bye bye 2013

I shocked that 2013 is over, it flew by so fast that I wonder what it all meant.

Time to re-visit my resolutions from last year, time to do the last invoices for my business and see how our household finances compare to year's past…. I feel good about it actually.

2013 Resolutions Report Card: 

MORE; 
reading, C- (not as much as I was hoping)
writing, C+ (definitely MORE but not lots)
billable hours, B+ (very good effort!)
time teaching my kids, D (I didn't apply my energy!)
learning, C (learning software upgrades)
vegetables, B+ (yay!)
whole foods, B+ (good improvement)
housecleaning, C+ (some improvement, a ways to go)
walks, A (rain or shine and dragging anyone that will go)
yoga, F (I think I went once all year)
time for friends, B- (more phone calls, more lunches)
kindness, B (the kids are seeing a less judgmental me)
time outside, A (gardening, walking, chickens, dog!)
patience, B (it seems to go with the kinder me)

LESS; 
dairy, A+ (almost done with it except aged cheeses)
fructose, B+ (it sneaks in rarely)
excuses, B+ (good improvement!)
processed foods, A- (I read ingredients)
shopping, C+ (slightly better than last year)
criticism, B (more kindness)
procrastination, D (still prone to leaving unpleasant things to the last second)
TV, F (time-sucking box of doom)
food hoarding, C+ (good effort up to about a month ago)
chaos C+ (there is less, but still room to improve)

As far as resolutions go I think I made progress in a decent amount of areas! I'm so glad to have done this and I will certainly continue.

2014 Resolutions:

MORE: time outside, wholesome food, gardening, billable hours, kindness, learning, housecleaning, patience, quiet time, time for loved ones, creating art, respecting my health

LESS: chaos, processed foods, useless stuff, procrastinating, consumption, pushing my opinion, TV

What I want to accomplish for the year: A comfortable, safe environment to live and work for myself and my dear family through good nutrition, clean home, loving attitude, calm listening and healthy habits.

fun with cars

I love some car commercials.... this is one of them: (you need speakers)

http://video.luxology.com/article/113004_1/Citroen_C4.mov

Phew!

The mayhem is over for another year.

It was the duck in the movie "Babe" that exclaimed "Christmas is Carnage!" …. yes that's how it feels when there are 9 youths and 7 adults from a few generations milling around my kitchen waiting for the giant turkey with all the fixings.

It was messy, it was noisy and it was wonderful to see the family and sit down to a sumptuous meal together.

I like that part better than the present exchange.

For some reason the gift selection got me more frustrated than usual this year.  I want with all my heart to have Christmas be about family and caring for each other, and simple gestures (gifts that are a silly treat), not about buying "the PERFECT thing" that it has grown into. It actually worries me to my core, but I seem to be the only one that cares about it. Truly I would have been happy with a few pleasant tokens. There were points when I wanted to cry over how out-of-hand the whole present thing got this year… but don't worry… it all went well so I will have to get over it. Not that I don't think my family DESERVES the very best, its just that it all seems too much somehow.

That being said I really do like what I got for Christmas, I appreciate the thought and the effort too.

Just like every 29th I am itching to take down all the decorations RIGHT NOW. Why is that? I actually like my decorations, I like the sparkly lights and our photos with santa and special ornaments that hold all the fun memories of holidays past…. but I just can't WAIT to get them down! I wonder why.

Maybe it's just too overwhelming. Bling, money, stress, food, Christmas tunes to EXCESS for Nov/Dec it's everywhere - sooooo intense!!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with loved ones. I did, truly I did, despite what this whiny post implies

food?

Food food food food

It's a politically charged subject for me. Farm factories and monoculture, and GMOs and additives and preservatives and the plight of the bee… its all so scary!

I want to eat well.
 I want to eat clean.
   I want to eat socially responsible.
     And I want to be able to eat that way on a budget!!!!

Really I need to grow more of my own if I want to be sure what I'm getting. (That sounds like work.)  I admire the pure 100 mile diet folks, I think they are brave and so much smarter than me. I bet they don't eat processed anything. (Sounds expensive). Around here 100 miles is mostly coniferous forest, mountains and sea. On the island there are few serious commercial vegetable farmers, and they have short seasons. There is beef and fish, but no bananas, grains, chocolate, vanilla, pepper, spices, teas or coffee -- it sounds bland.

