Patience Makes Pancakes

Last week a friend sent me this story:

I have no idea where it came from but I'm a big fan. And I've been mulling it over in my head since she first shared it with me. I've never been good at the whole 'wait and see' thing. I want to know what happens next so I can make plans accordingly. But for the last however many months life has been one huge 'wait and see' moment. And I am not a fan. The process of filling out applications, sending resumes & cover letters here, there and everywhere. Making it to secondary rounds, being offered interviews and then hitting a dead end feels like mixing together all the ingredients, discovering you're short a tablespoon of lard and tossing the whole thing in the trash. 

Last night I was making pancakes for supper because I forgot to take anything else out of the freezer. And as I stood over the stove waiting to see the batter bubble so I could flip it to the other side I was reminded of the biscuit story. Even if you have all the right ingredients the oven still needs to be set at the right temperature. And you need to keep things cooking until it's finished, nobody wants a pancake that isn't cooked the whole way through. 

Coincidently, yesterday I was also offered an interview for my 'pancake job', the job I applied for because I had most of the ingredients even if it wasn't my favourite food. The deadline for applications was three weeks ago and I assumed that since I hadn't heard anything it meant that I wouldn't be, which I wasn't surprised about. Again, most of the ingredients but not all and it was a very quick "search & replace" job for a few words on my cover letter. 

This most recent development also coincides with my decision to re-consider leaving my current camp. Less than a week ago I sent an e-mail to the organization explaining that my job search hadn't gone well and I may still be interested in my usual seasonal contract unless something changed. I was making peace with the idea that my work at that particular camp yet wasn't done yet and the universe was making sure I was put back there. I still had/have a lot of reservations though and wasn't entirely confident I was making the right choice. 

Now I find myself staring at two completed recipes and only enough room in the oven to bake one of them. And I'm waiting to see what the universe wants me to make. If I get a job offer from this interview then I will happily enjoy biscuits after being given a lot of plain flour over the last few months. There are a lot of benefits to it, the biggest ones being it wouldn't involve moving to the city and it's full time, year round and permanent. And if I don't get the job offer then that will be the confirmation that I need to go back to camp. 

So stay tuned because either way there is a glimmer of light (and a plate of snacks) at the end of this tunnel. 

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Christmas Week Favourites

{one}

I finally watched my first Christmas special this week. Let it be known that Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean is the movie that finally made me feel a twinge of holiday cheer. I know not everyone is a fan but the whole opening scene where Mr. Bean is playing with the nativity makes me giggle every time. 

{two}

Our Christmas tree went up on Sunday and for the first year since Peyton was a kitten we put the nice ornaments on the tree! I'm not sure how many NASCAR and hunting ornaments are allowed on a tree before it becomes a Jeff Foxworthy joke, but I'm pretty sure we are at that threshold. I haven't gotten around to taking any proper photos so the oddly light iPhone photo is going to have to do for now.

{three}

Yesterday I posted about my plan to combine One Little Word with my 52 in 52 list to tackle one word each week of 2017. I'm super excited about it, even though I'm not entirely sure how it will play out. I'm just excited about all the potential!

{four}

I made Peanut Butter Balls for the first time...

Please tell me that there is some easier way to get the chocolate onto the peanut butter balls. Without exaggeration I was covered in peanut butter and chocolate from head to toe, along with the kitchen and pantry and everything in between. I used this recipe as a guideline, but I halved it. It turned out really good, they taste just like I wanted them to taste but they are not going to win any beauty contests. I'm thinking the secret might be to freeze the peanut butter balls and then cover them in chocolate? I rolled them and let them hang out in the fridge for an hour but it didn't seem to make that much of a difference. 

{five}

I could have sworn I had a photo, but apparently not. Regardless, I'm devoting my last favourite of the week to Root Beer Floats. Root Beer was on sale this past week so I made it my 'I survived Christmas Grocery Shopping' treat. And then I got home and realized there was vanilla ice cream in the freezer. If I'm lucky enough to have kids someday I'm probably going to go ahead and convince them that Santa enjoys Root Beer Floats & Potato Chips more than milk & cookies. 

Linking up here. 

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Pizza & Puzzles

This weekend was originally supposed to be jammed packed with fun. I had a sleepover at a historic site with the Rangers on Friday night and then a fall camp with the Sparks/Brownies on Saturday night. Then it was discovered some paperwork wasn't completed for camp so that was cancelled and since the forecast was calling for another rain storm the sleepover was moved to Saturday...but then the forecast changed again and the sleepover was cancelled all together. And just like that my weekend was wide opened. 

It was fairly stormy out on Friday night and Saturday and it ended up being good motivation to start a new puzzle. It's been far too long since I finished a puzzle and a big part of it is the cats have a tendency to steal pieces. The one I'm working on now is small (only 300 pieces) so it's a quicker process and I can cover it up with a large placemat that sort of prevents cat interference. 

Saturday I did some pizza experimentation and was super happy with the results (even though it didn't photograph well). There were some left over wings in the fridge so I took them off the bone and used them as a pizza topping. I mixed BBQ sauce and hot sauce for the sauce, added the chicken, topped it with cheese and 15 minutes later I had delicious pizza. I've started thinking about my 52 in 52 List for 2017 and I think one of the things is going to be make 12 different kids of pizza.

