaf, Roasted Veggies, Salad, Bread with Pineapple Cake and Ice Cream

Leftovers
Well, today I was not going to eat any chocolate...but, it was grey today and the kids didn't find all the eggs. Instead of prompting them a little when I noticed one, Dave insisted that we let them find them on their own, how fun to find a chocolate egg two days later. The logic behind this is good, but flawed very, very flawed. Especially since one of the ones that they hadn't found was on the window sill in the kitchen by the sink, I stared at that thing all morning, finally I ate it...and then five more that I knew about. I think that's it, although how excited will I be if I find one in two days from now...I mean the kids, yes the kids.

Recipe
We had leftover blueberry pecan french toast from yesterday with leftover baked beans, killer coleslaw and fruit.

Minestrone Soup
Dave's parents are coming to visit they arrive late tonight. The girls are so excited Harper keeps running around yelling, "Gammie and Gampie are coming today!" We usually see them once or twice a year but, this time it's been over a year since we've seen them and it's been too long.

Recipe
I made the minestrone soup from this post here, except I forgot to buy the greens and I used ziti instead of pasta.

Grilled Talapia, Roasted Baby Potatoes, Baked Asparagus and Salad with Roasted Beets
I have kind of fallen off the writing this week and am trying to catch up so you'll have to bear with me as I try and remember our days because, honestly my memory is really quite bad. I do remember how excited the girls were when they woke up Wednesday and saw Dave's parents, Harper not even hesitating to give them a cuddle. It's really so lovely to have them here to visit. I especially love listening to the girls giggle with excitement and cuddle up with them. The excitement in Hannah's voice when she asked me if Grammie could walk her to the bus stop (not to mention the fact that I was in the middle of two, yes two with one child, potty training incidences). Hannah said to me, when I mentioned how great it was to see Grammie and Grandpie, "Yes, it's really good to see them here - I mean I do get to see them all the time, but not like touch them and hug and kiss them and that's much, much better." Yes, it is, isn't it?

Recipe
Dinner tonight was fairly simple, I brushed the fish fillets with a little olive oil and Dave grilled them on the BBQ.

I roasted baby potatoes with a little olive oil and salt and baked the asparagus with a little olive oil and some grated lemon zest and baked them for about 8 - 10 minutes until tender.

The salad was from Jan's Sushi Bar and was delicious, I still can't seem to get enough of the roasted beets.

3 medium beets, red

1 tablespoon olive oil

10 ounces mixed baby greens

3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup pistachios, I used a mixture of salted macadamia nuts, almonds and cashews

2 tablespoons raw honey

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons minced red onion

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly scrub the beets; trim the stem and root ends. Place beets on a large piece of foil; drizzle with olive oil, then wrap foil around them to form a neat packet. Roast directly on a rack in center of the oven until easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Unwrap the beets and allow to sit until cool enough to handle. Rub off the skins with a clean paper towel or peel with a paring knife; cut into ½-inch dice. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, red onion, salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Divide the greens onto plates, then sprinkle with beets, nuts and goat cheese; drizzle with the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Falafel

Thursday was beautiful and so I thought that after we took Hannah to school I would take Harper and Dave's parents on a walk through this nice little trail a neighborhood over. I had to ask my parents directions three or four times of how to drive to the trail (I've only been on it once) the directions were follow one road and then turn right and follow that road until the end, the fact that I had to ask for these directions three or four times should have been a warning. So we all headed off on the trail which I was sure was a circle (and apparently is...which really speaks volumes about my directional sense) and still we wondered off somewhere and I got us lost. Luckily it was a beautiful day, perfect for an hour and a half walk. Harper alternated up and down off my shoulders and I'm sure that Dave's parents weren't all that surprised that I got us lost, it's kind of how I roll...

There were a bunch of deer on the trail and Harper was using her binoculars to spy them.

Taking a little rest

Recipe

I made falafels from here, which I love - it's always popular.