Damn, now I want some coffee (free trade certified organic please)

The annual hunt

We love going to the "wild woods" of the tree farm. Hunting for the perfect tree... the one that speaks to us all. And in weather like we had last weekend it was a WONDERFUL experience! Crisp and bright, all the trees standing tall and sparkly... it was fun.

There it is on the right.... the tallest one in this field.

It filled the whole box of the truck!

Shocking, it looks very tall on the back patio

Good thing we have vaulted ceilings!

Ta-da! It's a good one for sure!

Santa is coming

December 1st

Only 24 days till Christmas!

I'm happy to say, my list is under control and I have even started with the cards. It is a huge chore with a close family (I am not complaining) so it will take a while.

Like last year, I am avoiding anything that needs batteries. I want to keep it simple as possible.

fall foraging feast

A beautiful walk in the woods with a camera is a wonderful thing any time of year... but THIS time of year is MUSHROOM SEASON! Oh my there was a beautiful assortment of mushrooms! My camera was so happy clicking away at colourful (toxic) looking fungal fruits. Our trail system was THOROUGHLY picked over for edible varieties.... kicked over and stomped through...sad sad for me. BUT I did a shaggy mane, a puff ball and some lobster mushrooms (which I have not tried before but were too gorgeous to leave behind). They are heavy and dirty and technically what makes them lobster mushrooms isn't the mushroom at all but the mushroom's parasite! Freaky, but cool.

 Just one of the 50 or more mushroom photos from today...

 Cleaned, it is much more appetizing..

 I decided to make a Newburg sauce with extra paprika (lobster mushroom, but no fish)...

 The finished meal with puff pastry and chard from the garden....

The whole family enjoyed it thoroughly and now I have one more food in my foraging repertoire.

Wildlife

We have a bear.

Not that I mind (actually it's pretty cool to think I share my territory with a big animal like that)
BUT this particular bear has been a bit destructive in it's hunt for fall food. Other than ripping limbs from my apple tree, (and massive poops) it took out 6 fence panels of my neighbour's backyard and left more poop and other debris right up on her sundeck!

Miraculously it has ignored the chicken coop even though it is directly adjacent to the apples trees.
The neighbour is worried about what it will do next. Or worse, what her husband will do next. So she called the conservation officer... And THATS how a live bear trap got taken through my driveway.  It's about 10 ft from my garage right now.

Last night the bear came back but was more interested in mauling my green bin than climbing into the trap for the big bag of stinky cat food. Smarter than your average bear? Or just a vegetarian? So the trap is still vacant... for now.

Creativity

A dear family friend once told me...

"You and I are the same, we are not whole unless we are creating"

At the time she was refering to my desperate search for meaning when I had a nasty bout of depression after my first son was born. But she hit the nail on the head! I was in a place then of domestic survival. I was on mat leave with a "high needs baby" with no experience with childcare at all, and barely had any time to sleep or eat let alone be creative. (It was a dark time, but everyone survived it thank heavens.)

I heard her through the mire, and I took action. I forced myself to look outside and collect pretty flowers (with babe in stroller) and I tried to think beyond the desperation of the moment to anything ANYTHING inspiring (listening to music was very helpful when nothing else was available -- though sometimes any noise at all was more grating than soothing).

As interesting as it is to look on that part of my life, that's not what this post is for.

I NEED TO CREATE. I KNOW I AM HAPPY WHEN I AM CREATING ON MANY LEVELS.

Right now I am creating on so many levels I'm not even sure I can list them all.

I am drawing, writing, working, organizing my home, cooking, gardening and enjoying long walks in the woods as much for the ambience as for the exercise.

And yes, I am a happy, happy mommy and a happy happy wife too.

Book

A few years ago I had a dream that was so vivid and fully formed, I decided that I had to write it. It's a SciFi dream, complete with aliens and a post-apocalyptic humanity. The dream was brief, but with it came a complete history and cast of characters that I really want to read about. Since they don't exist except in my head, I guess it's up to me! I am no writer, and I'm a busy girl and my days are full of house-mom chores, self-employment responsibilities, and a to-do list a mile long of things I want to do more of (hang with friends, garden, draw, declutter, read, etc...)