Sunday I spent more time working on my puzzle until it was time to head to Sparks and whipped up a quick thank you card for our meeting. Since we had to cancel camp we wanted to do something a little extra special with the girls to negate the disappointment so we headed to the fire department for a tour. The girls got a chance to try on gear and sit in the trucks and it was super adorable. 

It was far from the weekend I had originally planned and I was/am pretty disappointed all of those fun plans got cancelled, but it was probably for the best anyway since we did get a lot of rain. Next weekend my plans are still up in the air, originally I was supposed to go celebrate 'Friendsgiving' with H. & R. but the long term forecast isn't great and it's a long drive plus I need to be back pretty early on Sunday so that I can get ready for our Spark/Brownie Halloween party. Which reminds me that at some point this week I need to make a tutu. 

Linking up with B Loved Boston.

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Peace Like A River

I don't usually blog on Saturdays but before the storm I had planned to participate in the Back to Blogging Challenge and I didn't get to do that because we didn't have power. I think it all worked out for the best though because it's been a long week and starting the weekend with some positive reflection is a good way to go so I'm starting off with What Makes You Feel Peaceful?

I've mentioned before that my grandparents live in a teeny-tiny fishing village and my grandfather's warf/boat are my favourite places in the world. Being there is the best kind of peaceful because it's not necessarily calm & quiet but it's comfortable in the routine of hard work, community and contentment. It gets extra peaceful points watching the sunrise over the ocean. 

I love being in the kitchen, turning ingredients into food is calming and there's something extra satisfying about making something delicious. Photography is a fairly recent hobby, but something I've come to love a whole lot the world seems a little kinder when viewed through a camera lens. Campfires are flat-out magical. Some of my best memories are sitting around a campfire with friends either in silence as we all watch the flames or in joyful conversation.

Camp is the opposite of peaceful in a lot of ways, but there are small windows of time when it feels like a pretty peaceful place. My favourite time used to be in the morning for about half an hour before everyone was up and about for the day, sitting in the office sipping hot coffee and getting to check in with the counsellors as they went by getting ready for the day. And another window of time at the end of the day when mostly everyone was headed to bed sneaking away for a few minutes to watch the sunset. And at the end of a session eating the first non-camp food meal of the week (often Subway, pizza or chicken strips & fries) and watching episodes of Friends or How I Met Your Mother. 

The similarities of my peacefulness are pretty obvious. I like nature and the outdoors, food and documenting it all for the future. 

Conference, Cooking & Charlie Brown

I spent all weekend at a conference for Girl Guide leaders where I did all my favourite things. I carried my camera in my bag all weekend and didn't take it out once. The only photos I have are from my Saturday morning on outdoor cooking that I took with my iPhone. At least I took my camera? I always feel so awkward whipping out my DSLR in these kind of situations because people tend to ask questions and then I feel self-conscious anyway that's a whole different post for another day. 

We spent the entire morning cooking potatoes, apple dessert, egg in a hole, breakfast sandwiches,  and sandwiches with a box oven and buddy burners and finished off by making ice cream. In-between we made "Giggle Juice" which was basically extreme Kool-Aid and "Russian Tea" which involved mixed iced tea and apple juice and making a sort of hot cider. It was weird, but I'm pretty confident kids would be all over it.

I also did sessions about incorporating the Promise & Law (that one was kind of disappointing) and another great session about our twinning country. Where I drank more sugary punch, this time using a recipe from the Caribbean, and was given all kinds of great resources to use with my group. The next couple of meetings are busy with Remembrance Day, an active living challenge from The Heart & Stroke Foundation and our usual program work. Apparently I'm a lot more on top of the planning than I thought. 

Sunday everything was over by 11 so I was home by early afternoon. J. and I have started a bit of a tradition that when I've been away for the weekend we plan Sunday dates. Usually this also involves me showering and looking presentable for the outside world but the conference was at a hotel so I skipped this step. We had lunch/supper (what do call a meal you eat at 3:00 p.m.?) at one of our favourite restaurants followed by a Sunday drive and The Peanuts Movie. 

Now, I am a huge Peanuts fan. I love Snoopy & Woodstock (especially when they go camping) and Charlie Brown is my spirit animal. The movie was good, I loved some of the ways they incorporated the classic Peanuts drawings along the way but I'm on the fence about whether Charles Schulz would have approved of the whole thing. We didn't see it in 3D mostly because the 2D start time worked better for us. And also because I stand by my statement that the only movie I've watched in 3D that was worth the extra money was Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. 

I then picked up my car and happily discovered that J. had cleaned it while it sat in his driveway all weekend. Which is super sweet and very much appreciated. My personal favourite was that cleaning my car involved gathering all the rogue crayons and putting them into the box in the backseat where they live. And also that he didn't question why I have a shoebox full of crayons in my car, which is good because to be honest I don't have an answer. They just sort of arrived there and I decided it's not a bad idea to have a box of emergency crayons. 

