first snow

The boys were so excited to see the season's first light dusting of snow this morning. Nathaniel wanted to get out the camera to take a picture. I love how the snow and the photographer are captured in this shot.

After dropping Abigail off at school, we walked home then prepared for a morning full of errands. I am happy to report that I had happy travellers and accomplished a lot of Christmas shopping.

After Jesse started his nap I was on operation cream puff. We are heading to friend's for supper and I jumped at the chance to make dessert. I have been wanting to try my hand at cream puff/eclair making and knew this would be a good audience. I made cream puffs once years ago and know that it's not as hard as it seems. I quickly assembled my ingredients and got down to work. Admittedly I was quite focused on my many tasks. Not only was I keeping watch over my nicely browning puffs, but I was making sure not to burn my pastry cream that I was diligently stirring at the stove. While all this was under way, Nathaniel began his own cooking adventure. He got out ice, lots of bowls, tongs and marshmallows. It was a little late when I realized the marshmallows were opened and dumped out into the different bowls.

So, this was Nathaniel's creation - Easter bunnies. Neatly arranged on the ice tray.

And my cream puffs/eclairs - Neatly drying in the oven. I'll report later on how they turned out.

thankful

This morning as I prepared to go to work and Jesse watched intently for Grandpa to show up at our door, I had to reflect on the many blessings that come with having grandparents that live so close by. The transition back to part time work is so much easier because I don't have to worry about who my child is with. There are no tears when I leave him and no difficult transition out of my arms and into the care of another. I am so thankful to have parents and parents-in-law that are willing and love to spend time with our children.

In honour of American Thanksgiving, consider what you are thankful for today.

praline apple bread

I was doing a bit of inventory in the fridge and realized that I needed to clear out our fruit drawer in preparation for our now monthly pick up from Bailey's Local Foods. I will be bringing home a LOT of apples today and needed to finish up the few that are still from our trip to the market two weekends ago. I haven't made this recipe in years and can not remember where I even got the recipe. What I do remember is that I liked it enough to write down the recipe and I certainly couldn't forget the yummy praline topping. I have visions of my children nibbling the sugary coating and leaving the apple bread untouched. This might just be a bread that Andrew and I eat. I have also missed baking with nuts, so this won't be making into any lunches either.

Praline Apple Bread - makes one loaf

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup sour cream or yogurt (I used full fat yogurt, I would not recommend fat free)

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour (pastry flour recommended but not essential)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups chopped, peeled tart apple (I used Mutsu)

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl whisk together granulated sugar, yogurt, eggs and vanilla.

Stir together flours, baking powder, soda and salt; add to yogurt mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in apple and 1/2 cup of the pecans. Turn into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans; press lightly into batter.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over browning. (I did not have to do this.) Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

While the loaf cools, combine butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan; cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 1 minute. Remove bread from pan. Drizzle top with brown sugar mixture (place rack on top of baking sheet to catch any excess butter/brown sugar mixture); cool.

so excited

I almost forgot. My post from Monday featured the root beer float cake that I made on the weekend. I was so pumped to see that Joy the Baker, the blog where I found the recipe, had read my blog and commented on the cake. How exciting to see that she had visited my humble blog. Thanks to Chanda for connecting with Joy and bringing her to my site.

weeks 36 to 39

Yes, I am still here. I think I underestimated the amount of time my new job would take. The number of paid hours isn't that much, but as I reenter the world of counselling, I feel the need to spend a lot of time analyzing my sessions and formulating intervention plans for my different clients. I have felt confident in my role and have really enjoyed this age group and the variety of issues that arise in the college setting. There are so many new experiences for people - being away from home, the increased study demands, the shift in having more mature relationships with others. This has been such a good move for me.

Of course I am really missing my hobbies. I have pictures waiting to scrapbook and photos that need to be edited and developed. Let's not even talk about planning for Christmas. I am usually so much more organized at this point. I have been able to keep somewhat disciplined in getting my evening runs in. I try to read every night before bed (sometimes too late) and have gotten some journalling done on my photo a day album. So, here are a few pages to share. This brings me to the end of September. That doesn't seem too bad, does it?

Week 36...

Week 37...

Week 38...

Week 39...

root beer float cake

Today is my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday Chris! We celebrated her birthday yesterday and I offered to bring the cake. There are many cake recipes that are on my list to try and I just don't have enough opportunities (or time) to make them all. One of those recipes on the list is a Root Beer Float Cake. I grew up drinking many ice cream floats. They were usually made with pepsi and were a treat on Saturday night. I remembered the picture above, Chris sharing her float with me, and I knew this recipe was the perfect cake for her.

The kids were very excited to help me make this on Saturday evening. They called it a donut cake/beer cake and were very excited to try it. So was I. It turned out to be a very moist chocolate cake with just a hint of something undetectable. The root beer flavour is barely noticeable and needs to be pointed out. But it was delicious, especially with ice cream.

