Foodie Kiddies!

My kids are foodie kids, and I have evidence to prove this....

1.  The kids surprised us once by making dinner.  They made fettuccini alfredo with bacon, and had googled the recipe for alfredo sauce, made it with real whipping cream, cooked real bacon and had everything ready for us when we arrived home, right down to setting the table.

My son's amazing stuffed crust pizza!

2.  My son will often take it upon himself to create a sauce if we are barbecuing.  The sauce is never the same twice as he is great at ad-libbing, and it is always delicious.  He is also quite curious about what I am cooking for dinner, what spices I am using and will often question what I am doing (yes, he IS 14!!). Whenever we have make-your-own-pizza night, he always stuffs his crust, and makes his pizza truly unique.

My daughter's delicious eggs benny!

3.  The other day my daughter suggested making a garlic and white wine sauce with our pasta.  She loves baking and I will often come home to a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies (and a clean kitchen).   She also made eggs benedict for dinner on her own last week, and yes, she made home-made hollandaise sauce which turned out to be absolutely fantastic...did I mention she is 11 years old?

4.  The kids will eat just about anything, whether it's Greek, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, German, Mexican....they have their favourite dishes I make, and honestly get excited about a good meal.  

They are definitely foodie kids, and it is easy to see where their foodie-ism came from.  Both my husband and I grew up in homes where the food was good, comforting and wholesome. Dinners were always together as a family and ready and on the table despite the fact that our parents worked full time.  We sat together no matter what (and also fought about who had to set and clear the table...but that's another story!).

I have carried this love and passion for food with me everywhere I go, and am now in a profession where I am constantly talking to clients about food. Despite our busyness, our family still manages to eat together most nights at the dining room table with no TV,  and just good food and good conversation.  And now as the kids are getting older, mealtimes are more than just about food.  Sitting down as a family is a great time to connect with each other and share stories about our day.

I love the fact that my kids are foodies-in-the-making.  My daughter asks for truffle oil on her pizza and my son asks if we have any aged gouda for his toast.  They like to cook, and they see value and get enjoyment out of a good home-cooked meal.  And all of this gives me great hope that they will someday pass this on, just as our parents passed this onto us.

Let's hear it for Foodie Kiddies!

My day as a taxi driver (and chef, but not the maid....)

So not all these things were neglected...I exercised and walked the dog...

Today was a day "off" for me.   Off.   But not really.  here is how it went:

• 5:30 am: alarm went off for bootcamp. 
• 7:35 am: left the house, dropped off kids, dropped off hubby, went to my eye appointment 
• 10:30 am: home again; round up the puppy for her grooming appointment
• 12:00 noon: home again, but now the grooming place called...."your dog is ready to be picked up" Back to PetSmart!
• 1:00 pm: home again and played with my puppy.  
• 1:30 pm: off to pick up my daughter early from school...orthodontist consultation. She needs a jaw appliance and braces.....8K later......
• 3:30 pm: home again.  Son is home from school. Time for after school snacks, practice piano, make a quick dinner, as we have to leave for piano, take buddy to hockey evaluations, and are not home for good til 8:30 pm
• 4:45 pm: dinner is in the works...chicken and pasta with a sundried tomato sauce from Lina's Italian Market, served with  sauteed mushrooms on the side.  Eat if your hungry...if not, eat at 8:30 when we get home.
• 5:25 pm: load up the hockey gear, everyone get in the f#$%in' car! We have to leave for piano (which starts at 5:30 pm...good thing it is only 5 minutes away)
• 5:30 pm: piano drop off;  5:45 pm: rink drop off for my son and his friend
• 6:15 pm: pick up daughter from piano, head home for a 5 minute pasta dinner and to pick up hubby from home....then it's off to the rink
• 6:55 pm: We have arrived at the rink. It is FREEZING. And we still have 45 minutes to go (yes, we were a bit late).
• 8:30 pm: DONE.....walk dog.....kids have a snack and a shower. Brush your teeth!!!  
• 9:30 pm:  I see that there is a bottle of wine open and half full from the weekend....Goodnight kids!
• 10:00 pm....everyone is asleep...and I have my wee-bit of wine, and am sitting here, in total silence......ahhhhhhhhhhhh............