Now that the weekend is over I have a pile of laundry that needs washing and I need to put the final touches on plans for tonight's Spark meeting (i.e. I need to make some play dough). 

Sharing my weekend here.

Voting, Cooking & Crafting

Monday I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off. It was election day here in Canada so my first stop of the day was to vote. I have never been so happy to see commercials on T.V. that aren't political! I also ended up staying up way past my bedtime (I still ended up falling asleep before midnight) to watch the results. 

After I voted I ran to the post office to pick up a package that N. had sent me. She sent me the cutest panda puzzle and a happy little notecard. I should have taken a photo of her squirrel drawing because it was truly a work of art. In every other aspect of life N. is a total perfectionist, when it comes to drawing animals though her perfection stops. I've got a whole collection of animals she's attempted to draw including a cat and multiple dolphins. Once the voting and post office-ing was taken care of I headed into to town. I started at the Bulk Barn where I got the supplies to make the cutest little pumpkin treat bags for Sparks. I haven't assembled yet though, so if everyone could keep their fingers crossed that this is a Pinterest project that goes as planned that would be great.

I had to meet someone at a different polling station so I could get them to sign a cheque for Sparks. I enjoy Sparks but I'm really hoping another leader shows up soon because it's a little too much for one person and it's kind of controlling my life right now. Once my Spark errand was done I continued on to the gas station and then the grocery store. I got everything I needed there, including ingredients to make pizza for supper and headed home. While the pizzas were cooking I experimented with taking photos of things inside the oven. I don't think the Pioneer Woman will be calling on my food photography services anytime soon. I would have taken the top rack out of the way, but it was hot and I didn't really feel the need to risk burning myself or any of my surroundings. 

With all the hecticness and excitement of Monday I had planned on spending yesterday catching up on laundry and putting away my camping gear and checking a few more projects off my list. I did successfully make some Halloween inspired to send to the girls and got packages all put together and addressed. Next up, going back to the post office to get them in the mail. 

I had planned on spending the night in my pyjamas putting together the pumpkin treat bags and watching This Hour Has 22 Minutes' Election Special. I was mid day dream about my early bedtime when J. called to ask if I wanted to go to the hockey game. His parents decided at the last minute they weren't using their tickets so I made myself as presentable as possible and off we went. I got home around 10:30 and went immediately to bed. I was feeling sort of sluggish all day and must have sneezed a dozen times while I was out, I was optimistic that a good nights sleep would put a stop to whatever cold germs were taking over my body. The optimism was wasted though since I woke up this morning completely stuffed up.

So today I am for reals spending the day in my comfy pants, drinking lots of hot beverages and checking things off my to do list from the comfort of my living room.

Snacks & Snow Storms

Lately it seems like my weekends revolve around snacking and storms. This one was no different.

J. invested in new pots and pans so I throughly enjoyed showing on my domestic skills Saturday evening and Sunday morning while christening a few of his new pots. Saturday night I made us chicken parmesan. Which was pretty tasty, but would have been tastier with regular pasta noodles opposed to the whole wheat/whole grain ones that J. had bought. There's no photographic evidence of this meal because neither of had eaten all day so by the time supper was ready there was no time for pictures just eating. Sunday morning we woke up to what appeared to be a meteorological miracle, only 5-10 cm of snow had fallen opposed to the 30-45 cm that was predicted.

We were mistaken. By the time I made pancakes (side note: does anyone else struggle to make perfect pancakes that are cooked all the way through and not burned??) & bacon for a late breakfast it was clear what we had witnessed earlier was just the beginning of the storm. It didn't look so bad outside so J. determined it was safe enough to drive me home. I live "out in the country" about half an hour away...let's just say that there was a lot more blowing snow and drifting near my house than there was near his and I was really glad when he texted to tell me he made it back to his house. It was also a good thing he took me home when he did because the storm really did keep getting worse and the high winds lasted all night so there's no way I would have gotten home if we hadn't of left when we did.

I spent the afternoon watching the storm outside and making one of my favourite meals. I am definitely not a big sandwich person, but I discovered a delicious combination of things a while back and it's so tasty that it doesn't even matter that it's very sandwich-y. Chicken breast with cajun seasoning, red onion, cheddar cheese, some mixed greens and spicy chipotle dipping sauce all on a ciabatta roll. My mouth might be watering just thinking/typing about it. I made a small portion of homemade fries to go along side it and it was a very satisfying snow day supper.

The snow was still coming down steadily and the wind picked up again making for a very messy Sunday evening. I've reached the point where not only am I tired of all the snow and cold, I'm also tired of complaining about the weather. I just want to see some dirt/pavement in my life rather than snow and ice. 

The bight side of it all is I made a blogger leap and installed Disqus! I'm hoping that I did it correctly and it's fully functional. I was getting really frustrated with no-reply bloggers and glitches resulting in people's comments being erased once they press publish. I was also able to plan out some posts for this week so check back tomorrow to see what's on my reading list!

I'm linking up here to share my weekend!

Totally Awesome

We got another 10 cm of snow last night and are forecasted to get another 10-15 cm tomorrow night. It's time to forget about the cold and celebrate some awesome things happening right now. Join Rebekah  and Anne and share what's awesome in your life!

