Mountains of Food

Steve has a friend from out of town... he gets off the ferry and I suggest we have lunch.... "How hungry are you?" I ask.

"REALLY HUNGRY!" they chorus together.

So how do I satisfy 2 teenage boys' monster appetites?

Take them to Mrs. Riches downtown Nanaimo and order them a "Mountain Burger"! I've always wanted to see somebody try to eat one of these things. This is no ordinary burger! A whole pound of ground beef, a fried egg, gobs of bacon ham and cheese and massive quantity of veggies (pickles, lettuce, tomato slices and onions) on the absurdly gigantic triple stacked bun! There is enough on that plate to comfortably feed a family... but these two 13 year olds were going to share it.

They were talking a big talk when they ordered, but hysterical giggling at the size of the thing started when it was put in front of them. This sucker is BIG!

Too big for these boys... even without touching the fries and with abandoning the third layer of the bun arrangement. (Leftovers that they happily consumed for breakfast this morning). It was a huge mess, but they were very happy, and they were even given a photo for a souvenir by the restaurant.

The "Mountain Burger" is NOT even the biggest on Mrs. Riches' menu -- they have a "K2 Burger" that is twice the size! The K2 is being featured on a TV food show coming up soon... it's called You Gotta Eat Here.....

Well, I think I gave Steve's buddy a memorable lunch at least.

Fat and Happy

I hope you had a lovely Christmas.... I am so full that it hurts. I've been eating pretty much non-stop since Christmas Eve. So many treats at all the houses, so much good food here too!


T's brother made it on the 23rd from the frozen Fort St John. He brought his faithful bird dog (named "Bird Dog") It's always interesting when he's around, he's a hyper fellow even at almost 30 years old now.

Christmas Eve, Cami and I went to a nearby home to an open house party. The hostess is always throwing these parties and I never seem to go, so this time I made a point of it. My sister and her whole family came too (since it's their old neighbourhood and friends). It was nice to reconnect with all those people, and eat all the fine finger foods. We got home before Santa had even been to Kansas (love the Norad Santa tracker!).

We let the boys open their traditional new PJs and my 2 excited boys hit the hay, vibrating in anticipation of the day to come.We always let them open their stocking first thing in the morning.... and "Santa" always makes sure there is enough fun and sweet stuff in their to keep them distracted for a while.

At 9:00 am we made our way to my sister's house... normally we try not to leave the house, but my MOM came down for the day!!! You have no idea how big of a deal that is! My mom has worked every Christmas day since I was a child!!!!!!!!! So, my sister made a big ta-doo out of it and made a really wonderful Christmas breakfast. The family settled in to open presents after the kitchen was cleaned up, and I think it went pretty well, not too chaotic. My family headed for home at noon to make sure the kitchen was ready to start cooking for the big dinner. I felt a little bit bad because my mom was staying at my sister's for turkey, but we had made other plans already.... I guess you can't please everyone all the time. You see... we already had plans for Prime Rib Roast instead of turkey this year, it had been ordered from the butcher back in November, and T's dad was coming over to cook it. It gets more complicated when you factor in my mom's EX husband and his spouse were coming for dinner too. They are civil but not exactly friendly ex's... and they don't have much to do with my sister or her family either... I'm the lucky one that gets along with all the family members, but it gets very tricky juggling all the different arms of the family for these special occasions.

But I got to see everyone Christmas day... so for that I will be appreciating what I can get.

T's parents and my stepdad and his wife showed up in lots of time to cook and open (more) presents. Then we settled around the table set with all the best! T's mom's mom's fine China made in 1950, my stepdad's dad's vintage red-glass stemware, my mom's GRANDMA's silverware from the turn of the last century (1908!), and all set on top of T's dad's mom's dining room table.... it is TRULY a family dinner table when the finery comes out.

The Prime Rib and all the fixings turned out amazingly amazing, so I think we may do it again next year too... sorry turkey, you'll always have Thanksgiving.

