Friday, September 25, 2009

I. Must. Have. These.

I found a new shop on Etsy. You must check out Nothing Elegant's shop, she has such cute creative stuff! Darn that Etsy.



1. Paper Deco Box Tape - apples
2. Cute Deco Stamp Set
3. Handmade Craft Label Sticker Set
4. Colored Paper Masking Tape
5. Iron on Fabric Sticker Set – garden
6. Lovely COCORO Russian Doll Index Postit Sticky Note Set

Oatmeal Pancakes

I tried out a new recipe this morning. New to me anyway. It was just one of those mornings where there was nothing that I wanted to eat. The kids just have to go with whatever whim I am having, Hahaha! Thanks to my trusty allrecipes.com we whipped this up and it was really good. I added a mashed banana, but it would be better if you had at least 3 bananas. And some coconut syrup... mmmm. If only I knew someone who lived in Hawaii...


Oatmeal Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I just used regular because that was all that I had)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten

  • Pour the oatmeal and the milk into a bowl. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to soften the oatmeal.
  • Add in the beaten eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir good with a whisk.
  • Add in the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk good.
  • Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.
Hmm, some crushed walnuts would also be awesome in this. I must try that next time.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Strange Voices

Alek was excited when he got home from school tonight because he has his first birthday invitation of the year, from one of his BFF's, Miller. I asked to see it so that I could read it and see what it said. Being the dork that I am, I somehow started reading the invite in my channeled My Big Fat Greek Wedding Voice (think the greek dad). I read the whole invitation like that. When I was done, Alek snickered once, and then said "I wonder why he wrote it like that, it sure sounded wierd."

Ah, my poor funny aspy boy.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Cupcakes Please...

The other day while driving down 8th St, I noticed a sign for the Cupcake Corner. About time I thought! I have been waiting for someone in Saskatoon to take advantage of the cupcake craze for a couple of years now. I could wonder why it's taken so long, but then again, we don't have an Olive Garden either (a post for another time).

Friday afternoon I stopped at the Cupcake Corner with my 3 boys for an end-of-the-week treat on the way home from school/work. I thought the sign looked cute, which lead me to expect cute things inside. Not so. The layout of the store is very strange. When we walked in we were greeted (and by that I mean not greeted) with the site of a man sitting at a desk that looked like it would be much more at home in a Travel Office; low and big. I felt a moment's unease wondering if they were just specializing in custom orders, but out of the corner of my eye I spotted the bakery display WAY off to the back of the store. That's more like it, bring on the cupcakes! The woman working the counter was friendly and the cupcakes looked good but somewhat boring. Alek was impressed with the big Oreo cupakes so we got one of those and a variety of six mini's to try. I was expecting something clever and imaginative, not just basic cupcakes like chocolate, banana, strawberry and peanut butter. Where are the clever names? I want to be enticed!


I'm hoping that the lack of store design and character was due to the fact that they had only been open for 2 days. I'm being generous. The only decorations were the menu board and a "Yay, you're open!" bouquet. Boring, boring, boring. Even the walls were bland, I'm sure they were white??? Obviously not very memorable. Funk it up people. Funk. It. Up.  Even the take out containers could use some work. The cupcakes were placed inside clear plastic containers, no dividers and no branding on the container. Even a cute, Cupcake Corner sticker would help. The cupcakes did make it home in one piece though, so that's a good thing.

On to the cupcakes...
When we got home we decided to have a cupcake sampling picnic on the floor. Alek gobbled his Oreo cupcake up in record time and was looking for taste of the others. Lukas enjoyed the icing off his chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing (he crumbed the cupcake itself) and Mikah LOVED his lemon cupcake so much that I caught him sneaking the other one later in the evening. I tried parts of the peanut butter cupcake (icing was good, chocolate cupcake was not as moist as it could be); the chocolate chocolate (icing was rich and delicious); and a lick of the lemon icing (tasted like lemon extract).

Verdict:
Alek: gave it a thumb and a half. He wanted the Oreo cupcake to taste exactly like an oreo (total Aspy response), he thought the cupcake was a bit too dry - and not as good as mom's.

Lukas: enjoyed the sweet icing and especially loved crumbling the cupcake all over the floor. Then again, he loves doing this with all his food.

Mikah: had seconds.

Me: I thought the cupcakes were good but not exceptional. They lacked depth of flavour and ingredients. Overall marketing could use a flavour infusion.

I'll be interested to hear what others have to say. Go try them out and see what you think.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Anyone Need This?

Too bad that Lukas is too big for such a costume! I think this is hilarious and so fitting. Although... it might work for a couple of other boys that I know as well. (Don't worry Alek and Stephen, I won't mention you ; )

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

WTH Blogger?!?

Blogger is making me very mad lately! The formatting is getrting messed up somewhere in the cyber-space rough draft to finished draft room. I appologize if the spacing is messed up, no matter what I try it's outsmarting me!

Can anyone help? I'm REALLY frustrated!

My Newest Must Have

I love sitting in the drugstore waiting for prescriptions to be filled; as long as there are no children with me. Hey, I'll take my alone time where ever I can get it! My first stop is the magazine rack where I grab one or two magazines that capture my interest. Then I high-tail it back to the waiting area and settle in silence to read.

Tonight on such an occasion, I was looking through the new Martha Stewart mag, Whole Living. I must have a subscription to this magazine!!! The articles were interesting and plentiful, anf the recipes are to die for! Here are a few that I'm dreaming of right now...