Out for Dinner

We all went out for dinner tonight to Bombolini's. It was raining out, I had Dave's mom and the girls and Dave and his dad went ahead in the other car to pick some dessert (cakettes from Cake-ology of course). When I went to drop them off at the restaurant before I went to park the car I looked back and Harper was fast asleep. So Heather (Dave's mom) took Hannah in and I took Harper with me to park. You know sometimes there are these moments where you are reminded why you married someone (not that you don't know all the time, but it's these obvious moments that stick out sometimes), as I'm walking in the rain with a two year old slung over my shoulder I look up to see my husband come sprinting out of the restaurant and down the street towards me to scoop up the little one from me, it's not that I was surprised, I wasn't expecting it, but it was more that I was in no way surprised.

Harper did wake up when we got in the restaurant and was quite a character. The girls did really well, staying in their seats (we did visit the bathroom five or six times of course). Harper, who is naturally loud, would talk/yell, "WHY DID THEY GIVE ME A KNIFE?" and then after being shhhed would repeat everything in a whisper.

Pizza and Salad

The girls jackets and clothes were washed twice today, ahhh spring. It's been mostly raining this week and the girls have been decorating the deck with mud and they have made a huge mud patch in the middle of the yard in which they continued to play and slip in. This was followed by a round of running through house after dinner with their cousin in their underwear! It then fell silent and I crept up the stairs to check on the three of them, worried that they were into something, and I found all three of them sitting on Hannah's bed in different bathing suits with a stuffed animal each, a doctor's kit and embroidery thread wrapping casts around their stuffies and checking their temperatures...they're pretty cute.

Recipe

We topped our pizzas with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, red onions, olives, peppers and mozzarella cheese. I just tossed together some of the leftovers from Wednesday night's salad.

Salmon, Rice Pilaf, Roasted Veggies, Salad, Bread with Pineapple Cake and Ice Cream
Here's the difference between a parent and a grand parent. The girls were heading out to play today, but had left their boots out over night and were complaining that they were cold. I, hearing this from upstairs would have said, "Put on an extra pair of socks and run." Their Grandpie on the other hand got the hair dryer and warmed up the inside of their boots for them before they put them on. I have to be honest, part of me felt a little sad that warming their boots with a hair dryer was not something I would do for my children, and part of me felt hopeful that I would one day take the time to do little, wonderful things like that for my grandchildren because I will have learned to always make it a priority to do the little things for the ones we love...

I hope the sun shines down on you this week and you are able to find the time to do the little things for the ones you love...

Happy Easter!

Monday: Balsamic Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil, Shrimp
Tuesday: Salad Wraps
Wednesday: Sushi
Thursday: Veggie Burgers and Salad
Friday: Pancakes and Fruit
Saturday: Egg Salad Sandwhiches
Sunday: Easter Dinner

Balsamic Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil, Shrimp
Some days there is just too much talking. Today I felt like I was talking all day. We went grocery shopping and since Harper has just started walking it's a lot of constant talking or more like yammering, "Come along, over here, please don't touch that, lets move on, yes put that in the cart, want to get, blah, blah, blah..." I'm so tired of talking and hearing my voice by the time we get to the car I usually turn up the music and give myself a bit of a rest on the way home. Except, Harper has entered the, "What if portion of her life." Which is really too bad because Hannah is still in that portion of her life and I have to say, I hate the what if questions. Not that it matters too much because I'm quite certain the next stage for Hannah is, "Would ya rather?" Which doesn't sound at all appealing to me either. I can clearly remember these stages from my own childhood and I think I quite enjoyed them, playing them out to their fullest. One thing that I've come to realize as a parent is sometimes, Karma's a bitch.

Recipe
One of the things I love in the summer is caprese salad with fresh garden tomatoes. Of course we don't have any garden tomatoes, but I chopped up some vine ripe ones, fresh basil and boccincini cheese and tossed with some fresh spaghettini. I drizzled it all with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and topped it with some shrimp that I had sauteed with a little garlic. It was quick, simple and tasted like summer.