{one}

Salted Carmel. I don't know who I have to thank for this trend but they are an awesome person. I recently discovered Lindt Sea Salt & Carmel Dark chocolate bars and no other chocolate bar will ever be the same. And Tim Horton's has Salted Carmel donuts right now, so yummy. Rumour has it they have salted carmel Timbits too, but I haven't tried those yet. I've always been a salty over sweet type of gal and this salt trend is right up my alley. I hope it continues for a very long time.

{two}

J. is not the inventor of salted carmel (in fact he thinks the concept is weird and not at all delicious), but he is still a seriously awesome person. He gives me butterflies and makes me feel the best combination of feelings. I'm so excited to go on our first vacation together! Only 45 days until sunshine, sand and adventure!

{three}

These Julia Child quotes/philosophies on life & cooking. Someday when I have my own kitchen I want these quotes displayed somewhere where they are always in my eye sight.

Pinterest

(What would be even more awesome is if I could find the original source and get my hands on these. I think they might have been a limited edition print though and are long out of stock.) 

{four}

Sundays. Specifically Sunday evenings. Lately my Sundays have involved planning for the week ahead, enjoying supper with the family and cuddling with J. while we watch Friends. It's the most awesome way to start the week.

{five}

Coffee. This needs no further explanation. Coffee is awesome. Always. 

{six}

Spring rain is on it's way! I hate snow but I love rain. I can't wait for spring rain to wash away the snow and give me a reason to wear my rain boots!

{seven}

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I've been feeling sort of run down lately, tired and overwhelmed a little more anxious than usual. Spring is just around the corner though. A new season, new camp year, time to step back and evaluate some long term goals. Knowing all that is on the horizon is an awesome feeling.

{eight}

I've recently become borderline obsessed looking at home decor for mudrooms/porches and kitchens. I'm not sure why this interest has developed, but I have an ever growing love for browsing Pinterest searching for ways to make kitchens feel warm, welcoming and homing. And how to organize mudrooms and still keep them functional. 

{nine}

Having time to cook. I love cooking and with my crazy work schedule I don't have time to cook and prepare food the way I used to. My cooking is limited to prep work on the weekend and quick meals during the week. I can't wait to get back to making real suppers and cooking the family!

{ten}

The number ten spot is reserved for all of the awesomeness that is hoodies, jogging pants, comfort, relaxation, reflection and blogging.

Happy Tuesday Friends! What's awesome in your life today?

Valentine's Day Weekend

My weekend started a day early with a snowstorm that hit just in time to cancel work for the day. It was a welcome day off and I celebrated by making chicken strips & fries for lunch. Followed by another attempt to watch Orange is the New Black on Netflix. Maybe I'm too old fashion or a little uptight but the show is just too much for me. I'm disappointed because I really did enjoy the book and I'm interested in a lot of the characters but so much of the 'adult content' just seems unnecessary and doesn't actually add anything to the show. 

Saturday I worked a few over time hours in the morning and then afterwards I had to get the oil changed in my car. J. has been house sitting for his parents this week so when I was finished that I headed over there where we put my car in their heated garage and got to work solving the honey garlic situation. We went out to lunch and he gave me a stuffed frog and chocolate. I thought the frog was pretty cute, I used to collect frogs when I was younger and he remembered me mentioning it once. I went home in the early evening since there was a big storm predicted for Sunday and we'd both had fairly busy weeks. When I got home Peyton was pretty interested in the frog because it smelled like J.'s cat. I thought it was kind of adorable that it looked like she was kissing her frog prince. Kittens want love too.

Sunday I was invited to supper at J.'s parents but we got hit with another snow storm. At one point in the day this was the message I saw when I looked at the weather.

I am currently very envious of all you southerners out there strolling around in hoodies, blissfully unaware of the frustrations that come with serious winter driving, temperatures of -20 and 45 cm of snow falling in one day. The snowbanks are so high right now, driving around town is awful because you can't see and the streets are so narrow. Soak up some extra sunshine for all of us on the east coast.

Since I was housebound again on Sunday I decided to try out a new cookie recipe I had pinned long ago. It was one of those pins that had a 50/50 chance of turning out great or turning into in an epic Pinterest fail. I am happy to report that these Fudgy Dark Chocolate Avocado Cookies turned out delicious! I followed the recipe almost exactly, I didn't have quite enough cocoa powder so I used a little extra (about 2 tablespoons) more flour to make up the difference in the dry ingredients. I also didn't have any dark chocolate so I used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. The next time I make them (and there will be a next time) I'll pick up some dark chocolate and make sure I have the exact amount of cocoa. 

The cookies were so fudgy and delicious without being overly sweet! Perfectly paired with a glass of milk. I'm anticipating a fairly good week ahead, the last two weeks it seemed like I had a lot of errands to do and things that needed to be crossed off my list. This week I have a few projects I want to tackle but nothing super pressing. 

