If You Cook it, They will Come (begrudgingly).

I am a huge advocate for the family meal. I owe this to the way I was raised. When dinner was ready, everyone gathered and everyone ate together.  Both my husband and I had families with working parents and our moms put dinner on the table daily.  I have no idea to this day how my mom did it, but she did.   In our house we would sit, listen to music, eat and talk about our day.   It wasn't perfect.  There would be fighting over who set and cleared the table and one of my siblings (who shall remain nameless) would conveniently go to the bathroom during clean up.  But it was excellent.  Most of the time we sat around our dining room table - we did have a view of the ocean, which was pretty cool.   There were special occasions where we would we eat in our basement in front of the TV.  We did this for the 1980 Winter Olympics, and to this day I remember the meal - whole barbecued chicken and my mom's homemade macaroni pie - and we  ate as we watched he United States win gold.  I have such fond memories of our dinners growing up and cherish these times with my parents and my siblings.

Fast forward.  From early on my husband and I set the precedent for mealtimes.   No TV at dinner was our main rule (unless it was Olympic hockey or Game 7 of the Stanley Cup).   Once we had cell phones and as our children got older, we had to reinvent some of the rules:  no cell phones or screens of any kind at the table for anyone (including us), no checking texts and no answering calls.  This last rule was amended to no answering phones unless it was a grandparent, only because all the grandparents live far away.  Setting an example for our kids at dinner has been one of the best things we have done.  I am certainly not saying it was perfect, as there were many MANY times where we had to remind  our children to stop checking their phone, or to put their phone down (which did not go over well, but whatever...PUT DOWN THE PHONE).  There are 1440 minutes in the day, and I am asking for 20 minutes.  Less than 2 % of everyone's time.  Sounds reasonable to me.

The kids are older now and it can be amazing what happens at dinner.   Our older one is away at university so the dynamics have changed as it is just the three of us.  Our daughter, though lovely, is seventeen and she misses her brother.  Getting her to come down for dinner on time has been challenging but we still try to do family meals when we can. Today we made a delicious meal, and she came downstairs, begrudgingly, and was not in a very chatty mood.

How was your day? Fine.  
How was your chem test? Fine.  
How was your Spanish presentation? Fine.   

Not a typical family meal!
Christmas Eve at my moms this year

Okay....?  

So we carried on with some quiet small talk. Finally after she ate, out came the animated chatter about her day, her life, her friends.  It is amazing how many times this has happened at our meals and how much we learn sitting around the table.    Meals are more than just about sustenance.  They are social times to be together and can be a safe place to share stories and talk about your day.

Creating mealtime structure is something that we can do and make time for. I know more than anyone that life is busy as our kids play team sports and have social lives with friends.  My best advice is whenever possible, on a regular basis, have family meals.  Eat together, share, laugh and listen.  You will never get a better education than around the dinner table, sharing food (and wine sometimes) with family and friends.

Another hockey dance come and gone...

Another hockey dance has come and gone, but the memories last forever. Then there are the memories that over time, have turned into urban legends, spread like wildfire, and are never forgotten, but are like fine wine..they just get better every year.

Weird taking a pic of just me....
but I really liked my top! All ready
for the Ice Breakers 2013 Dance

This year was by far the best year and I decided to be the DD (!!)   In previous years, we rented a limo which always involved someone bleeding BEFORE getting to the dance, grouchy limo drivers, us all being stranded at 2 in the morning in minus 40 degrees AFTER the dance (nowhere near your house), and having our limo driver "lose" his keys in a snow bank (how did that happen, you ask...that's one of those urban legends....).  The limo was fun and I am glad we did it, but this year, I liked driving and being in control (I am a control freak).  Plug in the iPod, insert the metal buckle into the opening, and get ready to party! Though it was a bit squishy, we all had fun.

Prawns and Sea Scallops in chili butter with brown butter gnocchi and asparagus
Anyone drooling yet????

Pre-Dance was dinner was at Redwater Grill, and I am sure I dreamt about scallops and pancetta last night (sorry hubby!).  This is definitely on my A+ list of restaurants.