All in all, I probably drove over 100 km today, but got a lot of necessary stuff done and made a delicious dinner.  It was a good day, except for the part where my eye doctor said I'd need bifocals fairly soon....   WHAT??????

Back to School, Back to Reality

Ah September.  The end of summer vaycay; the end of camping and trips to the lake, but the beginning of a new school year (hurrah!).  Time to get back to school lunches and healthy-ER eating (compared to the summer, which for me was full of mouth-watering appies, drinks in the afternoon, sunset Caesar's, followed by wine, dinner, port....the list goes on!).  But before we move forward, full speed ahead...it is important to reflect on what we did this summer...

Rafting....my first time!

Whhoooo-hooo!

Mara Lake 2013

A bit of water-skiing! 

My LA trip...Rodeo Drive

We made it!!!!

First day of Grade 8 and Grade 6

Now the first week of school come and gone, and we are in fine-fall-form!  The kids (so far) like their teachers, they are happy to see their school friends AND their hockey/ringette friends, and they are happy to be back to the routine of it all!

And even though it is sad to see the summer go (winter is coming), there are fun things to look forward to on the home-front...bootcamp (6 am!), finger food fridays (wings and ribs!), hockey and ringette tournaments (!!), home reno's (we'll see how that goes), painting walls and cleaning out closets (fun winter projects) and last, but not least, let's not forget that in a few weeks, I'll be eating turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie!

Here come's the fall!  Bring it on!

It's the Do, not the Give...

Gourmet cheeses, chocolate
croissant, smoked NS salmon,
mimosa, coffee.....ahhhh....

Mother's Day was everything I wanted this year:  Thoughtful words in a beautiful card, a delicious brunch with my favourite foods (I know, how do they choose? There are so many!), a family hike followed by a nice picnic, and dinner out.  I had told everyone not to buy gifts, and to just make a card and be creative.  When my son read me the card, and his short and sweet poem, he then said..."Mom, you really just wanted the do this year, and not the give ".   How profound.  The do. Not the give.   The effort that went into my morning coffee (which was brought to me in bed), the beautiful brunch, the fantastic picnic (complete with snackies!), and the dinner out warmed my heart.  

That family joyfulness sometimes gets lost in all the activities and busyness...it was nice to have one day to find it again.  

Had to take a pic of just the cheese!

It was a beautiful day...

...for a family hike and picnic!

Smile!

Happy Mother's Day!!

A Grand Day Out

The weekend has come and gone, and even though the weather felt more like winter than spring (we had a blizzard here yesterday), we made the best of it.

It is always a bit surreal when hockey and ringette are over.  It felt weird in the car yesterday when the four of us were driving, with no arena to go to and no smelly gear in the car.  With it being such a grey day, we decided to go downtown for an indoor adventure!  Our first stop?  The Devonian Gardens.....lush green palm trees, beautiful flowers and tranquil ponds with tropical fish....indoors, but still!  Nice to see green on grey day!

Next...we stopped and bought 4 baby cupcakes at a trendy bakery....chocolate for the girls, and then the boys had vanilla with pink strawberry icing.....delicious!  Then....time to walk around....go into a few little shops....just enough of a walk to get those tummies grumbling!  

We did a late lunch yesterday (which worked out great, as we did not have to cook dinner!).  We decided on Earls....decent food, and a little something for everyone....

Fish and chips and a Guinness for me!
No regrets! Every calorie was worth it!

Hubby got the Earls signature curry dish...

It was such a good feeling to sit and eat together in a restaurant with no arena-schedule.  No places to go or people to see...just us.  We talked  and laughed, and it filled us up...the grey and dreary weather no longer mattered.  Kids were laughing, hubby and I were smiling...I just sat back and drank my Guinness, ate my fish (batter and all) and felt happy.  What a grand day out indeed!