Salad Wraps
I suppose when you look like me it's bound to happen. Let me rephrase that, when you look like me and you have two little girls who constantly play hair salon with their dolls, it's bound to happen. One day they are going to look at their mother and her hair that is long as well as very wide everywhere, they will notice the layers and pounds of tangled, half curly mess on their mother's head and think, "Why have we been wasting our time on dolls?" As the owner of that tangly mess, here's my advice, when a six and two year old want to brush it, the only answer is to run! The problem is, when they come in to wake you up both dressed in pretty dresses, wearing their special salon glasses (their sun glasses), with a chair set up for you and five elastics and a brush just waiting to tackle the fuzzy swirl of hair that has gathered in the back from a good night's sleep it's hard to say no. They were so proud and getting along so well, taking turns and sharing, that I sat down all bleary eyed to be tortured.

Yes, tortured.

The main problem with this situation is that I need to be able to brush their hair and so I feel like I need to provide a good example, like not screaming in pain before the brush even touches me. This was easy to do the first time, but soon just the thought of it sent me into a sweaty panic and I was sure that the Dora and Boots on the back of the brush were laughing at me. Although, once the elastic portion of the salon visit started I was wishing, almost begging for the sight of Dora and Boots! As they twisted and pulled and tangled and then declared that it didn't work! This went on for more than five minutes, my scalp pulsed in pain and I'm sure I lost quite a few clumps of hair, the elastic got tangled up four or five times and this was just the first elastic, there were five to go! They also continued to be super patient and polite with each other as well as trying to be gentle (trying, not succeeding) and responding to every wince, jump and scream (yes, I did scream a couple times - involuntarily) with a pat on the leg and a, "Oh, sorry Mama. Are you OK?" This behaviour was making it harder to find my way out, if only they'd start to fight I could declare this over because they can't get along. Finally, 20 minutes later, after elastic number three went in and about five screams had accidentally escaped my lips, I ended it, declaring I needed coffee and breakfast and three was enough! I emerged with three lopsided ponytails, a headache, a very sore scalped and much, much wiser. Don't let them suck you in with their cuteness it's not worth it!

Recipe
The girls picked two of the meals this week, salad rolls is always one of them and you can find them on this post.

Sushi
The girls tested out paper airplanes versus the balsam airplane that my Dad gave them for Christmas in the backyard this morning. Squealing with glee at the lengths they could fly when thrown off the deck and then racing to get them and try again.

They spent this afternoon sitting in the sun decorating the Easter eggs that we had dyed this morning. The rest of the afternoon and evening were spent running and climbing and cleaning their playhouse. They did come in for a quick dinner of sushi in which they gobbled up piece after piece barely breaking to breath, but managing to cover themselves in soya sauce and then ran back outside. When we finally called them in for bedtime they were covered from face to feet (Harper is already taking her shoes off outside). There's something about washing off all that dirt, I could hear Harper's giggles from all over the house as Dave scrubbed her nails with the nail brush and I could smell the sunshine in Hannah's hair tonight as we curled up together to read Winnie the Pooh. Ahhh, I love it!

Recipe
The second choice was sushi which you can find on this post, or just follow the directions on the back of the package of nori wraps (which is probably clearer). This time we filled ours with:

Roasted sweet potato
Avocado
Smoked salmon, cream cheese and cuccumber
Smoked salmon, cream cheese and avocado
Roasted sweet potato, cream cheese and avocado

Veggie Burgers and Salad
Harper is at that age where everything is a fight. No matter what's happening or what she's been asked it's just routine now that she will yell, "NO, AND I MEAN IT!" and throw herself on the floor. This is the reaction for everything, she doesn't discriminate. It can be because I've told her she can't have more cheese or I've asked her to go get a story after she's asked me to read to her. It's become so ridiculous that I've noticed Hannah will readily give up whatever it was she wanted (such as being the one to open the garage door), once Harper pipes up that she wants it, just to avoid the drama of it all. This last bit makes me want to cry because it seems so unfair for Hannah and because I am so grateful to her as it lets me keep a tiny piece of energy and patience that I seem to be hermoraging these days. My aunt once told me that to be a parent you need to have a really good sense of humour...I'm trying really hard these days to just laugh it off...these days it's more of a crazy, lunatic, I'm coming completely unhinged laugh - but hopefully once day it's just be pure laughter.