It is still in my head even after all this time. Like a favourite novel that I want to revisit.

The good news is that my husband goes to bed VERY early.... after he hits the hay the house has to be very quiet. Since he has to get up for work at 4:00am, he must sleep to get even the facsimile of enough sleep. And though I don't have to go to bed at the same time, I usually follow after settling the kids into bed and reading them a story. It's just easier.

For me, the advantage of lying awake for some time before sleep comes is that I get to tell MYSELF a bed time story to settle my mind after a busy day.  The "story" is unfolding night after night. An exploration and gestation of that original dream.

Well I have finally started writing it down.

I hate sitting in front of my desktop keyboard after doing it all day for work, and the story just seems to freeze when I sit in this office chair. The couch position is great for the dialogue to come (not quite as good as my dark room and comfy quilt while falling asleep though). I have been attempting to put pen to paper in front of the evening TV time... but everything is puking out so fast that it is getting jumbled and messy.

Perhaps I should "borrow" my husband's laptop for this. At least I will be able to read the typed stuff. We will see.

In short, I am excited about what has started in my head. Even if it's never published, it will be something of me in words. When I am ready to share it, I hope it will be worthy.

Married 19 years...

... how cool is that?

 

We went for a walk on the waterfront and had a terrific meal at a floating cafe called "Penny's Palapa" -  featuring Mexican themed, extremely fresh, fish dishes..... oh my it was tasty! Too bad it's only open in the warm season (outside-only dining area). Then we walked some more down the seawalk and stopped to watch the local water wildlife (and the local people too). It was simply lovely.

 

We've been a couple more than 2 decades and I still genuinely love spending time with him. Sure it's not always perfect, but I feel gratitude for what we have together every day.

More Camping!

We got a few days off in a row, so we took to the hills with trailer and truck.

Our favourite place is a modest campground with pit toilets and fire rings - no services - no cell service either. A spot that is a 45 minute drive past the pavement up and down logging roads hugging a very large lake on Vancouver Island (approximately 40 km long and 1.6 km wide).

I love it there. Just love it. We tried a new spot this time, just wonderful!

(you can see the lake from the picnic table with it's own short trail to the shore)

 (looking back up the trrail to our site)

 

(here is our private beach)

(sitting in a kayak on the beach - yes the dog is in a kayak on the lake!)

(the weather was stunning the first day and the lake was warm)

(then the weather changed... and stayed spotty if not downright miserable the rest of the time)

(at least we were allowed a campfire with the rain)

(the morning we left we were tired of being damp, this shot was taken after we had packed up and just before the heavens opened up in a torrent with thunder and everything!)

 

We all got to paddle around in the kayaks at one point or another, and it was quiet and relaxing in the kayak in the rain. Steve had his unicycle, Cam had his R/C rock crawler truck, I had my e-reader and T got to leave work and the honey-do list behind. The camping trip did it's job, we all felt relaxed and happy the whole time. The only wild food I got to harvest was a lovely white chantrelle mushroom and a few berries (honestly the rain wasn't fun to forage in). The spot was excellent for it's scenery, sheltered beach and it's extremely quiet location.

Harvest Time!

Lots of weeding this week (I let it get a little out of control) rain or shine, I uncovered the veggies among the unwanted grasses and weeds.

Happily gardening, there was harvesting of veggies.
And digging out the canning supplies... pickled green beans anyone? I'll be tacking tomatoes later in the month. And the apples are just getting started!

 

It was a disapointing year for zucchini, and raspberries, but a bumper crop of peas and beans, and my first attempt at potatoes and broccoli was rewarding enough to want to plant more next year.

The onions were being systematically destroyed from leaf tip to hollowed out root bulb by something, so I pulled the remaining ones early (and small) just so I'd have SOMETHING of them.

All in all the first season in this new garden (the test run for the soil and space) was successful, and it will be getting more action and even more plants and rows next year. I will be enlisting hubby and children to really make it an honest effort for food production instead of the dabbling of fresh treats that it has been up to now.

I must move the raspberries. The spot that I put them is hard to access (not that I got any berries anyhow) but I can't think of where a good spot would be with good sun, easy access and not in a place that would block other veggie's sun. It will come to me.