Today (Boxing Day) we hopped on an early ferry to Gabriola Island to see T's sister's family. It was the first time I'd seen their house all finished and I have to say I was REALLY jealous! What a wonderful floorplan, and exquisite finishing and colours. All wonderful (except that it's on that island). T's sister is a fantastic cook, really really wonderful flair with food. Martha Stewart's got a run for her money with this lady's food, and fantastic tasteful crafting abilities! She's so good that I'm nervous around her (and so I talk too loudly and too much when I'm at her place...oops). I digress... the food was great, the visit was very pleasant, with T's whole family in attendance. We ate quiche and ate baking and ate homemade meringue and ate more too.... I'm sure I will explode...

Christmas 2010 is done. And it was very very nice.

Even with all the different family members, the gift giving was very tame this year, nobody went overboard, and for that I am truly thankful. Enough thoughtful things to feel loved (homemade blankets, jam, baked treats) and less of the disgusting bling bling that seems to have permeated the season the last few years. The kids were not flooded, and they seem to really like everything they got.... and were able to thank each gift giver individually and genuinely. I was very proud of them this Christmas, in fact I was proud of the whole family!

To illustrate how well everyone behaved, all the wrapping paper and emptied packages fit into ONE recycling bag. That is a first since having kids, trust me, it's a break through!

How about you?

Did you get your fill of food and cheer yet?

Preparations under control

3....2....1.... blast off!
Hold onto your mistletoes, it's Christmas Eve

Santa has already started his run, and I wish him luck. I hoped he packed his rain slicker, because an umbrella won't work in this wet, windy mess!

As for our house, the twinkly lights are on, the brussel sprouts have been soaked and trimmed, the house is CLEAN and CBC Radio2 is playing some really excellent Christmas tunes from all genres.

I braved the nasty rain to deliver some Christmas treats to the well- appreciated neighbours. After all, a reliable friend next door is an asset all year long. In this cul-de-sac we all look out for each other (with only the one exception), and what is this time of year all about other than showing the people close to you how much they are appreciated? A card, a few chocolate truffles and a hunk of organic white cheddar cheese hardly covers it, but it's the thought that counts right?

And to you folks (where ever you are), know that I am wishing YOU a very Merry Christmas. Stay safe, be happy and enjoy what the holiday brings you, no matter what that may be.

-T

Today Creativity Sparkles

One wonderful side effect of feeling in control of my space (or at least MORE in control than usual) is that I have found my craft materials and space to do the craft! I tracked down the tools and materials from all over the house for my long-time dream of making some earrings. My darling husband even got me a fancy pair of jewellers pliers a few years back and this is the first time I have actually put them to use.

Sterling hooks, findings and beads galore spread out before me on a fabric matte on my desk, I suddenly had a bit of creative block -- too many options!!! So I went to the buffet of homemade jewellry inspiration -- Etsy. 

Not copying anything but getting an excellent jump-start on my creative processes I got to work..... and work I did!

Next thing I knew I had a pair of earrings that I thought were pretty good for a first attempt. And then another, and another! There were some gaudy looking failures, but I just disassembled them and started again.

Wanna See? Here are a few of them....  More to come because it's just too much fun!!!!

I can now cross this off my guilty "crafts that need to be tried" list.

Free Space is Room to Breathe

In the 2 boxes of stuff I took to charity last weekend, some of it was kitchen stuff. It was surprisingly hard to part with these things. A good quality stainless steel mixing bowl set, a pan with egg coddlers (and tight-fitting lid), some genuine tupperware sippy cups. These items have lots of good life left in them, but did not get used in my day to day life (anymore). I have been lugging the mixing bowls and pan around for 20 years (that's how long I have had my own kitchen) but I always chose the OTHER mixing bowls to actually use, and the pan never seemed to be the right one for anything I make, the sippy cups are from when the kids were much younger. Letting go of all these things was strangely hard because they are so useful LOOKING.

Now that a few days have passed, it has been glorious without these things! I can't over-state how wonderful it is to open the pot-drawer to put things away and have SPACE for everything without an inpromptu game of pan-tetris. The plastics cupboard is liberated without the sippy cups -- the teetering stack of colourful plastic is off to a new family somewhere, and now my ziploc containers can be found easier. But the most dramatic difference is in the corner cupboard where the mixing bowls lived. It now has at least a full square foot of more space, tipping the scales from frustrating to functional. I still open the cupboard with a hand ready to catch what may fall out, but nothing does!