Recipe
This recipe was from Munchin with Munchkin and it was a little labour intensive but didn't take too long. Hannah declared she loved them and we all happily ate them for lunch the next day.

2 portabello mushrooms, thickly sliced
½ small eggplant, thickly sliced

2 tbsp. olive oil (plus more for cooking)

2 leeks, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup cashews
1 tbsp. pine nuts
½ cup textured vegetable protein (TVP)
1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. marmite
½ tsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. vegan worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
¾ cup Panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss mushrooms and eggplant with one tablespoon of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Place mushrooms in a single layer on the lined cookie sheet. Divide the eggplant slices in two and wrap each pile with tin foil; place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and set aside to cool. Continue cooking eggplant for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In the meantime, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add leeks and shallots to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue to cook until fragrant; about 30 seconds. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

Add cashews and pine nuts to the pan and cook over medium heat stirring often. When the nuts begin to brown, remove from pan and set aside.

In a small pot bring bring half a cup of water to a boil. Add TVP to the boiling water, stir, cover with a lid and remove from heat. The TVP will take approximately 5 minutes to re-hydrate. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.

Add chickpeas, cashews, and pine nuts to a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Transfer to the large bowl with the TVP.

Place mushrooms, leeks, shallots, and garlic to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add to the large bowl.

Place eggplant, marmite, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, onion powder, and garlic powder into the food processor and pulse until smooth and well combined. Add mixture to the large bowl.

Use you hands to mix all the ingredients in the large bowl together until well combined. Refrigerate at least one hour or chill overnight. This helps the flavors to merge. At this point you could also form the patties and freeze for future use.

When you are ready to prepare the veggie burgers, preheat oven to 400F, line a pan with parchment paper and spray with olive oil.

Add bread crumbs to the veggie burger mixture and form into eight patties. Place the patties on the pan and spray the tops with olive oil as well. Bake until browned, about 10 - 15 minutes and then flip and bake on the other side.

We had ours with traditional burger fixings and a salad of chopped tomatoes, cuccumber, boccincini cheese, fresh basil and drizzled with olive oil, balsamic and salt and pepper.

Blueberry Pancakes and Fruit
It's so amazing how kids hone in on your sense of wanting to be alone and then smother you. This morning the kids were playing outside while Dave raked and I went for a run. They continued to play outside while we got lunch ready and cleaned off the table on the deck as if we didn't exist. Once we finished lunch they ran off again and Dave and I thought it would be a good time to have some tea and sit out on the swing together to read...and suddenly it was as if someone had crazy glued them to us.

Recipe
Breakfast for dinner's the best!

Egg Salad Sandwiches
Hannah is so excited for Easter tomorrow she's having trouble containing herself. We put the girls to bed after the first period of the hockey game and by the end of the third Hannah had already wondered down three or four times. Dave had actually half walked in the house with the wheel barrel we got them for Easter and had to do a quick turn and go back out to the garage. By the end of the game Hannah was sitting beside us on the couch watching. You should have seen her eyes light up when it went into overtime and then fall when the other team scored a few minutes in. I think she was disappointed that the Jets lost, but more so that she was going to have to go back up to bed. It still took her another half hour to an hour to fall asleep, yawn - we were so tired waiting for her to fall asleep. I didn't think it would be this early in our lives that we would have trouble outlasting our children!

Recipe
We're having brunch tomorrow and I decided that we would have deviled eggs as part of it. It's been a long time since I've peeled hard boiled eggs...or at least tried to peel them carefully. Dave and I stood in the kitchen today trying to peel them all pretty and perfect and the more we tried it seemed the worse they looked. It was really one of the most frustrating things I've done in a long time. Hence, the egg salad as there were many that were unfit for stuffing (because they were actually torn apart, we had to use the crazy pot marked ones). We'd been prepping and had all these eggs and half a baguette left, so I cut it in half lengthwise and stuffed it with egg salad.