Root Beer Float Cake - from Joy the Baker

Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

2 cups root beer (don’t use diet)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

Preheat even to 325 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, or butter generously and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.

In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. (I would sift this mixture next time)

In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy. You can give it a quick whisk if you like, but don’t over beat the batter or it could cause the cake to be tough. Don’t worry, the batter is very loose.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and cook for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then loosen edges with a butter knife and turn out onto a cake plate.

Chocolate Root Beer Frosting

2 ounces 60% cocoa, melted

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup root beer

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter and cocoa powder. Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar and root beer. Beat together until smooth. Spread on top of cooled cake. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.

harmony

Some days it is hard to find much harmony in our household. Other days I am pleased with how harmonious these three can be. I have found no system to predict what kind of day it will be. There are days (like when Andrew is working late) when I hope these three will find something to play together and I may just hear silence (with lots of giggles mixed in). Other times it doesn't seem to matter what is happening but someone is coming to me crying or complaining that they just got hit. Of course no parent wants to hear the fierceness that can come out of their child's mouth. There are days when I don't have the energy to be the patient teacher. Or redirect the negative behaviour. But it is wonderful when all three can giggle and have fun together (even with a bathroom floor covered with water). As I begin the 3 days with Andrew out of town, I am hoping that there will be many moments when I can hear the harmonious laughter from my 3 beautiful children.

just us

This past weekend, Andrew and I had a bit of a getaway in Toronto. It has been a very long time since we were gone on an overnight without the kids (I was pregnant with Jesse), so when Andrew volunteered to help with a physiotherapy exam we knew we needed to turn it into a little mini vacation just for us. We left the kids at home with Andrew's folks and drove away giddy and a bit nervous (on my part) for our overnight in TO. I won't focus too much on my feelings as a mother and leaving my baby for a night. Let's just say it went beautifully and now that Jesse has passed the test, we hope there will be more frequent getaways just like this one.

We arrived in Toronto on Friday afternoon, checked into our hotel (The Sheridan) and quickly had a plan for the evening. We strolled down Queen St. for our supper destination. I love eating out in good restaurants, so I had done some research prior to leaving. I have heard a lot about the restaurant Juice for Life, now renamed Fresh, so this was our supper plan. The restaurant is vegan and is famous for its energy drinks, smoothies and wonderful vegan menu options.

We decided to go with the prix fixe menu and got to choose a smoothie, appetizer, rice bowl and cookie for dessert. When Andrew ordered his choice for rice bowl, I was a bit surprised. I didn't want to speak up and challenge his choice but I knew that out of all the options, this one would probably be the most different. Well, I probably should have said something since he did not enjoy his bowl as much as I enjoyed mine. But this is why I love him so. It's not his kind of food but he knows I love trying these kinds of restaurants and he is happy to give it a go. So, the green goddess rice bowl (with tempeh, kale, broccoli and tahini sauce) was not a thumbs up in his book. But the smoothie, spring rolls and chocolate chunk cookie definitely hit the spot.

We hit Mountain Equipment Coop and I stocked up on winter running gear. So excited to be prepared for the cold weather. Not so pumped about actually running in it, but at least I should be toasty. We took all our purchases back to the hotel then went out for a late movie. The plan was to see 'The Invention of Lying', but I got the times wrong. So, instead of waiting another hour, we decided to see Chris Rocks' 'Good Hair'. We both loved it. We knew it was a good movie because we talked about it that night and then the whole next day too. The movie is a documentary of sorts that explains the culture around black women and their need to have good hair. It would make a very good rental.

The next morning we went out for crepes. Not the most stellar photo, but it shows off the nutella and banana crepe we shared. Yummy! Now, perhaps this is a sign of not getting away from my kids often enough, but I couldn't help think how much fun the kids would have if we did a little trip like this with them. They would have loved the hotel and they all would have eaten an entire nutella and banana crepe by themselves. No, it's just being a good mother.

After checking out of the hotel, we decided to stroll through Chinatown and Kensington Market. We pasted the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) and I made Andrew pose beside his letter.

We popped into several Chinese bakeries for me to reminisce about my time in Asia. Taiwan has tons of little bakeries with sweet and savoury buns. This one was one of my favorites. I would often have one for a quick and cheap breakfast. I was still stuffed from the crepes that I just took a picture of one.

Exotic fruit.

Dried shrimp.

Not a sign that most vegetarians would agree with.