Happy Hallowe'en!

Katniss Everdeen!

I have never LOVED Hallowe'en.  I like it, but I don't love it.  Growing up in Nova Scotia, it was always cold and damp, and any costume you wore had to be modified with some sort of raincoat and rubber boots, or a winter jacket and mitts.   Calgary is no different, though the last 5 years here have been so mild that tonight's "freezing" weather threw me for a loop.  But...it's all about the kids, and they had a blast tonight.  

Welcome to Zombie-land!

For the first time since we have been taking them Trick or Treating, tonight was the first night that they went on their own, with friends.   At first, I thought I would be sad (no, I didn't!).   I came home after dropping my daughter at her friends and it was just my husband and I.  A strange feeling at first on  Hallowe'en, but then, we opened some wine, made a fancy cheese and olive plate, and I was no longer feeling nostalgic...but feeling proud that my kids had friends to be with, and proud that they were out on their own, having fun.  

All in all, it was a Happy Hallwe'en for everyone...kids AND parents!

Tricks and Treats for us too!!!  Yum!

Rivel Soup for the Soul...

Steaming bowl-a-soup, anyone?

 Both our kids were sick today...flu, cold, etc...I think most people, kids included, have their "safe foods" when they are feeling unwell.  My kids always ask for something called "rivel soup". I learned how to make this from my mother-in-law, and have to say, while mine is not as good as hers, it is pretty close (which means it is amazing!).  

It is dubbed "lazy man noodle" soup, but there is nothing lazy about it, unless you've been making it for years.   The first time I made it, it took me almost 45 minutes to make these rivels!



I always save my bones...be it from chicken or turkey.  I just bag 'em and chuck 'em in the freezer.  When I am ready to make soup, just add water, and boil 'em up.   I add a bay leaf or two, some soup base and some sea salt and pepper, and then the broth tastes amazing, fresh and cures what ails you. Start boiling it in the late morning and let simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Strain out all the bones.  If there is meat on the bones, you can shred it off and use in the soup if you wish.

For the rivels, its simply eggs and flour, and you really need to see someone do it to know how to do it.   I will attempt to write the recipe out, though, just in case there are any adventurous people out there!

• start with 2 cups and a bit of flour
• add in 3 eggs.   NO water at this point.
• Mix together rubbing your hands together, and make it all look like sand at a beach.
• Then, you need to add water, but if you add too much, it will wreck it.  I find that if you just slightly wet your had under the tap, and mix it into your bowl, it works better.  Every time you do that, rub all the dough together.  Eventually, you'll get nice small little balls (I know, sounds funny). 
• If it still appears too fine, wet your hand again, and rub the dough all together between your hands.   
• Once it looks like this....then pour all your balls in a colander and shake out the tiny tiny balls, and use only the one's that stay in your colander.

The rivels.....

• The broth (which you should have ready after boiling up those bones) should be boiling, and then just add in the balls!  
• Boil for 5 minutes or so, and your soup is ready.  Add S&P to taste.  I know it has no veggies, but the broth, combined with the "lazy-man-egg-noodles" are just perfect for that comfort food that is much needed for colds, or getting over the flu, when you need those hot steaming liquids.  

One last pic of my perfect-rivels!

I am happy to say that my rivels were amazing today, and I made them in less than 15 minutes!  Practice does really make perfect!  

Dinner is ready!

Kids made dinner tonight!  Fabulous!

Tonight's dinner needs to be remembered.  Not just because it was delicious and well balanced, but because it was ready by the time hubby and I got home from work!

Yes, our kids made dinner, and not Kraft Dinner!!!  They made fettucini alfredo!  Our son came up with the idea, and both kids worked together to create this meal, which was delicious!   They looked up the recipe online, and made (yes...MADE!) the sauce from scratch! They had their melted butter, minced garlic and whipping cream and made the sauce!  Our son then found bacon in the freezer and fried it up (again, I am not kidding you) and added the fried bacon to the sauce.  They even added broccoli for some veggies, and then mixed the sauce with the fetuccini, and had it all ready for when we got home today!