I'm looking forward to continuing last year's lent journal I never did continue with the circles after Lent finished, so I am planning on digging out the same duo tang from last year and picking up where I left off. And if for some reason I can't find the duo tang (although I'm pretty sure I know where it is...) I have lots of other notebooks that are waiting to be put to use. Anyone else doing something to celebrate Lent? I'd love to hear about it!

Linking up with Biana for Weekending and Meg for Mingle Monday.

What Makes You Happy?

When I first saw the prompt "What Makes You Happy" from Blogtober I thought it would be a fun/easy post to write. Take fifteen minutes and write a list; The Princess Bride, Vanilla Coke, camp, coffee, starry summer skies, gummy bears…more or less the same list of things I regurgitate every time someone asks me what makes me happy. So I started to think about it more.

A few months ago I would have told you nothing makes me happier than camp and then I had a rough summer. Without a doubt there were moments of happiness but I don't think I was in a state of happiness. That doesn't necessarily mean that I've suddenly had a huge change of heart and my dream job is no longer my dream job, but after this summer I can recognize not just things that make me happy but the concepts. The reasons for the happy.

Jogging pants & hoodies make me happy because they make me feel comfortable. 

Journaling, doodling and crafting make me happy because when I'm putting pen to paper and sticking things together I can make all the decisions and feel completely in control. I can experiment with things and if it doesn't work then I can try something else and in the end I have a finished product. 

Photography makes my happy because I worry about forgetting and by capturing moments I'm leaving proof of my existence and creating something that will help people remember.

Reading makes me happy because I enjoy knowing about people. Hearing people's stories, relating to them or being inspired by them. 

Cooking makes me happy because it's a way of serving people. Sometimes it's hard to express sentiments of thanks or sorry or celebration but food is a universal language and cooking something for someone shows you care. 

Constellations make me happy because staring up at the sky watching for shooting stars and searching for the patterns allows me to connect with God in a way that I haven't been able to achieve in any other way.

And now I'm going to make some lunch and spend the rest of my Sunday enjoying a quiet house and a second cup of coffee. 

Things I've Cried About This Week

This week's edition of Humpday Confessions I present to you, inhabitants of blogland, a list of things that have made me cry this week.

• Re-Run of 19 Kids & Counting with Joseph is reunited with the family after finishing ALERT Training.
• Ikea commercial featuring Buddy Holly's "Everyday".
• I got BBQ sauce on my sock.
• A story in the newspaper about a little boy who is in remission from cancer and helping to raise money.
• Jason Maraz singing on Live with Kelly & Michael Tuesday morning.
• A girl I went to high school with announced her engagement on Facebook.
• This newspaper article from B.C.
• H. & R. are just SO. FAR. AWAY. 
• I tried to send photos into Wal-Mart to get prints made and when I went to pick them up there was an error with the files and so only 40 (out of 100) photos printed. 
• I decided to bake some brownies last night, and then used the wrong pan because I wasn't paying attention. Turns out if you bake brownies in a 6x6 pan instead of an 8x8 pan they will not turn out. They'll get all cake like not at all what you wanted.
• I've been getting a lot of comments from 'no-reply' bloggers over the past few days and I feel bad because I make an effort to respond and I worry all these 'no-repliers' will think I'm a terrible person.

I don't like focusing on the negatives (or craziness as the case may be) so I'll also make note of a few things that have made me smile this week.

• We got a Wal-Mart SuperCentre in my little corner of the world and it turns out you can buy pre-made guacamole there and it's delicious. And so cheap (compared to buying avocados) and surprisingly it isn't full of sketchy ingredients. I ate guacamole & chips twice this week for lunch.
• I've been up past my bedtime almost every night this week because time zones are terrible and when it's 11:00 p.m. on the east coast it's supper time for R. I'm so thankful for technology but my sleep is suffering.
• During the same ill-fated Wal-Mart trip with the photos I bought a very happy red mug that I've been drinking my coffee & tea out of to start my mornings.
• I've been participating in the Blog-tember Challenge with Bailey Jean and I have stumbled across so many great blogs! 

What's made you laugh, cry, fill with rage this week? Share your stories and go link up with Kathy! 

Housewife Without A Husband

This weekend revolved around three main activities: baking/cooking, reading and miscellaneous housework.

Saturday I made cinnamon rolls and read the entirety of The Fault of Our Stars. Now, I'm about to say something that is going to offend the masses, but I'm saying it anyway. I did not enjoy the book. I disliked it. I've read a lot of young adult novels (they're my favourite) and I know everyone is raving about the book. Counting down the days until the movie is released. But I didn't get it. I think it had potential, I wanted to like it and at times I thought it was about to get better, but it didn't. I could go on but for fear of a hoard of angry bloggers showing up at my door with pitchforks demanding I proclaim my love for Hazel & Gus I'll stop.

Moving along.


Sunday I spend a lot of time laying on the couch and finished reading The Pioneer Woman's book Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.  And I absolutely loved every word. I did see some pretty negative reviews about it and I can see how people who aren't into reading blogs would find it annoying to read. The format was very much like a whole lot of blog posts put together to create a longer story, which I happened to really love. Plus, it's a love story, and I'm a sucker for a good love story. 

Saturday cinnamon rolls! Cinnamon rolls & coffee are a match made in heaven. 