Easter Dinner
Happy Easter! Despite Hannah being up so late, she was still up at 6:30 to hunt for eggs. We made her stay upstairs until Harper woke up and then we all went down as a family (this was Hannah's plan). When Harper woke up Dave and Hannah went in while I slowly came too. I could her Dave make some sort of teasing joke and Hannah replied, "Da-ad, this is not a day for silliness, it's a day for chocolate!" With that, we all went downstairs to hunt for eggs. Hannah had already decided on her plan of attack. We were all to go downstairs as a family, they would hunt for eggs for a little while, stop and snack on a couple and then find the rest. I have to say she stuck to her plan to the letter, she can be very organized and focused.

Harper's question today, about every 5 minutes is, "When can we eat the rest of our chocolate eggs?"

Recipe
We had my parents and my grandma for Easter brunch. We made this baked blueberry-pecan french toast from epicurious but I cooked it for twice as long as it asked and I didn't make the blueberry syrup in the recipe, we just used maple syrup (I mean really, why would you ever mess with maple syrup? But, of course if you think it's ok to mess with maple syrup than there's a recipe on the link.).

a 24-inch baguette

6 large eggs

3 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup pecans (about 3 ounces)

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups blueberries (about 12 ounces)

Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Cut twenty 1-inch slices from baguette and arrange in one layer in baking dish. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla, and 3/4 cup brown sugar and pour evenly over bread. Chill mixture, covered, until all liquid is absorbed by bread, at least 8 hours, and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a shallow baking pan spread pecans evenly and toast in middle of oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Toss pecans in pan with 1 teaspoon butter and salt.

Increase temperature to 400°F.

Sprinkle pecans and blueberries evenly over bread mixture. Cut 1/2 stick butter into pieces and in a small saucepan heat with remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, stirring, until butter is melted. Drizzle butter mixture over bread and bake mixture 20 minutes, or until any liquid from blueberries is bubbling.

We also had deviled eggs (as we all know from yesterday's post).

They're not super pretty, but because of the peeling time and frustration I had to add them.

Fruit, mamosas and some crackers with Brie, Gouda and Bousin cheese.

I love brunch!

For supper we went to my parents for the family gathering. We brought baked beans which you can find here on last Easter's post. I have to say I love this recipe because they are good and easy and they turn out every time with the right thickness of sauce and everything. We also had so much other food that I may be a little embarrassed to name it all...but I will anyway. Ham and meatballs (well, not us), killer coleslaw, green salad, bread, shwarties, two kinds of veggie casserole (one with broccoli and cauliflower and one with asparagus and cashews), cabbage rolls (two kinds of veggie ones and meat ones) and then for dessert; fruit with chocolate sauce, matrimonial square, a bunny cake and cupcakes (I really wish I would have taken a picture to show you, they were so cute!) and chocolate truffels. Now, I need to roll myself up the stairs so I can wake up tomorrow and run all day long to try and make up for what I consumed today.

I almost burst into tears when I saw this picture, look how big Hannah is! How did that happen?

Happy Easter! Happy Spring! Happy Renewal! 

I hope the sun shines down on you this week!

Spring Break

Monday: Chop-Chop Style Salmon
Tuesday: Eggs on Hash with Fruit
Wednesday: Pizza, Kale Chips with Watermelon and Cantaloupe
Thursday: Lentil Stew and a Little Homemade Sunshine
Friday: The Whole Bowl
Saturday: Taco Salad
Sunday: Breaded Pickerel, Pasta Salad, Sauteed Veggies, Bread and Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream

Chop-Chop Style Salmon
Ahhhh, spring break! There's no skating or dancing either which makes for a really nice break. The first day was really great. The girls barely argued, which is amazing these days. They played and danced together all morning, we went grocery shopping which was fairly successful and played games during the afternoon. The weather was very dreary and rainy, although I'm not sure if it rained or not, and so it was perfect for games. Hannah keeps talking about how it's so nice to not have to go to school and be able to stay home with Harper and I, but I think she's actually trying to convince herself of this. The joy felt by a teacher or an older student for a week off is perhaps lost on the kindergardener that gets to spend half the day at home and half the day playing with her friends at school.