As we strolled through Kensington Market, we ran into this man. We started up a conversation and chatted for quite some time. He is clearly a Nikon fan and was wearing 4 different cameras. We got a good lesson on cameras, the history of the Nikon and some facts about the differences between his favorite brand and the camera that I had around my neck (the Canon). We saw SO many people walking around with cameras, taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful day. Of course there were the tourists with their small digital cameras, but there were lots of impressive professional cameras too. Perhaps it was being in a great location for shooting or the art college being so close, but whatever the reason, I loved it. It takes a different mindset to allow yourself to stop and take pictures. Not to worry about what people are thinking or how you look putting yourself in different positions for an interesting angle. It is my kind of city. I rarely see people doing that in my city.

As we left Kensington Market we stumbled across a little clothing store. It was full of strong incense, but equally packed with very cute and colourful clothes. I picked up this little number and can't wait to wear it.

We walked to Andrew's destination for his 2 hour stint as a mock patient for the physio exam and I relaxed at a nearby Chapters, reading photography books and being stared at by another customer's Dalmatian. We left the city and returned home to our happy children, just in time for their bedtime.

granola bars

I finished reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food last week. I am now reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Both books have me thinking about how to eat more responsibly and lessen my impact on our ecosystem. I am missing all of our local food options and hate to think about how far my food has to travel to get to my table. Since reading these books and choosing to support my local food system, I am much more aware of where my food comes from. I had to think twice this morning before reaching for a bunch of green onions from Mexico. I decided that my recipe wouldn't miss them that much, so they stayed in their neat display in the produce section. One concept from Michael Pollan's book that has really stuck with me is the idea of choosing whole foods. When you go shopping and are making food choices, think about whether your great grandmother would recognize the product. If she wouldn't, don't buy it. Clearly the point is to be avoiding processed foods but some choices are not so clear. For example, yogurt tubes. When they are on special I will buy these for my children. They are yogurt after all. But my grandmother would certainly have no idea what they are. The tub of yogurt without added sugars, colours and flavours would be a much better purchase. I feel I do a good job preparing food from scratch and avoiding the freezer section almost entirely (ice cream, frozen fruit and the occasional bag of frozen peas and corn do make it into our cart). But the quick snacks for my kids is where I do fail. So, I figured that I would try to search for an alternative to the packaged granola bars. Of course I crammed them full of lots of good stuff which means only one thing...my kids won't eat them. Andrew and I love them, even Jesse will eat them. So, for now they are our snack. They stay in my freezer upstairs where I can grab one and eat one on the go. (They are great still slightly frozen.) I just need to find the right combination of goodies that will get all the kids eating them.

Homemade Granola Bars - adapted from Allrecipes.com

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup wheat germ

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup applesauce

1 1/2 cups dried fruit and seeds (I chose to add a 1/4 cup each of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, craisins, coconut, diced dried apricots, chocolate chips) * this is why my kids didn't eat them because there was something in there that they didn't like. If they had their way I would have just added chocolate chips.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour and salt. Make a well in the centre, and pour in the honey, egg, oil, vanilla and applesauce. Mix well. Add in your dried fruit and/or seeds. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Other options to add to granola bars - almonds (I chose to keep mine nut free), other nuts, raisins. Be creative and include what you like.

halloween 2009

Halloween Day must feel like an eternity to kids. There were no big distractions during the day and having to wait until after supper is a test on any kid's patience. We spent the morning carving pumpkins and doing last minute decorations before supper. Once 6:00 came around, we let them lose. Of course they needed to cooperate with the annual picture taking. Thankfully they were very willing.

Abigail's costume was a bit of a process. At first she was willing to be a doctor. Then when it came time to go out and purchase the costume, her tune changed. She was not interested in this idea. Unfortunately she needed to work within my suggestions. I did not want to pay for a $30+ costume to be worn one time. As long as it was gender neutral, I was willing to invest in her costume. When we actually found a doctor's costume she was very excited. (Big relief for me.) She played with it the entire weekend before Halloween.

Nathaniel was prepared to be a firefighter this year. I bought his costume around a month ago and the boys have gotten lots of playtime out of it. But he decided that it was too scratchy around the neck and the helmet hurt his head. He was happy to go back to his beloved tiger costume.

For a 2 year old, Jesse had too many choices. We received a few costumes from family and I discovered the penguin costume downstairs a few weeks ago. He flip flopped between wanting to be a lion and a penguin, but when he made his choice he stuck with it. Abigail and Nathaniel taught him how to say penguin in spanish (no doubt from a Dora DVD) so whenever anyone asks Jesse what he was for Halloween, he replies "Penguino". It is very adorable.

weeks 32 to 35

This little project was starting to run away on me. It had been weeks since I'd developed photos and journalled in my photo a day album. My picture taking was there but putting everything together in my albums was not. All I needed was to get started in the developing department and now I am not only up to date with my photos, but I am slowly working on our regular family albums too. I got quite a bit of journalling accomplished as I waited for trick or treaters on Saturday night. (I'll post Halloween photos soon.)

So, here are photos from August.

Week 32...

Week 33...

Week 34...

Week 35...