And I get to explore my small greenhouse's potential now too. The summer sun was too intense to use it, but now that the sun is more shy, I should be able to plant some lettuces, spinach, and maybe beets and kale. The potted strawberries will head for the shelter as well.... I wonder if that will help them. I found a really neat thing on line for a tiered strawberry planter made from large PVC pipes that I want to try to make... pretty sure gutters would work too.

I have a fig tree. It looks very sad. I think it wants to stretch its roots deep in the ground instead of the pot its in. Where to plant it? Figs CAN grow very large. But I'm not sure if I have that kind. They also like warmth and sun.... like the raspberries, I need to find that sweet spot for the plant before I dig. Somewhere that I can easy wrap it to protect tender shoots from winter frost until it's well established.

This weekend wasn't ALL work. T and I managed to get to a friend's 50th birthday BBQ and T's dad's birthday lunch. I visited my sister, went for a couple walks and the family even went to the park and whacked at some tennis balls with a baseball bat (the first time ever for that activity). So it wasn't raining the WHOLE weekend. LOL.

CAMPING!

Stamp River Provincial Campground was perfect for us! Lots of trees, privacy and no frills.

 

After a brisk swim in the fast flowing river, we went for a walk to the falls

 

Very pretty canyon that the river squeezes into

 

Next morning we head to McLean Mill to go to the "Steam-Up" festival (which was the whole reason we came camping in Post Alberni in the first place)

 

Very interesting steam machines from the classic Stanley Steamer automobile, to a small steam boat, a gorgeous shiny firefighters pump wagon, lots of tractors and engines and donkeys and huge lorries and of course the mill itself has been restored to steam power! There is something awe-inspiring about the beautiful steam equipment.

 

Cammy managed to get enlisted for the old-time logging demonstration. He got loaded down with old-fashioned faller's gear and there was a lot of it especially for a sunny summer afternoon.

 

And then the lucky bum caught the eye of a man moving his machine and got to ride on a vintage tractor around the mill site! His face is so serious.

 

It was a good weekend, the camping and steam, and museum, and general relaxing around the firepit roasting marshmallows and reading a novel. Very nice indeed.

 

(and the beloved trailer was perfect)

PS; fox&bee, we got some great sound bites of the steam equipment running if you want it

365 days

It's been one year since we got possession of this, our 3rd home.

It was stressful, it was expensive and it was a LOT of work to get to this point, but I still believe this was a good move for us. The floor plan is terrific, the yard is amazing and it's potential hasn't even been reached yet.

It was stinky, dirty, extremely dated and 1/2 torn apart inside, but that couldn't hide how wonderful it could be with some scrubbing, painting and updating. Oh ya it's nice now if I do say so myself.

When I think back to the other house, I do get wistful about the intimate spaces and BRIGHTNESS of it with the white framed, ample windows, and the southern exposure... I also feel a little guilty about leaving a house that was within a few years of being paid off... then again, I'm not romantically delusional about the old house's shortcomings. The rooms were small, things that I loved never fit properly. The driveway was STEEP and the yard was tiny. The brightness that I loved came with a price -- HOT summers. And maybe I could have lived with all that (I did for 13 years after all) but the worst part was that crazy neighbour, she wasn't just threatening me or my husband, but the kids too. A real whackadoo.

This place is better.

365 days we have owned it now. It's home. Our home, noisy road and all (no we haven't "got used to it" like so many people have told us we would).

Bad Dog

We came home to the recycling all over the yard. So T buried him in the bits of plastic and cardboard and made him "stay" for 1/2 hour.

I know Max is doing it to "punish" us for leaving him behind, he gets into in MINUTES of us leaving... Perhaps he thinks getting in trouble is worth it?

It's annoying that's for sure.

Don't you love a good story?

I got the "preview" on my kobo on a whim (yes the cover got me) and by the time I finished the free chapter I was completely hooked. I wanted to know this character, I wanted to got through her struggles and explore her world as long as I could. So I logged onto the library website and reserved it. And in just 3 days (some kind of record for me) I devoured all 400 some odd pages.

 

Seraphina
Author Rachel Hartman
(Cover artist Andrew Davidson)
Wikipedia says: Seraphina is a 2012 fantasy prose set in the kingdom of Goredd and follows the sixteen-year-old Seraphina, a court musician. She's drawn into a murder mystery when the Crown Prince of Goredd, Rufus, is found decapitated in a manner that insinuates that he was murdered by dragons. The murder occurs on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the signing of a treaty that ended the war between humans and dragons.