We were so proud of them, as they showed creativity, initiative and worked together to make a wonderful dinner.   

Kudos Kids!   I am just so proud of you guys!  There's no turning back now from this dinner....I will expect a full-on 5 course meal by December!  

ps.  When we found about the fried bacon, we did show them where the fire extinguisher was, and explained how to put out a grease fire, just in case they fry up more bacon!

Fresh Clean Slate

Another summer is almost over, and every year at this time I find myself saying the same thing...."where did the time go?"  I can't believe that in 4 more sleeps, we start school.  This means kids taking the bus (if they get up in time to catch it!), making their lunch (if they make AND take it), homework (ugh), earlier bedtime (hurrah!), hockey, ringette....and so it goes.

I loved our summer adventures this year (camping, BC wine country, Mara Lake), and while I could be in vacation-mode forever, it's just not realistic (though wouldn't it be nice?).    I try and give myself a good two weeks post-vacation so I can get over my PVD (post-vacation depression) and come back to the reality of cooking supper and not having happy hour and appetizers on a daily (and sometimes hourly!) basis!    While its sad that summer is over, there is something awesome about September.  The crispness of the fall, the changing colours on the trees, and the feeling that you can start the school year with a fresh clean slate and for everyone to get back to a routine.

The fresh clean slate is the appealing part for me.  September is just as powerful to me as those January New Years resolutions.  Time to start things over... refresh, renew, redo.  This year is the year to give our kids more responsibility.  They can come home on their own now on days that I work (maybe not get supper ready unless its pancakes, but hey, I'll eat pancakes!).  They can take more responsibility for getting up in the mornings without me nagging them...not sure how to accomplish that one yet, but I am sure I can come up with some sort of plan.  And as always, its time to lose that excess weight that I put on from the wining and dining we did during our camping trips (which was TOTALLY worth every pound!).


It's really just time to start over, and be inspired to do better not because we have to , but because we want to.  So....with that said, lets raise our glass (it's still August...happy hour isn't over yet!) and say cheers to a great summer, and here's to a great fall!

Happy 100th Birthday, Calgary Stampede!

Took the kids and my mom to see the mini-parade at the Children's Hospital today.  What a perfect parade!  Complete with great floats, bands, fire fighters and police officers, horses, a helicopter and so much more!  Easy parking, clean bathrooms inside, and running time for the parade?  30 minutes!  Plus, the bands, and all of the parade floats stayed afterwards, and you can take the kids and get pictures with everyone.  My shining moment was when I told my daughter that we should go see the fire truck....her response?  "Oh mom!  You just want to see those firemen!!!"  Kids say the darndest things!

All in all, it was a great way to get into the stampede spirit!

Happy 100th Birthday, Calgary Stampede!

Yeee-hawww!

11:35pm Brownies!

Yes, it is 11:35 pm, and I am baking.  Am I crazy?  A little.  But, as usual, I have run out of time.  The day today was crazy busy, between end-of-the-year school activities, meetings, a lovely impromptu dinner date with the husband and add that we were determined to finish watching The Descendants (which we LOVED).  By the time this was all done, it was 11:30, and I really wanted to bake something for my daughter's field trip tomorrow.   I am usually THAT mom that bakes, but lately, the kids have gotten Oreo's for their treats (not that there's anything wrong with Oreo's!).  So I was determined to bake the easiest brownies in the world (no, not a mix).

Thought I'd share the recipe...its not the best recipe (will share that later), but in a pinch, if you need to bake something for school the next day, and need to do it quickly, efficiently AND peanut free, here's the recipe:

1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
3 TBSP cocoa
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour

Melt the butter, and mix in brown sugar, eggs, cocoa and baking powder and vanilla.  Stir well.  Then add the flour, and mix til blended.  Bake in a greased 8 x 8 dish on 350 for 20 - 25 min.  PRESTO!  I usually double the recipe and bake it in a 9 x 13 pan.