Recipe
Dinner was this salad from Peas and Crayons and it was delicious. I did a couple things differently here and there but for the most part it's the same. I have to give Dave the credit for cooking salmon to perfection!

1 salmon fillet

1 cup brown rice
lettuce [romaine, spring mix, etc...]
a handful of grape tomatoes, halved
crumbled feta
black olives
garlic powder
onion powder
mustard powder
turmeric
paprika
salt and pepper
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
3 Tbsp yogurt
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp curry powder

Cook rice according to package directions adding a pinch of turmeric, garlic powder and onion powder.

For dressing mix together mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, curry powder and pinch of onion, garlic and mustard powder and season with a little salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven or BBQ to cook the salmon. Drizzle the salmon with olive oil and sprinkle with onion, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper on both sides and cook until just done.

Layer your salad on a plate with lettuce, rice, tomatoes, olives, salmon, feta and sauce. Add on any other veggies you think might be good such as avocado or asparagus spears.

Eggs on Hash with Fruit
Rain, rain go away. It is raining today and cloudy and dark and dreary and so are we. It seems like the clouds moved into our minds and moods here today grumping us all up. I decided this afternoon was the perfect time to make some popcorn and watch a movie, to get rid of the grumps...or at least hide them for a little, while stuffing our faces with popcorn and hot chocolate and frying our brains with Shrek. There was also some laughter and cuddling which always helps.

Recipe
Breakfast for supper? Yes please. This recipe is from Good Cooks, the only thing I changed was Dave and I added some hot peppers to ours, oh and I made two batches.

2 large white potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used baby potatoes)

salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1\4 cup yellow onion, diced small
1 cup chopped parsley (I used cilantro)
2 tablespoon red, yellow or green bell pepper, diced small
1\4 cup tomato, seeded and diced small
3 large eggs

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions and potatoes and cook covered for 5 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes until the potatoes are golden, add the peppers, tomatoes and cilantro (or parsley) and cook for another 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, make 3 wells with the back of a spoon and gently crack your eggs in, cover and cook until eggs are done. We had ours with fresh strawberries, pineapple, grapes and oranges.

Pizza, Kale Chips with Watermelon and Cantaloupe
We have this rule around here about climbing. It was made by Dave and I suppose it's good, kids need to climb right? So the rule is, you need to be able climb up yourself and get down yourself. Dave made this rule when Hannah started climbing trees and it's actually done us well. The two things that get climbed in our yard is the tree and the playhouse. Hannah sits on the roof of the playhouse and, until today, Harper has been perfectly happy to play in the playhouse. I looked out today and Hannah was helping her up onto the roof! I went right outside, took her down and reminded the girls that they had to be able to climb up themselves. I then watched Harper try, try, try until she was able to climb up herself, but she was stuck up there. So I came out again, took her down and reminded her that she needed to also be able to get down herself. I then watched her try, try, try until she could get down herself (I've never wished my child to fail at something so badly). So now, she is perched on the top of the roof with Hannah and all I can think of is that she's going to fall backwards off the playhouse and break her neck! So I called them in to help with dinner. I'm pretty sure the only other time I've called them in from playing outside was when it was a hail storm. I just couldn't stand it, I'm praying she forgets she knows how by tomorrow (not likely)!

Recipe
We had my two nephews and my niece for supper tonight so we had pizza - cause it's easy peasy. I not only bought the dough but I also bought the cheese all shredded from the dough place (not at economically smart, but so nice to have it all shredded). The kids had just cheese and so I made kale chips and cut up some melon to make me feel better about the balance of the meal. Dave and I had the usual; olives, onions, mushrooms and artichoke hearts.