Soba Noodles, Shrimp, and Baby Bok Choy
Simmer shelled shrimp and baby bok choy wedges in salted water until shrimp are opaque and bok choy is tender, about 3 minutes. Lift from pot; set aside. Add soba to boiling water; drain when al dente and rinse in cold water. Stir minced ginger, sesame oil, tamari, and lime into noodles to taste. Divide among bowls and top with shrimp and bok choy.

 
 
 
 
Fattoush Salad
Combine diced red and green peppers, cucumber, and red onion with halved cherry tomatoes, chopped herbs (mint and parsley), and chickpeas. Dress with red-wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, and season. Toast whole-wheat pita until crisp and break into small pieces; toss into salad and serve.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Heirloom Tomato Sandwich with Herbs and Creamy Tofu Spread
Pat dry 1/2 block extra firm tofu and blend with 3 tablespoons safflower oil, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice; season to taste. Spread onto sliced whole-grain bread and add tomato slices. Top with a handful of herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives, and cilantro. Season with sea salt.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mussels in Tomato-and-Herb Broth
Simmer 1 1/2 cups water with 2 chopped tomatoes, 1/4 cup pitted oil-cured black olives, and 1/2 cup chopped herbs (thyme, basil, and parsley), about 5 minutes. Add 3 dozen mussels, cover and simmer until mussels open; discard any that don't. Serve with broth and crusty bread.

Overheard From the Back of the Van

***Warning, this is gross, unless you are a boy
ranging in age from 3-8o.***
While driving home from school/work the other day Alek and I had this enlightening conversation...

Alek: Mom, haveyoueverheardofameloncalledasewermelon?
Me: What? A melon?
Alek: Yah, a sewer melon.
Me: Did you just ask if there are sewer melons???
Alek: (with a bit of exasperation in his voice) Yes. Are there such things as sewer melons? You know, that grow in the sewer.
Me: No! Yuck! Where did you come up with such a thing? (why I asked this I will never know)
Alek: Well, lots of people eat the seeds when they eat watermelons. The the seeds don't get digested and people poop them out. Then the seeds end up in the sewer. So... the seeds could grow there couldn't they? And then there would be sewer melons. Juicy sewer melons.

Reader, I was more then gagging at this point in the conversation. And the more Alek heard the desperation in my voice for this particular conversation to be over, the more he embellished and elaborated just how juicy the melon would be if grown in the sewer.
When asked if he would like to eat one if they existed, he said that he didn't know. Then he said that maybe all the melons in the grocery store are sewer melons and we just don't know the difference.
One more thing that my children have ruined for me.

Good Friends Bring Rhubarb

Let this be an idea for any of you who wish to come and visit; rhubarb is a wonderful present. Fresh, beautiful stalks of rhubarb...

Alek wanted a rhubarb crisp for dessert the other night, but alas, we had no brown sugar. Time to break out of my comfort zone, and are we ever grateful for the lack of brown sugar in the house. I turned to my trusty allrecipes.com and found this...

Disclaimer: I borrowed this picture from here. By the time I remembered to take a picture of mine, it was all gone.

Rhubarb Pudding

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup milk

4 cups sliced rhubarb
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups boiling water


DIRECTIONS
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Whisk the flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Beat the egg, butter, and milk in a bowl until smooth.

Stir in the flour mixture until moistened, then spread into the prepared baking dish.

Stir together the rhubarb, 2 cups of sugar, and the water; pour into the baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven until the dough has set and the rhubarb is bubbly, about 40 minutes.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Busy Busy Bee

Yep, that's me LOL!

Man, has it been crazy around here. Alek started back to school (grade 3), and the kids where I teach all came back for the regular school year as well. I'm teaching 5 pull-out academic classes this year instead of the 2 that I taught lat year. It's going to be fun, but is so much work figuring out where everyone is at, what they know, and how I am going to program for them all. I still don't have it figured out and they've been back since Tuesday, but shhhh don't tell. On top of that, I now have to work Fridays as well. So long 3 day weekends. Hopefully that will work out OK, but I'm feeling very worried at this point. Fridays were my day to play catch up around the house and I'm not sure how we'll fare now. Cross your fingers for me!

Our slipper business has also kicked back into high gear. We have a big sale this weekend and decided that we needed to revamp our brand as well as sew, sew, sew slippers. What a royal pain in the ass it has been messing around with the bag tags and the business cards! For some reason they just didn't want to work out. So, I've been up until 1am for the last few nights tweaking the design. And by George, I think I've finally figured it out! Now to just get my slippers finished...

the boys are all doing great. Growing, growing, growing! I guess I'd better get used to that, soon they will all be bigger than me which is a frightening thought. Lukas is 16 months and already has 4 words (besides mom, dad and Alee); this, there, hi and dance. Dance is new. He LURVES to shake it!

And I almost forgot the biggest news of all!!!

After a year away, our cat came back. I accidentally left him outside last September and he disappeared. We weren't able to find him anywhere. Alek loves Whiskers more than life itself and has asked about him every. single. day. for a year. No lie. Every. Single. Day. Out of the blue last Wednesday morning as I was desperately trying to get all the kids and my luggage loaded in the van to take us to school/babysitter/work, who sauntered through the door? Whiskers. After a year! He didn't call, he didn't write... But I had written him off, not that I told Alek that of course. Stupid cat. And now we have 3 boys madly in love with one hairy, smelly, ungrateful cat. Sigh.

On that note, I shall leave you with this tune. This one's for you Whiskers...