I fully admit to being in a big ol' rut the last few days. Call it a pre-quarterlife crisis (full quaterlife crisis coming your way January 19) or The 20 Something Blues, either way it's been rough. But for some reason once I finished reading all about The Pioneer Woman and Marlbolo Man tale of romance and adventure I felt a surge of productive energy and had to get to work. By work I mean I showered and used a wide array of scented bath products. (Not that I hadn't been showing before, but I tend to conserve my "fancy" body wash for when I have somewhere to be other than my house. This time I held nothing back.) Then I proceeded to get dressed in something that wasn't jogging pants from my days in residence and a staff hoodie that is two sizes too big. (Before you picture me parading around my house in a little black dress and wearing pearls let me clarify that "dressed up" in this case indicates leggings, wool socks, tank top and fitted zip up hoodie. I didn't totally lose my mind.) I even put on a coat of mascara. Just for good measure.

Now that I was all dressed up and had nowhere to go I needed something to do. I was still feeling inspired my the perfectly un-perfect life of PW so I opted to try out her recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies. I was hesitate about the coffee, but then decided PW is not to be questioned so I went for it (I did opt out of the flax seeds) and they did not disappoint!

While the cookies baked I did a load of laundry, a sink full of dishes and decided what we would have for supper.

After supper was all finished I helped clean up, watched a bit of the news and then Skyped with R.. When she asked what I had been up to all day my response was "housewife stuff", except I'm not a wife, so...just domestic things. Then she made a joke about how much I love being domestic, and we laughed, because she gets me.

I don't watch The Bachelor because I find it depressing. And I flat out don't get Downton Abbey. I watched the first three episodes dozens of times and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get into it. I love historical fiction, Road to Avonlea is one of my favourite shows but DA is a huge nope in my books. For once the rest of the world is glued to their TVs while I am not. Instead I snugged under freshly washed sheets and a pile of blankets and got to work on my reading pile.

'Twas The Day After Christmas

I had such a great Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. God is good. 

Christmas Eve we had supper at my aunt & uncle's before church then we went to church where my cousin's baby was baptized. Afterwards we all went back to my aunt & uncle's and just enjoyed each other's company. Watching the excitement of my three year old cousin A. was the absolute best. We had given baby M. a present for her baptism and didn't want A. to feel left out so we brought a little something for her too. (And by little something I mean a single Christmas ornament that we found at Wal-Mart for under $5.) When she found out she was allowed to open it then she carefully but enthusiastically tore off the pink paper and squealed with delight and yelled "A decoration!" then she ran around the room to show everyone her new "decornation" and simultaneously offering up a "sank you". I also loved watching her in church as she proudly stood up on the pew, hymn book in hand and sang her heart out. I am so thankful for her and pray with every fibre of my being someday it's my little girl keeping everyone entertained Christmas.

Christmas Day we opened presents and I was seriously blessed. My biggest surprise present was a Magic Bullet Deluxe set with a bunch of different blades and attachments for the cups! I haven't gotten a change to try it out yet but I see A LOT of smoothies in my future. And homemade salsa. And iced coffee. I may even attempt to recreate Second Cup's Frozen Hot Chocolate! 

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I also got an amazing gift from my friend who I met through church back when I was in university. We send each other a Christmas package and I was so excited when I opened this on Christmas morning. At this point you all know how much I love words of affirmation and I love how much thought went into this gift. I'm using a lot of willpower not to read all those little notes right away but I really do want to save them and read one each day in 2014. I've also been thinking about how I need to get back into journalling with a real pen & paper. The next time I'm in town I'm going to pick up a notebook and for each day of 2014 I will glue in the quote I pick from the jar each day and scribble down a few words about the day, draw a few doodles, and by the end of the year I'll have an amazing scrapbook. I think I even have a blank Smash* Book that might be perfect for this project. That's a post for another time though...back to Christmas!

I got some great new clothes including this hoodie that has been on my wish list for months! 

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I also got some new make up, a supply of body washes & lotions to last well into the new year and a few gift cards to spend once things quiet down a little. 

And of course the kitties got some new toys too. 

We enjoyed Christmas dinner with my Dad's side of the family and then spent the evening with my mom's side. I can't put into words how thankful I am to have so many aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. And that family really is a priority. I can't imagine growing up without cousins and aunts and grandparents, but I know that for so many it's hard to imagine growing up with that kind of extended family. Mine certainly isn't perfect and there was the usual arguments about how many chairs we need and the uncles probably had one too many glasses of homemade wine but that's life. 

I'm off to spend the rest of the day enjoying the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives marathon on the Food Network making homemade pizzas for supper and visiting with a family friend this evening. I hope everyone is enjoying time with family & friends! 

Winter Bucket List 2013-2014

Today I'm linking up with Erin & Brittany to share my Winter Bucket List!

2013 had a lot of great moments and experiences but I am ready to start the new year! My birthday is in January which although I hate because it's cold and gross I also love it because my age changes shortly after the calendar does which makes me feel like it really is a new start! I still need to get my Christmas cards out but I also want to sent Valentines this year. I've been thinking a lot about choosing a word or phrase for 2014 and I keep coming back to "Show Love"(more on that later) and I think everyone could use a little pick me up mid-Februray and a reminder that they are loved.