But its so much more than that! I loved the depth and detail that was in the construction of this world and characters. I was so sad to say goodbye to Seraphina when the book was done. I really liked her. The novel's build up is graceful, the love element is not too much like mush (almost), the mystery is complicated enough to be challenging (but not too frustrating). I didn't get subjected to any dramatic sound effects in my head at the end of the chapters like some popular fiction - oh how I loathe those cheap literary hooks. It was gentler than that while definitely NOT being boring. It may be youth fantasy, but it wasn't immature or simplistic.

I hope Ms Hartman (of Vancouver) writes more stuff like this I really do.

Dig Diggity

Heavy duty yard renovations! T's brother came down from up North and borrowed a friend's little excavator and dump truck. He dug stuff out, put in better drainage, sculpted the new path, moved some big rocks and laid several tonnes of driveway chip until it all looked pretty spiffy.

Come Fall we will plant some new grass where it was all dug up, and it will look very pro I think.
We now officially have a horseshoe driveway and less front yard to mow.

I have always wanted a round about driveway...

Stripes Angel Tiny Penny Fry - Chickens!

Here's my flock. Happy feathered hens.... I wish the photo had audio, cause chicken sounds are very sweet.

Cold Cruel Facts

I did something I loathe today... I added up the expenses, I subtracted the income and I felt my blood run cold at the results.

My income and expenses are so close they squeak. I guess that is waaaaay better than finding out they AREN'T close (think red), but still I was hoping I had more wiggle room than I do.

My inner dialogue is playing good cop bad cop inside my stomach right now....
"You idiot! How could you be so careless! Now you are going to have to buckle down and work harder girl!" one side says, then, "Hey now, don't be so hard on yourself! In your expenses you have included savings for long term, short term and a little extra for the mortgage once a year" my other side sooths

Its not fun being of 2 minds about so many things. Diet, Exercise, Housekeeping, Career, Parenting, Money. I come down hard on myself for not giving it 100% and then get lazy again with the placating phrase "It could be worse".

The good news is that with very little effort my budget could look better. A few more billable hours (not always within my control) and a few less trips out for lunch with my sister (definitely within my control) would make a world of difference. The important thing is that I know where I stand RIGHT NOW and that knowledge is power.

The bad news is that the numbers I was working from are from 2012, the reason that is bad is because of the gigantic, unusual expense of selling, buying and renovating. Also, while in the midst of the sale/move/reno I didn't get a whole lot of income. I tried to ignore all of the really specific expenses/income that relate to the transaction.... as a result I am not happy with the thoroughness of the numbers.

What did I learn from all this?
- We spend a crap load on vehicles (running, insuring, repairing)
- My kids go through clothes/shoes/food at an alarming rate
- Vet bills are devastating when budgeting
- Braces are devastating when budgeting too
- I won't be updating my work computer as soon as I was hoping to.

Rendering myself Obsolete

My goal as a parent is to put myself pretty much out of a job within the next 10 years.

That's right. They can continue to love me (and I sure hope they do!) but I am counting on them not needing me to cook, clean, schedule or buy things for them in the next decade.

My 16 year old can now do his own laundry

My 11 year old can fry his own eggs (even crack them into the pan - I'm so proud)

Both of them are slowly acquiring the skills for proper nutrition and home care - It's part of the big picture as a parent.

For the first 12 months the primary task is to keep them alive and hopefully thriving.
The next couple years are all about socializing and communication skills (and hygiene!)
School years are about refining skills with other people, education, safety, health, emotional growth, building character, humour, love and play... big stuff!
Teens are back to the basics of respect, survival, safety, money - with the added edge of sexual stuff
And HOPEFULLY by the time they are age of majority we hope they are able and willing to leave the nest to begin productive, happy, law abiding lives of their own.

My boys may not be excelling in academics, but they will have been taught skills to shop properly, feed themselves and keep their living space clean enough.... (oh ya and be able to forrage edible wilds, mow and weedwhack the lawn, drive stick, ride motorcycles and know proper firearm handling as a bonus).

No place like home

I'm happy to say that I love my house again. The winter was long and dark which made me have doubts, but now that the sun is reaching the yard again, I love it once more.