And the result (shortly before midnight!)...

Baked, blogged and tweeted all in span of 25 minutes.
Hurray!  Brownies for everyone!

50-50 party!

Both kids in 2009 donated to the Children's Hospital.
Their combined party-dontations totalled over $400.00!

For the past few years (can't remember exactly how many) we have done "no-present-birthday-parties" for our kids.   We are not mean parents, but we want to try and give something back to those in need.  It all started because our son was invited to a donation-party where we were asked to bring in a new stuffed animal, which was to be donated to the Children's Hospital.  Needless to say, we were inspired to do the same.  Since that time we have tried different donation-type birthday parties as  there are so many groups in need of help.  We have done Children's Hospital parties, Food Bank parties and Red Cross parties, where the invited guests bring a donation (monetary or otherwise) for the intended recipient.  The Children's Hospital parties were empowering for the kids as they got to sign and present an over-sized check to the Foundation and had their picture taken holding the big check!  They also sent a letter in the mail to the kids, and called them "Everyday Hero's", which was very inspiring. The Red Cross and the Food Bank also sent letters to thank the children for their generosity.  But since the those in need are too numerous to mention, it is important to us to donate to different charitable organizations.  Two years ago, one of the kids was invited to a 50-50 party, where you bring money, and half goes to a charity of the child's choice, and the remaining half is for the birthday girl or boy to save and/or spend.  What a great idea!  We now do the 50-50 party for our kids, and yesterday, our son's birthday was no exception.  I know it must sound strange, to have "No Gifts" written on the invite, and also to ask for money but I do specify that it is a 50-50 party and give details that half the money will go to charity.  A huge thank-you goes out to all the generous boys (and their parents!) who were here yesterday to celebrate our son's birthday, which raised 225 dollars, half of which will go to a charity of his choice.  This year he wants to donate the money to support children who end up going to school hungry because they do not have enough food and we are currently looking into a few options and will decide by the end of the week.  Our children have so much, and it is important for them to know that we can give back to our community and help others.  I will end this post with a few bullet points that you may be wondering about...

• Our kids get actual presents as well, and they are not completely "gift-less"
• There are lots of ways to give back to the community and various people and groups in need.  The 50-50 party is not for everyone, and I am not suggesting that children shouldn't get gifts
• It really comes down to what feels right, and what you are able to do.  For us right now, this is a nice compromise, and the kids get a bit of something, but also give a bit back to those in need

Rite of Passage

Noah and Mena a long time ago!

Noah age 11 and 3/4.
He's 12 today!  HBD Noah!

We are slowly adjusting to our life post-Maui...back to school, back to work, and now just anxiously awaiting for the school year to end and summer holidays to begin.  This week, the big event was that our son had outdoor-school:  three nights at a camp for about 100 grade 6 students.  Here's how it went:  dropped him at school on Monday, equipped with a sleeping bag, clothes for every kind of weather known to mankind and footwear for all occasions.  Then, picked him up on Thursday afternoon, hoping he had at least one shower over the three days!  He didn't even want me to go into the school with him on Monday!  All I got was a "uhh....seeyalater mom..."  and just like that he was gone for three nights.  He was a little homesick, but he survived and more importantly, he now knows that  he can survive without mom and dad around all of the time. It's such an important lesson for both parents and children.  For us, we need to learn to "cut the cord" as it were.  For them, they need to know that they can manage without us.  While this was just a 3-day stint at a camp,  it was also a "rite of passage", teaching  many valuable lessons not only about how to make fire and shelter, but about survival and building confidence from within.

Home Alone

My kids had no school today, which is not surprising as there never seems to be more than 3 weeks at a time where kids go to school for all 5 days.  Typically if I have to work on a non-school day, the kids would go to the day-home.  Today we decided to test their home-alone skills!  Today was home-alone day!  