I also really want to bake cookies and make homemade hot chocolate to go along with them. Cookies I have made a thousand times but I've never made true hot chocolate, so that should be an adventure.

Now that I have my fancy camera I've been taking a lot of pictures of the tree lights (I totally have a new appreciation for all you expert level photographers, camera settings are HARD!). Next on my list is to take advantage of the 60+ cm of snow that has fallen over the last week and take some snowy, wintery photos. Of course if I don't get to it this week there's really no rush, we'll have snow until early May. #canadaprobs

I held off getting involved with any sort of volunteering in the fall because I was so sure the grant would come through and I'd be moving to the city. I even gave up my Brownie unit which was a huge disappointment, especially since there's still no word about whether or not our application has been approved or denied. I'm not going to put life on hold any more though and plan on finding an organization to volunteer with starting in the new year. I'd love to do something with the SPCA, but I know that is totally out of the question because I would just bring every animal home.

On that note I am off to address a stack of Christmas cards so they can get put in the mail tomorrow and maybe make it to their various destinations before January!

Go To Meals

Once again I'm joining Hayley & Lauren for the Girl Between the Lines Link Up! Today's theme is a favourite "Go To Meal". I had a hard time deciding what to share but finally settled on two recipes. My Go To Guacamole that is super quick for when you really just need to eat something asap and have no time to wait around for something to cook. And for when you're feeling a little more patient but still want something fairly quick, easy and yummy!

First up guacamole! I know everyone has their own method for making guacamole but since it is so easy and when paired with a bag of tortilla chips or some pita bread it makes for a really quick, filling and sort of healthy meal. 

Ingredients:

1 Ripe Avocado

3 tbsp Fresh Tomato

1 tbsp Chopped Red Onion (or about 1 tsp of onion powder)

1 tsp Garlic (I use fresh or freeze dried usually, but if not garlic powder does the trick too!)

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin 

pinch of salt

Method

Mash avocado and spices together. Add tomato and onion and mix well. Taste test and adjust seasonings to your taste! Serve with pita bread or tortilla chips.

Next up, one of my all time favourite foods...

Last Christmas I got a pizza stone for Christmas and since then making pizza has become a bit of a hobby. I usually make pizza for the whole family once a week and it isn't uncommon for me to make a small one for myself for lunch during the week. Toppings are pretty opened ended. The left photo is Garlic Fingers which is just the pizza dough topped with garlic butter, cheese and bacon. (I've been told Garlic Fingers don't exist outside of Atlantic Canada. This is just too depressing to think about.) The photo on the right is a BBQ Chicken Pizza. I top the dough with BBQ/Hot Sauce, cooked chicken breast, red onion, bacon and a mix of cheddar & mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients 

1 package yeast

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups flour 

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

Method

Let yeast proof in separate bowl and then mix with flour, oil and salt. Slowly add in the water, mixing the dough as you go along. You made need more/less water depending on your yeast and flour if you use something other than all-purpose. Once everything is combined and it feels like dough let sit for 45 minutes to an hour. If using a pizza stone roll out dough on parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal, top with your favourite toppings and slide into a 425 degree oven to bake for 15-20 minutes. If using a pizza pan simply spread dough into greased pan, top and bake for 20-25 minutes. Watch the pizza carefully while it's in the oven since some toppings are more likely to burn and others may take longer to cook through.

Happy Eating! :) 

Three Step Croutons

I've mentioned my love of cooking before on the blog but I haven't really shared any recipes, which is something I definitley want to start doing! Lately I've been experimenting with making ingrediants from  scratch, saying goodbye to jars of sauces and packages of seasonings. I usually start by researching a whole bunch of different recipes for the same thing,  finding the similarities, reading the comments if there are any and then diving in headfirst! 

Last week I made homemade croutons and after using them in salads all week and crushing them into bread crumbs to use over mac & cheese I don't think I'll be going back to packaged croutons any time soon! They were so easy to make and a big batch should last 2-3 months. 

Ingredients 

• 6 Cups Stale Bread Cubes (I used 10 dinner rolls)
• 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 3 Tablespoons Oregano 
• 2 Tablespoons Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Pepper

*Seasonings are something you can really play around with! I knew I would mainly be eating these in salads so I wanted them to have a traditional Garlic & Herb taste. The next time I make them I think I will play around with cayenne, paprika and garlic to create a spicy crouton. 

Directions

Pre-Heat oven to 375. 

Step One: Spread cubed bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. 

Step Two: Sprinkle with olive oil and spices. Use your hands to toss the bread with the oil and spices. Step Three: Bake for 30 minutes, turning the croutons halfway through cooking. 

Keep your eye on the croutons! Depending on the temperature of your oven and the thickness of your cookie sheet they may not take as long to cook, or cook more quickly. If your croutons aren't fully dried out they will either go stale when you try to store them or will get mouldy. 