Lentil Stew and a Little Homemade Sunshine
It's raining again and I really want to go on and on about the rain and how much the cloudiness brings me down, but honestly who wants to hear about that? So instead today we decided it was time to do something to make us smile. Homemade sunshine, also known as lemon crud or that really good stuff in lemon meringue pie. It is very rare that I decided to bake, mostly because it is altogether too scientific for me and because I have no self control and eat far too much of it. But today I felt like baking...or more like eating. The girls and Dave were very surprised! So we made some lemon curd, it really does look like sunshine and kind of made me happy like sunshine does...for about five minutes. We then worked really hard to whip up an angel food cake from a box. I cut the cake in half and the girls smeared all the lemon curd on it and then we put the top back on. I tried to make boiled icing, but let the sugar go too long and it didn't work (normally when I bake, something goes wrong), but really angel food cake doesn't need any icing. The upside of the baking was that it was very exciting for the girls and it gave us something to do together during this dreary day, the downside is that they were literally bouncing off the walls at bedtime after having a piece.

The sunshine!

Spreading the sunshine!

Recipe
We had lentil stew from this post here. It is one of our favorites; filling, cheap, healthy and tasty! Is it terrible that I keep recycling this photo? I keep forgetting to take a new one.

The Whole Bowl
Another day of rain. I started a book last night before bed, The Hunger Games. I know, you've all read it. I jumped on the train a little later than most. I have to tell you I love to read and I have been starting and abandoning books lately, they weren't all bad just not fitting and I've been feeling a little lost with nothing to read, so I was so happy to have this book grab me right away. This afternoon I decided to take the kids to the YMCA to run around and play on the play structure, at the last minute I thought to bring my book...it's good I didn't start this book until the last day of spring break or I may have ignored my children for a whole week (not that I do that...).

Recipe
We had The Whole Bowl from this post. It's a spring/summer meal and with all the rain it didn't quite fit, but we loved it anyway.

Taco Salad

The sun! The sun! We saw the sun! We played in it, and basked in it's glory and I even at one point may have bowed down to it and all it's sun shinny power! We had quite the adventure to the park (which is just at the end of the street) where, I had to pick Harper up and run to my aunt and uncle's house nearby so she could us the potty and Hannah fell off her scooter in a giant puddle on the way home (she has my grace). She fell in the puddle and screamed and screamed even in my arms, I thought that possibly she broke something she was so hysterical...in the end she had two little scratches which we washed up with a little soap and water. She changed her clothes looked up at me and said, "Can we go bike riding now?" I think that it was the shock of falling in the puddle and being wet from head to toe that shook her up so much...funny since I have actually seen this kid use a puddle as a pool on a hot day...

Recipe

Taco salad was not what I was going to make for supper today, but we played outside until 5:30 and needed something fast, because the girls were staaaaaaaarving.

Everybody helped make dinner tonight.

Talapia fillets

Old Bay seasoning

We shook some talapia fillets in a bag with Old Bay seasoning and Dave grilled them on the BBQ to go on top of our taco salad.

Taco salad to me is often a great way to use up leftovers, which is what we did tonight, we used:

Lettuce

Red pepper, chopped

Corn (I usually like to use it raw off the cob, but tonight we only had frozen)

Green onions, chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Olives

Tortilla chips, crushed

Guacamole

Green salsa

Feta cheese

Sour cream

K Sauce (leftover from last night)

Toss it all together and top it with the grilled fish!

Breaded Pickerel, Pasta Salad, Sauteed Veggies, Bread and Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream

The sun came out this afternoon and the girls played outside together all afternoon. They had adventure after adventure together barely poking their heads inside for a drink of water. I sat on the couch and read my book all afternoon. I feel like a should feel guilty after complaining about not having any sunshine and then barely going out to enjoy it today...but I don't. It's been awhile since I've enjoyed a good book and I loved every wasted minute of this afternoon.

We went to my parents for Sunday dinner. Oh, how I love Sunday dinner! The end of spring break tomorrow and then it seems we have holidays and visits to look forward to until June!

I hope the sun shines down on you this week!