We ended up at the dance a little late due to a glitch beyond our control, but we made the best of it, and had a fantastic time anyway.  At the dance...that's what I do.  Dance. Visit. Dance. Dance.  Love it.  You get to see people you haven't seen in a long time, you get to let the music move you (isn't that a song?), and at the end of the night, though my Eddie Bauer Down Filled jacket was soaked with someone's beer, I had a great time.  I even made sure all of my passengers were dropped off at their door (no stranding anyone!!).

A good time had by all.  Cuckooo! Cuckooo!   Here's to the next gathering!

Power of a Parent Party!

So yes, hockey season has begun, and is in full gear.  Nothing kicks off a season better than an exhibition game (which we won!), and a parent party!!

Every year, when the season ends, it's such a rush of emotions....happy that we are finished with the busyness of the year, and at the same time, sad that we have to say goodbye to all of that.  Well, here we are again, and each year we have played, we have had an amazing group of kids, and more importantly, an amazing group of parents!  This year is no different, and while we know many of the parents on our team, there were some new faces last night, and it was great to get to know everyone, and make new friends.

There was so much enthusiasm, laughter and just a bit of drinking and carrying on (!!).  From the first moment we arrived at the party, we could tell this year was going to be nothing less than great!  We have great coaches, great parents and great kids.  We even have a great group of girls who can bond off the ice while their brothers battle for the puck.

All in all, I have a feeling that this year will absolutely ROCK!

There's only one thing left to say.....Go GLADIATORS!  

Meal-Planning Monday Madness!

Meal planning madness is an understatement!   I went a bit crazy with cooking today but my intentions were good AND we will reap the benefits for sure, as we now have some quick and nutritious meals that are crucial for surviving the hockey and ringette season.

I have always had it in me to cook more than is required.  Why not cook two chickens instead of one or brown five pounds of ground beef  at once?  Time always seems so limited, but when I have it, I really try and use it wisely, and this afternoon, it all started with the chickens.  Easy, quick and  no real recipe required. Simply put the raw birds in a roasting pan (rinse with water and lemon juice first..that's what my ma always says!), and season away!  My seasoning varies depending on what I have, but today I used the Epicure Poultry Blend, some salt, pepper and lemon juice, and then drizzled on some soy sauce.  I also threw in the lemon after I squeezed it on the birds.  Cover, and cook for about 1 hour, and then remove cover, and cook for another hour on 350.  One bird fed the four of us today and my hubby and I have leftovers for lunch AND we threw the carcass in the deep freeze to make soup.  Done.  And we still have one whole cooked bird in the deep freeze.  Next.....

I made the motherload in spaghetti sauce.   Again, I never use a recipe, as I just throw in whatever.  Just brown the ground round, and once cooked through and through, throw it in a big pot (or a slowcooker if you like), and get the creative juices flowin'!  I added a couple cans of crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, some red wine that was leftover, (weird that I had some vino left!), some balsamic, lots of fresh minced garlic and fresh chopped basil.  I also had some tomatoes that needed to be eaten, so I threw them in the blender and tossed them in the sauce as well.  And presto!

Five meals of spaghetti, one of which will be to make a lasagne, one for sloppy Joe's and the others can be for spaghetti.   All labelled and in my deep freeze!

My last task tonight was of course was baking a batch of cookies so the kids have a treat in their lunches, and they make a great after school snack (with a glass of milk and a fruit of course!).  I made some brown sugar cookies which are super yummy, and I know the kids will love them!  I confess that I did try them (ate two) and they were delicious.




So in a nutshell, I baked 2 chickens, made 5 meals of spaghetti,. and baked 3 dozen (minus 2!) brown sugar cookies, and that was my Meal-Planning Monday Madness!

Was it worth it?   Most definitely!  I already know we'll be having spaghetti tomorrow!

Dinner in 20!

Tonight's dinner was slightly disjointed, but was home-made, healthy and ready in 20!


 September is synonymous with busy-beyond-all-belief.  Between hockey and ringette evaluations, piano lessons, back to school and morning routines, its enough to make you go mad.  As a family, we really try to eat dinner together, but it doesn't always work out that way.  We actually manage to sit down at the dining room table and eat dinner together as a family at least 4-5 nights per week.   But like I said, due to the kids activities, sometimes you really just have to work around their schedule.