It feels like there is more air to breathe as I'm unloading the dishwasher. It feels like just that much less stress as I'm searching for something.....

and so bolstered by this success I look ahead... there are many, many more cupboards.

And since it Tis the Season to support the foodbanks, I will be tackling dry goods cupboard this week. I just heard they always need pasta and cake mixes. (Why do I need 6 flavours of cake mixes taking up space in my cupboard when my husband has high cholesterol and a temperamental gallbladder and when the kids prefer pie anyways?) I could use that space to see the healthy snack choices more clearly! I feel a little funny giving away perfectly good food, but at the same time I feel guilty that it's food from my cupboards that I'm donating (it feels "used"). As long as it's not expired I should feel fine about it though, shouldn't I?

Not being antisocial

I apologize, I'm not being anti-social, I'm just very BUSY (and happy) doing all the Christmas prep stuff.

Cards... sent

Gifts.... bought and wrapped MOSTLY, (except homemade additions...see below)

Decorating.... done in the house, but the outside lights are still in the box in the garage...

Baking.... HAS to be this week because I am doing a baking swap with a friend on Saturday!

Crafts... I am doing up gift baskets for the Grandparents this year. Almost done.

T and my parents are so hard to buy for but I want them to have something special for all the love and geerosity that they show our kids all year. As you know I had a fun time canning this summer, so each basket will have a couple preserves made by ME. Also a couple ornaments painted by the boys (see below), a school portrait of each boy (it has been years since I have bought these so they are long overdue), also some cookies that I have yet to make, and to round it out... a Christmas scratch ticket for fun. I hope they enjoy getting them as much as I am enjoying making them.


Here is Cami helping me with baking ornaments for the grandparent gift baskets (I got the recipe from Simple Dollar)... Cami helped mix, kneed roll, cut out and paint the ornaments too! What a crafty Santa's little helper he is!

The all-important Christmas tree hunt was this Friday afternoon!!! We loaded into the truck and went to the Christmas Tree Farm and tromped far a field to find the perfect spruce....

With our target chosen and chopped, my strong husband carried it through the fog, past miniature perfect trees back to the truck.

Back home, the tree fulfilled it's purpose and was adorned with glittery lights and many year's worth of happy festive memories and ornaments.

I love the trinkets! There are home made ones from friends and family, ones that came from my family tree as a kid, ones that were given to us to commemerate special times, etc. They all have a memory attached and it makes me all warm and fuzzy putting them out every year.

Now if only I can get some billable work done!!!

******************

Cami won a raffle gift basket full of toys last week! On his own, he went through the basket and selected some things for himself, some things to give his brother, and asked me to share the rest with other kids that need toys for Christmas!  I am so proud of him! I packed them up and took them to our local Boys and Girls Club, they were tickled pink.

Also, 3 more boxes of gently used items left my home and went to charity this weekend and I gave my sister a jacket that I don't wear. Small victories on the chaos of stuff!

Reconnecting

I just got off the phone with my very longest time friend in the whole world.  -- I have been haunting her life since Grade FOUR! She's the one that makes the very adorable sock critters and is a published author, and illustrator and her husband is a musician/photographer/composer (ubber-cool family whether they admit it or not).


And it was exactly what I needed.

We talked about how busy our lives were and all the changes that happen and what was new and some serious things too. Even though it can be MONTHS between communication, we always seem to be able to just chat and chat. I love that about her. She knows I've got a life and I know she's got a life. But somehow no matter how much "life" happens we can just start talking and that's perfectly okay no awward baggage, no pressure to fill each other in before we can be comfortable, no strings attached.

The only stumbling blocks that interfere with our seeing more of each other is that
1) she lives about an hour away
2) we both have kids and therefore already have too much to do any given day
3) She is nocturnal and I am diurnal. I notice when I get a reply email from her it is usually about 1am... I am not awake at that hour unless something is terribly WRONG. Likewise, about 70% of the time that I have phoned her she is usually sleeping (or napping -- baby in the house!!!).
But TODAY she replied to my email while I was at my computer, so I knew she was home and awake so I called! Sly, sly me...

sigh... it was nice to reconnect with a live voice, now back to the busy-ness!