The floorplan is great in any season and the gardens are looking spiffier after every weekend of effort. The kids and dog spend more time outside here than they did at the other place and generally even though they do more outside stuff I see more of them too (because my office is in the main part of the house perhaps?).  Its worth mentioning that I have burned less meals here too... also because of the office's proximity to the main part of the house.

I've been walking almost every day to school with Cam -even though it's no closer than the other house, the walk is nicer. And the drive is much worse, so walking is simply the more appealling choice in the morning!

So we renovated the floors, paint and  K I T C H E N last year.

This year we are:
- working on the front yard (already quite a way into that with sicky plants removed, a fresh terraced rock wall and cedars coming next week)
- improving the food garden area... (my step-dad gave us his old green house. This weekend he's coming over to help re-assemble it.)
- repairing and improving the driveways (T's bro is bringing an excavator over next month!)
- painting the exterior of the house
- wiring and winterizing the garage (T's tools suffered surface rust over this last winter!)
- painting the baseboard molding, trim and interior doors
- installing more lighting for the kitchen and dining area (dreary and impractical at the moment over the eating areas)
- installing an exhaust fan in the main bathroom (how a house can be 30 years old and not have ever had one is strange to me)

That is the wish list that I REALLY hope to get done before the dark season comes back, we put some money aside after our other house sold, so hopefully it will all come together in time. (We won't get a loan for any of it... if we can't pay for it now, then it can wait). Between my energy, the boys' young backs and T's handyman skills it shouldn't require much hiring out.... just sweat equity and materials.

*** today I shoveled a whole yard of soil by myself and flung it up into the terraced rocks in the front yard. I think my back may hate me in the morning.

I can't wait to take a bite

I'm a huge fan of food-conspiracy documentaries, and some of the books too.
"The Botany of Desire" and, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals", "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" are favourites of mine and all by the same brilliant author that seems to really care about our relationship with what we eat...

Michael Pollan has a new book! "Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation"

 

I - M-U-S-T - F-I-N-D - I-T - !

(and in looking on line I just discovered a couple more that I haven't read! "Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual", "Second Nature: A Gardener's Education " and a few more that he has his name co-authored to.)

More Wood's Goods

When my dear friends J&J were here, I went foraging for big leaf maple blossoms. I just found out they were edible and wanted to try a recipe in my beautiful new cookbook, "PACIFIC FEAST"  (by Jennifer Hahn) that I bought last fall. I was just waiting for Spring to give me some fresh ingredients.

Got a nice, big grocery bag of the green, grape-like clusters, easy to get this time of year, they were clean, tight and bug free!

 

Then I steeped the blossoms in hot milk for a few minutes. The result was a greenish milk that smelled kind of arrowrootish. Not unpleasant at all! With that I made Creme Brullee's.

 

.I didn't have the correct dishes (ramekins), but it's not a disaster to improvise sometimes. I thought the resulting dessert was very tasty. Creamy, mildly flavoured and not too sweet. I wished there was MORE.

More or Less Resolution Update

Back in January, I posted a resolution of sorts... more or less

Here are my sucess stories!

MORE; more reading, more billable hours, more whole foods, more walks, yoga, more time outside, more time for friends,

and one that I hadn't listed: MORE FORAGED FOODS!

LESS; less fructose, less processed foods, less shopping, less food hoarding, less chaos

I haven't given up on the other things on the list, not at all. That's the great part about a more or less list, its flexible in deadline and degrees of success.

**** A BIG THANK YOU TO J&J FOR SPENDING ALL DAY WITH ME YESTERDAY. IT WAS FUN AND VERY PRODUCTIVE! ****

Look out!

Look ma, I can drive now!

 

 

(and here it is upside down too....)

Give me strength.

Wood's Goods

Yesterday T wanted to go for a good hike, and this time I was prepared to forage the natural bounty of SPRING! I made sure I had sturdy gloves, bags, and scissors.

By the time I got home several hours later (and all exhausted by the pace my husband likes to trudge through the woods), I had a sizable amount of fresh, young, tender stinging nettles! Mmmmm.

I have tried nettle foods before at the Edible Wilds Food Fair, but never had the courage to go get them myself. Those nettles really sting!

