safety

Jesse is now 4 years old.  I'll get to his birthday post soon (I hope!) but today I wanted to reflect on the community that surrounds him and provides him with a space to feel safe and loved.  In the past few months, I have watched him connect with others in our church community.  He has found a number of grown ups that he feels comfortable approaching.  He has never been an extremely timid child, but he is careful.  I have loved watching how comfortable he has grown around others.  He easily greets people and wishes them to have a good day.  I think so much is because of the wonderful people that love and support him.  He isn't phased by the older boys running around.  He has learned that they are watching out for him.  He knows that when he approaches one of them, he'll be met with warm eyes and a kind voice.  He knows that he is safe.

When I look through pictures taken from a bbq on Sunday, I am reminded of how easily he fits into this community of friends.  No one is telling him to bike out of their hockey game.  They're probably amused by this cute kid riding around with the hockey mask on.

 

 

When they learned it was his birthday the next day, there was quick thinking with candles and watermelon.  Jesse was thrilled to hear everyone sing Happy Birthday and be able to blow out his candle from one of his favorite snacks.

This is a sign of a very happy boy!

teriyaki noodles with asparagus and edamame

When asparagus is in season, I try to eat as much as possible.  It's just not a vegetable I buy when it's coming from across the border.  I am so thankful that all 3 of my children enjoy eating it too.  Just minus the tops for them.

This is a quick weekday meal that doesn't require tons of ingredients.  You could substitute broccoli for asparagus when it's not in season.

Teriyaki Noodles with Asparagus and Edamame - adapted from Mark Bittman
serves 4

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, peeled if thick, cut into 1 inch pieces
salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon minced ginger
8 oz. any rice, buckwheat (soba) or whole grain noodle ( I used whole grain linguine)
2 cups shelled edamame, fresh or frozen (thaw them while you assemble the dish)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin, or 2 Tablespoons water + 2 Tablespoons honey

1.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Salt generously.  Put a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the oil, wait a few seconds and add the asparagus and scallions.  Stir for a minute then add in the garlic and ginger.  Cook until the asparagus is beginning to brown and get tender, 5-10 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat.

2.  Cook the noodles in the boiling water until tender.  The time will vary depending in the type of noodle you are using.  Drain the noodles, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

3.  Turn the heat under the asparagus to medium.  Add the noodles, edamame, soy sauce, mirin and about 1/2 cup of the reserved water to the skillet.  Continue to cook and stir until the asparagus and edamame are heated through, about 2 minutes.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Serve hot.

beautifully imperfect

Sometimes you have subjects that are very willing to have their photo taken.

Other times it can be a bit more challenging.

Put them together and you are challenged to look at your photos in a different way.

It is the imperfection that makes them truly beautiful.

mango quinoa salad

After a week of cool, rainy weather, those of us living in Southern Ontario were finally treated to a sunny, hot day.  Our family was busy hanging laundry on the line, opening up the trailer for the first time this year, visiting the local market, swinging in the warm sun, enjoying popsicles, having a glass of wine with neighbours and enjoying our supper outside on the picnic table.  Even though we were doing all those small things that get left for the weekend, we were all in such a good mood.  Spending a day outside has that effect.

When I hit the market this morning and spotted beautifully ripe mangoes, I reached into my memory and tried to think of all the ingredients needed for this recipe.  I spotted it last week and knew I wanted to add it to our barbecue menu for supper.  It will definitely be made again this summer.  Next time I might try adding one finely diced jalapeno pepper.

Mango Quinoa Salad - adapted from Our Best Bites

1 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup mango juice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium mangoes, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 green onions, thinly chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
4 Tablespoons raspberry vinegar
4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Cook the quinoa according to package directions using 1 cup water and 1 cup mango juice.  Allow to cool slightly.

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl.  Combine with black beans, mangoes, red pepper, green onions and cilantro.  In a small bowl, combine vinegar, lime juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the dressing on top of the salad, mixing until combined.  Allow to chill in the fridge for one hour before serving.

stratford

2 weekends ago we made a quick decision Saturday morning and decided to head to Stratford for a quick afternoon day trip.  Our plan was to rent canoes but were disappointed that the boat rentals were closed for the day.  The kids quickly redirected their energy and explored the many trees along the river.

Abigail got up too high and needed some help coming back down.

We explored and found this mother duck sitting on her nest.

We then visited the playground.

Nathaniel is in a goofy phase whenever he is asked to have his picture taken.  Abigail is always ready to have her picture taken.

Ice cream time.

We ended our afternoon by playing at the local toy store.  It felt great to ignore all the chores and work that needed to get done and spend a few hours together.  Next time we'll make sure the boat rental shop is open!

playoffs

Nathaniel has been joining the Grade 4 floor hockey intermurals for the past couple of months.  Playoffs were last week.  Unfortunately the IceBreakers did not advance.  But Nathaniel is still thrilled with the time he has spent playing hockey at school.

 
He even brought his goalie equipment for his last game.

Great job holding your own there Nathaniel!

open shutters photography

I am thrilled to announce my new business website Open Shutters Photography.  This has been months in the making and I can't put into words how thrilled (and a bit scared) I am to launch my own business.  Come visit me at www.OpenShuttersPhotography.com.  Can't wait to hear from you!

knees

This is new around here.  I never had knees blowing out of Abigail's pants.  Just in the past 2 weeks Nathaniel's had 5 pairs with holes in the left knee.  I need shorts weather to come quickly.  This boy is running out of pants!

easter 2011 favorites part three

Saturday we celebrated with Andrew's side of the family.  The weather was perfect which meant we spent the entire day outside.  Instead of hunting for eggs, we always hunt for adults that are holding treats.  To receive the treats, our kids need to answer a question or follow specific instructions.

At the first stop, the younger kids had to do jumping jacks.  The older kids had to do burpees.

Second spot was to answer a geography question.

The next spot was a tough find.  My crazy husband up on the roof.

The last spot brought them inside to find Oma and Opa.
(And all of you who know my political viewpoints will be proud of the restraint I am practicing at this moment.  This is about Easter after all.)

After the hunt it was time for relaxing, playing and eating.

We also celebrated Abigail's birthday.

Jesse needed to have a shovel in his hand just as much I needed a camera in mine.

Nathaniel was looking forward to this moment all day.

Then inside to open gifts.

And this is what we were treated to at the end of the day as we drove home.  The glorious sun!