I added some to a salad with baby spinach, red onion, feta cheese, mushrooms and bacon topped with balsamic vinaigrette. And it was so good! I know croutons aren't the most healthy of salad toppings but I love having a little extra crunch in there and making them at home is definitely better than the bags from the grocery store! 

Tunes & Tastes

I feel like this week has been so chaotic! I made 3 trips to town in 3 days, but I did finally get my laptop fixed! With a totally empty hard drive my first priority was to restore my iTunes to its former glory. I spent a solid two hours yesterday importing CDs but I barely made a dent. If anyone has any music/song suggestions now would be the time to share them! I listen to a lot of country but I also listen to lots of indie stuff and I'm not ashamed to admit I have a soft spot for One Direction and the Jonas Brothers. 

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Last night I Skyped with H. & R. for three hours. I love those girls with every fiber of my being. Our friendship isn't perfect, I mean, technically I'm their boss four months of the year...and like any boss/employee relationship there are definitely times when I have to be the "bad guy"/authority figure. But we work through it. Part of what makes us so close (other than the magic that is camp) is that we learned pretty quickly on that if we wanted to be friends we needed to forgive each other and not hold grudges. It's pretty easy to get annoyed/frustrated with somebody when you live and work with them 24/7 and if you don't learn to accept apologizes, discuss disagreements, agree to disagree and respect each other by the time August comes around you cannot wait to get far away from them. I am so thankful that the three of us "clicked" almost instantly but also realize it takes effort to keep a friendship and having that kind of friendship is worth all the effort in the world.

Pinterest

I recently realized how thankful I am that I genuinely enjoy cooking! I love being in the kitchen trying a new recipe, creating something from scratch or making an old favourite, it all makes me happy. I see posts on my Facebook/Twitter almost daily from people either complaining about eating Kraft Dinner for the fourth time that week or sharing a photo their latest kitchen disaster. I'm not saying I don't have my share of kitchen disasters (someday I'll tell you the "microwave s'more" story), but I just laugh them off and move on to my next culinary adventure. I can't imagine hating cooking so much that you eat out every single meal and avoid the kitchen like the plague. I don't know if my love for cooking & baking is a product of nature or nurture but I'm sure thankful for all the hours I spent baking with my Grandma as a child and for parents who let me experiment in the kitchen (just as long as I cleaned up my mess afterwards). 

On that note I am off to start supper, import a few more CDs and catch up on last's nights episode of Survivor!

Blogging, Cooking and Remembering

I spent a lot of time this weekend browsing blogs, reading blog advice articles and pondering the blogging universe's greatest mysteries, for example: $500 a month for adspace!? I mean I totally get blogging is A LOT of work, and bloggers shouldn't undersell their products/advertising. Really I'm more surprised to learn bloggers can afford to pay that much to promote their blogs. 

*If you haven't seen this video yet you are missing out. 

Saturday night I had a wonderful Skype date with H. & R. this is becoming a weekly activity and it is so much fun. Technology has a lot of flaws and  potential for negativity but when it comes to keeping in touch and staying connected technology is my BFF. 

I've been challenging myself to expand my food comfort zone by taking little steps. Rather than jump right into trying all kinds of exotic foods, I'm trying new recipes for foods I already like. The truth is I think I'll always be a "picky eater" but I still want to try new things and open to food. I recently mastered The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Strips. They are SO good. It took me two tries to create a flour mixture with the right balance of spices but now I've figured it out and will never go back to buying frozen chicken strips/nuggets ever again. 

(Imagine a beautiful photo of crispy, golden brown chicken strips artfully arranged on a plate here.)

I seriously need to work on remembering to take pictures of things. 

And I can't click 'publish' on a post about the long weekend on November 11th without taking time to acknowledge and reflect on what this day represents. In Canada November 11 is Rememberance Day, a day to pay tribute to the men and woman who fought for and continue to fight for our freedom. Even if this isn't an official day of Rememberance where you live take some time to remember.

Linking up with Sami for Weekend Shenanigans. 

Check! Check! Check!

I just love the satisfaction of checking things off a to-do list and this month I got to make lots of check marks! 

Last Months Goals: 

Blog 15 times in October

I blogged a grand total of 22 times this month! I am quite pleased with myself. 

Participate in 2 new Link-Ups/Blog Hops

I actually lost count of how many new link-ups I participated in this month. It feels like a lot, and some of them I enjoyed more than others. I did find some great new blogs to follow by joining in link ups of bloggers that I don't usually follow, which is always exciting!

Try 3 new recipes

I tried exactly 3 new recipes this month. Gingerbread Syrup to use in coffee, a teryaki chicken marinade and pumpkin spice muffins!

Read 2 books

I read 3 books this month! 

November Goals

Create a Blog Binder. There are so many awesome free printables and suggestions for how to organize posts, I want to figure out which ones work best for me. 

Blog 20 Times. Self-explanatory. 

Read 3 Books.

Do Yoga 4 times.

Make progress with 3 of the things of my 25x25 list. 

I'm also participating in NaNoWriMo this month...but that's a whole other goal...and I have written a total of 8 words so far. Ideally I would like to complete a novel, but I think aiming for 50 pages of writing will be my bare minimum goal. 

I'm linking up my november goals here & here.