It was worth the risk, these super-greens are scrumptious! Milder than spinach, I found the flavour delicate and deliciously "green" tasting.

Following the instructions carefully, I washed in cold water for 5 minutes (with heavy gloves on):

Then blanched in salted boiling water for 1 minute:

 

Then I squeezed out the excess juice (reserving the water and juice for a very healthy stock) and proceeded to make a nettle pesto which I served on Gnocchi dumplings! OMG this was yummy!

 

 

(I got the batch pictured above and 2 more cups of Nettle Pesto saved in the freezer)

 

The positive reaction by the whole family towards this vibrant green dish prompted me to head out with my gear again this morning to pick some more!!!!!

 

I think maybe a nettle lasagna would be nice....

Family Menu

In January I did the freezer challenge, and I have to say I REALLY enjoyed it!

One of the fun parts of it was writing down what we ate for dinner. I would like to continue that trend and start posting our dinner menus (just because). :)

I know, I am too busy to do that.... but I'm going to try anyways because I liked it!

Here are some of the meals I crafted for my family lately...

February:
Lasagna
Chicken Fingers w/ Yam Fries
Turkey Tetrazini
Pad Thai (Tim's birthday)
Saurkraut presure cookered w/ porkchops and potatoes
Chicken Stirfy w/ tons of veggies on noodles
Green Ham Curry on Basmati rice w/ palaak paneer
Hot Dogs, potato salad and fresh veg plate
Fritatta and salad
Chicken Tortellini in tarragon cream sauce w/salad
Saurkraut/european weiners w/ mashed potatoes and carrots

March:
Prime Rib dinner! (my birthday)
Hamburger/ fries/ salad
Poutine / sweet kale salad
Hot dogs / potato salad / brocoslaw
Grilled chicken breast / quinoa / sweet kale salad
Butter chicken /  palaak paneer
Pork & Apple Stew
Spagetti & Meatballs
Fishsticks / fries / kale salad
Soft Beef Tacos
Tortellini with vodka sauce (chicken and bacon)
Broiled Basa & salad
Pesto Prawns on Ravioli and broccoli
Pork Gyoza & edamame
Butternut Squash Ravioli with sausage and diced tomatoes
Rouladen, Spaetzle and Brussel Sprouts (Steve's Birthday)

And so far in April.....
Frittatta
Mustard Tarragon Pork Chops w/ asparagus on Brown Rice
Feta Ravioli w sundried tomato, wilted spinach and pine nuts
Green Ham Curry on basmati rice w/peas

yum yum yum! How I loooove to cook!

Chickens did it again

Do you remember the giant egg one of my hens laid?

 

Well, one of them decided to hit the other end of the spectrum... a perfectly formed egg no bigger than a robin's egg! I wonder which one laid it? I can't tell who is doing what. A hen may sit in the nesting box for ages, but then I go see which egg she left and there is NOTHING, and other times I haven't seen anyone in there and there are 3 different sized/coloured eggs in there. Go figure!

Here it is next to a "normal" sized egg:

 

Look! There is even a tiny, little yolk! (It was very hard to crack into this one)

 

These fluffy birds are a constant source of amusement for me and my family.

Gooood Birthday Weather

This is the first time in 15 years that the weather is forecast as pleasant for March 29th around here. How do I know that for sure? Because Steve's 1st birthday party was outside and lovely (as in no coats required lovely!), and this one (his 16th birthday) coming up this weekend is also supposed to be lovely. Every birthday in between has been shockingly cold and generally very wet.

 

I am looking forward to this. Winter was gloomy (though not particularly harsh), but I'm still glad to see spring again!

 

So I have been a mom 16 years as of Friday. There have been ups and downs and seriously tough times, but all in all I wouldn't trade it for the world! There are times when I would not have said that, there were even times when I thought I wanted to run away from it all, but you know what? I am so glad I toughed it out. That little man of mine is pretty awesome in my opinion. A sharp sense of humour, a bunch of interesting skills (like off-road unicycling for example) and he even turned out to be a decent older brother - oh man that was unlikely for a loooong time.