Both our kids have taken the Home Alone course offered through the Red Cross, and they have stayed home by themselves for an hour or two, but to be left alone for an entire day?  This was a first and the kids were excited to have a full day by themselves.  It was actually freeing this morning for me to get ready for work while they slept.  To not have to wake them up for school and to not rush to get out the door was a true gift! 

They likely experienced freedom as well...no school, no parents, and really being on their own for their meals.   Of course, being the way I am, I did write them a 2 page note this morning though I wonder if they even read it!  I wrote out a list of examples of what they could make to eat, and a list of our work numbers, and a list of rules (I guess I wouldn't have read the note either!).  Our son was so excited about the home alone adventure, that he even prepared last night!  He found a box of KD and put everything he needed to make it on the counter:  the pot, oven mitts and a strainer to drain the water.

So...how did it end?  I called about 10 times (they never called).  Each time I called, the kids said they were great!   They had whipped cream and berries and tea for breakfast (!), and chewy KD for lunch. And even though the pantry door and kitchen drawer were left open, they actually left the kitchen fairly tidy and all the dishes were in the sink!     Of course I had to overlook a few things...like eating KD, (not the best, but it was okay for today) and the fact that they likely watched movies and played video games for the bulk of the day (again, not the best, but okay for their home alone day).  

Overall,  I was impressed with their "survival skills" and I think they felt empowered by the fact that they COULD do it without me!  Great job kids!

Quiet Moments

Saturday. From September to March, we are usually busy every weekend with hockey and ringette. Practices, games, etc... This year, the kids are in spring activities, but as luck would have it, the activities are only during the week. That means no early mornings and no weekend games or practices. It felt a bit strange today, being able to wake up and not really know what our plans were! I actually ended up going to a yoga/pilates fusion class (and even enjoyed it despite the fact that I could not do the up-in-the-air-leg-splaying move). The kids both had a quiet morning, and they even were able to curl up with good book for while today! As important as it is to keep kids busy and active, part of healthy living also has to include those quiet moments where there are no electronics, no planned activities, and just some time to be by yourself. Nourishment of the mind, body and soul...that's what today was about for our family, and it was a great day!

Kids and "The Talk..."

About a month ago, our family was watching TV, and we happened to be watching an episode of "Glee". Because the show has some adult themes, when we do watch it, I typically watch it with my daughter (and okay, I admit it, I LOVE the show). Because one of the cheerleader characters is a bit promiscuous, we got on the subject of S-E-X. Here's how the conversation went:

" Mom, Brittany said she has had sex with everyone in the school".

"Well, is that a good choice? Or not a good choice" (deep breaths, Sherene, breaths....deep breaths....)

"I think not a good choice" (great answer!!). OK...time for the mom-response...aim high...set the bar high....

"Because you know," I say carefully, "to have sex, you have to be married first, you have to have a job, and not just a job anywhere, but a profession, AND you have to be in your late twenties." (like I said, aim high and maybe part of my statement will come true). Now she has a horrified look on her face....here it comes....

"You mean you and dad have had SEX???"

"Uh, yes, daughter, at least twice" I say jokingly, referring of course to the procreation of her and her brother.

"Yeah, last week...wink wink" says the husband. Really? Did this comment help at all?? No. Meanwhile, our son is busting a gut laughing, because he is 11, and apparently at 11, you know everything there is to know about sex.

"Hmmmmmm...." I say, "Maybe it's time we start reading the What's Happening To Me book. We can read it together, okay?"

"Okay mom," she smiles sweetly and gives me a kiss and hug. I love this moment!

Later that night...

We started reading THE BOOK. We read a few pages, and when we got to the cartoon page of the girl changing into a woman, you know with little buds here and there, and some curly black hair drawn in down there...my daughter has yet another horrified look on her face...

"That's gonna happen to ME??????" she exclaims, pointing at the curly hair cartoon picture. "Yes honey, it happens to all women...its okay, it won't happen overnight". Then I smile to myself and think....but I know a gal who can laser that RIGHT OFF, don't you worry!