Tonight was one of those nights, both kids with activities in different parts of the city, all around dinner time (of course).  I did the "hockey run" and once we were back, the boy was starving.  What's the first thing I was asked? "Can we order out?"   My response was a firm "No!" followed by a "Go shower, and I'll whip something up for dinner."    OK...time to make good on my meal planning skills...Ah ha!  In my deep freeze I found a frozen container of home made soup with orzo, chicken, carrots, celery, chick peas, green peas, quinoa.....yum!   But I knew it would not be quite enough...Ah ha again!   Pre-made, home-made frozen burgers (with some hemp hearts for extra nutrients!).  Ok...burgers and soup it is!  And I even had the buns!  Throw in some raw veggies and dip and a glass of milk, and  dinner was ready in 20 minutes, and was a completely balanced and healthy meal.

I will sometimes ask my kids...is the meal balanced?  Perhaps it is an occupational hazard of mine, but I want them to learn what a balanced meal is...so I ask them:   Does the meal have protein?  Does the meal have grain for your brain (cuz grain is fuels your brain!)?  Does the meal have fruits and/or vegetables?  Do you have a source of calcium?  OK...I don't do this at every meal (really, I don't) but I do think about these things when I am meal planning and today's dinner passed with flying colours:

• protein:  the burger, and some of the chicken and legumes in the soup
• grain: the bun, and the orzo in the soup
• fruit or veggie:  veggies in the soup, raw veggies and dip

My saving grace?  Having stuff in the deep freeze!  And by the time the other two got home from ringette, dinner was ready, and oh, so good.   

Rink Race

As my profile suggests, I am proud to call myself both hockey mom and a ringette mom. But it wasn't always this way. Believe it or not, there was a time when I wanted NOTHING to do being in the "rink race". When our kids were younger, I remember seeing how much running around my brother-in-law and sister-in-law did with their kids (who I adore, and thank them every day for showing me the light!). I also remember thinking to myself that I never wanted to be that busy! Little did I know that being busy is synonymous with parenting! When my son was 6 years old, we put him in hockey (his dad's idea, not mine). I have to admit that it was a horrible year. I could not for the life of me wrap my head around the fact that my 6 year old had to get on all that gear (or rather I had to figure it out and get it on him). We had skates to tie, 6 am practices, ice times that were never the same week to week...the list went on. Thank goodness my husband did most of the 6 am and weekend practices. I was a mess for just about the entire year...I pretty much had full-on tantrums. I am not sure what all the stages are for anger, but am positive that I went through them unsuccessfully. I couldn't understand why hockey couldn't be twice per week on the same day and at the same stupid arena! Who would think to make us go all over the frickin city? It was ridiculous. Then....something happened. Our son's team had a year end "parent party" and I realized that all these parents were the same as us, and I was having...fun! But by the next year, I was back where I started, feeling the same way...angry at the ice times and frustrated that the huge (and I mean HUGE) hockey shorts could not fit over the skates (yes, I put his skates on first, and then told him to get his shorts on. It was not my finest moment). And again, something happened to shift my thinking. An out of town tournament. My eyes were opened for the first time that hockey was more than just about the children! It was about parents having fun and really getting to know each other. It was amazing!

Fast forward to my daughter starting ringette. I was a bit more in tune with the early ice times by the time she started, and a bit better at tying skates. The one down side was that I had just figured out what an "offside" was in hockey, and now had to figure out a whole new set of rules for ringette, another set of gear, and skates, and.....okay....so it wasn't all great at first, but I was cured by the "outta town tourney" fix. I swear the only reason we love to go out of town is to party...I mean to see those kids play!

Now, our son has been playing for 6 years, and our daughter has been in ringette for 3 years. Some of our best friends are from hockey and ringette, where the kids and parents share the same passion. I absolutely love watching my kids on the ice! Of course its so much easier now...both kids are independent in the dressing room from head to toe, with the occasional request to tighten skates, or fasten a helmet. It is amazing to see how far they have come, and how far I have come. Not only do I accept that this is the sport of their choice, but I embrace it, and have to admit that this year when the season was over, I felt a bit...lost! I missed the parents and I think I even missed the rush of getting dinner on the table and getting to the rink on time. I find myself looking forward to next year, and to cheering on my kids and their friends, and of course seeing MY friends at the rink and getting my "outta town tourney" fix. Oh yeah! Party in room 408!!!!!