I can love him and have him love me without being his buddy. I was never playmates with my parents, and I'm not sure where that need to play all the time with our kids came from. But it's there! I felt guilty that I didn't want to play with them every waking minute. Not to say I never did! I sat on the floor building lego, and I mushed my fair share of play-do too. I just thought he needed to be able to get on without me as his 24/7 social director, y'know? Ocassional disapointment can foster an internal strength, of that I am sure. As tempting as it was to always be there to protect him, I learned a while back that he had to stumble and fall once in a while to really develop his own sense of self-preservation.

And isn't that what growing up really is? Making decisions and living with the consequences of those decisions? I don't my kids to grow up feeling like they aren't in control of their own futures and I really don't want them to ever blame any one else for where they are in life.

One of the proudest moments in my son's life so far was when he told me point blank that he didn't want to take the ADHD meds anymore. I didn't want him to make the decision lightly, but he knew exactly WHY he didn't want the drugs. He said "puberty is going to be messing with my brain enough, I don't want to grow up reliant on these things. I really want to be able to find a way to get through school as ME without the drugs". How cool is that?! I still ask him regularly if he wants to try the meds again, but he always refuses.

In all honesty I think that makes him smarter than the doctors and teachers. Those meds may have made school more tolerable (and made him more tolerable to teachers), but it's a false reality. If he wanted to take the drugs for the rest of his life then that would be okay. But he wants to be able to find a field of work that compliments his natural state, not his medicated state.  School-life is short, work-life is so very much longer!!!! If he can overcome his challenges at this age, then maybe he'll cope elsewhere too. That's pretty forward thinking for such a young man.

Of course there is the danger that his hard times with school will hinder his prospects at post-secondary or high-end career options. But he is aware that's a risk and he's still adament that he needs to be himself 100% right now and can re-visit the med idea later if he has to.

But, for now, this weekend is my big focus. This kid's 16th birthday weekend is going to be pretty mellow. He has one buddy he wants to take to Wild Play Adventure Park for a climb on the Monkido course (in fact he wants to apply there for a summer job!). Since it's Easter weekend, he has to wait to take his learner's driver's test for Tuesday at the earliest. Yes, that means he will be driving!!!!
But we are ready:

 

My little BMW won't be subject to the clutch torture of the newbie driver. And our crewcab 4x4 Ford F250 won't be used as a mega-ton-weapon on the roads either. This little VW Fox will be fullfilling it's destiny as a little beater.... this is the car to train our 16 year old with. It is a 4 speed standard transmission, completely gutless and ugly enough not to be a chick-magnet. The perfect "starter car".

 

BUT he is not getting it as a gift! Right now T is driving it to work to save fuel costs (the difference in fuel costs from the truck more than makes up for the insurance) and he will continue to drive it until Steve gets his "N" drivers license, by which time Steve can chose to buy the car (if he can prove that he can afford insurance, gas and maintenance: AKA has a job). Meanwhile he will have lessons with it as mom & dad's car and will continue to take the school bus and ride his bike around.

 

I am 100% positive that he will get a job to buy the car if it's important to him.

 

 

Spring Optimism

The days are getting longer, the sun actually touches my house now and I am feeling enthusiastic about the garden. In fact I have to reign myself in so I don't go planting things too tender to survive the sometimes frosty mornings.

 

But a splash of colour with primulas is a safe investment!!!

 

 

I even spent several hours digging out sod and transplanting bulbs to make this feature spot in the back (viewable by all the back windows)

 

The sun is welcome here, very very welcome to warm my bones.

 

Speaking of bones, I had the big check-up this morning; the good news is that I am in good shape for a 41 year old.  A minor iron deficiency (which is causing 90% of my complaints) and easily correctable cholesterol elevation otherwise I'm in great shape to be as healthy as can be. My weight/height and waist/hip ratios are low risk, my thyroid is awesome, my diabetes risk is practically non-existent and my blood pressure is text-book perfect! All the other tiny annoyances are simply symptoms of being over 40, but you know what, if that's normal aging I'm okay with it. I'm not sick! That feels so very very good that I forgive my body for being tired and slower than it used to be.

 

The only thing that could harm my exercise potential is the sore feet. Apparently my feet are changing, and not for the best. Shoes with good support (but not constrictive) are my doctor's recommendation. I guess I need to dust off the old Birkenstock (so ugly, but so good). Hopefully I didn't declutter them last year!

Passion Realized

Following up on yesterday's post... I dug out my paints and canvasses and got to it while the inspiration was fresh.

 

 

Not done yet...