Cakes and birthdays

37.3 and 37.4 Try 34 new recipes

It was Alex’s birthday this weekend and we celebrated the way we’ve been celebrating things around here lately…quietly and with cake. Because you have to have cake. When we were in Kelowna for spring break, we made my mom a scrumptious lemon cake with lemon curd and when it was my sisters’ birthday a month later J wanted to do the same. But it ended up being a bit busy the day they were coming (two weeks after their birthday because that’s how we roll), so I just made a lemon cake with lemon icing.

My head cake decorator had very specific requirements…this cake was blue and orange (although the final result looked pink) with purple icing (that ended up quite grey)

J was in charge of the decorations and she picked the candles. Apparently my sisters turned 211 this year. I’m not sure where that leaves me since I’m the oldest!

The cake ended up quite pretty looking. My oven almost caused a cake disaster…it wouldn’t be the first time…

For Alex’s birthday, I convinced J we could have a “normal” coloured cake, but she got to pick the flavours. Which I got to veto if the combinations were too strange. She settled on a very delicious sounding chocolate cake with peanut butter icing.

She decorated it herself with Reese’s Pieces that we sent Alex to the store specifically to get…and being the awesome daddy that he is, he was shocked and surprised when we presented him with the cake.

The cake was delicious and, due to close monitoring, my oven did not destroy this cake…but I can guarantee that if I did everything exactly the same way next time, I would end up with either a burnt or a raw cake. I miss my old oven…

I would totally make this combination again. It was a hit. I have a go-to chocolate cake recipe, but after sending Alex for Reese’s Pieces I discovered I didn’t have enough cocoa powder, so my friend Mr. Google helped me find a recipe based on how much cocoa powder I did have. And dear Martha came through again. I loved this cake. And it only took one bowl. And normally I’m not a fan of chocolate cake at all…maybe I have a new go-to? The frosting was fabulous…I might play around with it next time…less butter more peanut butter? We’ll see.

YUM!

Birthday Cake with Lemon Curd

37.2 Try 34 new recipes

While we were in Kelowna at Spring Break it was my mom’s birthday and J really wanted to make her a cake. So she did. Sort of…she decorated it with sprinkles, but it worked out perfectly. J wanted to make a lemon cake, so we went all out and made lemon cake with lemon icing and lemon curd.

The curd was amazing…you can see it seeping out here and unfortunately that’s the only picture I got of it, but it was soooooooooo good. I used Ina Garten’s recipe and I will be using it again…

We were a bit pressed for time…if I were to do this again, I’d spoon the curd on just before serving, so it could run down the sides. I would just ice the top layer of the cake (maybe the sides of the top layer, I haven’t decied)…although…it was even more delicious the second day when some of the curd had soaked into the cake.

My mom’s second birthday cake was a success!! Yum!

J makes dinner

Little C’s first birthday meant it was almost time for my maternity leave to end…and that meant a whole bunch of changes for our family. One of things I’ve been in charge of is dinner, but with work hours, it would be after 5:00 before I’d even get home…and C eats early and goes to bed early. Alex is a novice cook and J had a great suggestion…they could learn to cook together!

So, off we went to the the kids’ bookstore and got them a couple of kids’ cookbooks with fairly easy recipes and lots of tips on techniques and photos to show how things are done.

J’s first dinner was tomato soup with garlic bread.



She loved being in the kitchen – she is using a paring knife, but we’re going to wait until her paring knife skills are a bit better before she gets to chop stuff…even so, she did most of the work on this yummy soup.



And she was pretty proud of the final product!



It received a Little C stamp of approval as well!

Back to basics…

 

For ages and ages and ages (okay fine, the better part of a year) I tried to post a menu plan for us each week. Lots has happened since my last menu plan…two and a half years ago…eeeep….

 

So after riding the roller coaster of life for a while, Alex and I have decided we’d like life to slow down a bit. Meal times are a bit hectic what with four competing schedules and two very tired kids at dinner time…I’m only going to plan dinner this week, but once we’re back into the swing of things, I think I’m going to try to plan our lunches too…all too often my lunch ends up being tossed together at the last minute and as I’m already not the biggest lunch fan, it doesn’t make me happy…

Monday: Chicken Wings with rice, carrots and peas

Tuesday: Macaroni and cheese (with hidden cauliflower) and broccoli

Wednesday: Meatloaf with chick peas served with mashed potatoes, cauliflower and peas

Thursday: Teriyaki chicken with rice and stir fried broccoli

Friday: Chicken and dumplings

Saturday: Homemade Pizza

Sunday: Carrot and lentil soup with Kari’s bread

Nothing fancy here and nothing new to us…the first two recipes are courtesy of my mom and I don’t even use a recipe anymore, the pizza dough recipe is my dad’s and while I used to make it from memory, my memory isn’t that good now that I have a toddler and we haven’t made pizza for a long time. The meatloaf is packaged up in the freezer and we’re all excited about it! Yummy!!!

Of course, being the Organizing Junkie, Laura is still posting meal plans…if you need ideas (or more likely when I need ideas for next week), there are links to many meal plans over there.

Scoobidooooooooooooo

37.1 Try 34 new recipes
So, life is a bit haywire in our little world right now. It’s busy and a bit stressful, but it’s all good…just busy. And I’m a bit tired because Baby C has started waking at night again, because, hello six month growth spurt.
Anyway.
All this has led to no cooking at our house for the past week or so. Seriously, all we have been eating has been toast, oatmeal, and granola for breakfast and peanut butter sandwiches and perogies for dinner. Oh, and copious amounts of take out/dinners out. We were all getting tired of this nonsense and tonight, the stars aligned so that I could actually cook us a meal. Tomorrow night is Sparks enrolment so I wanted to make something that would have lots of leftovers so it would be quick tomorrow. I was thinking chili because I had all the ingredients, but I wasn’t sure.
Then I was in the bookstore and flipping through cookbooks. Because I don’t need anymore cookbooks. But the new Jessica Seinfeld one looks like it might be a good one for someone who is learning to cook (hi Alex!). Anyway, I saw a recipe for chili macaroni and thought, yes, that’s what we need. Now a certain kindergartener would never eat something called chili macaroni, so we called it Scoobidoo because I used Scoobidoo noodles. And it was delicious and warm and perfect for a fall supper.

And it’s ugly to photograph, but there it is. It might even last us until Thursday night (it depends on how much my no-longer-a-teenager husband who still eats like a teenager eats).
The recipe: (inspired by a recipe from a cookbook I can’t remember)
1lb ground beef
2 tsp oil
1 onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, finely grated
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 796ml can tomatoes
1 540ml can tomatoes
1 540ml can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 540ml can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups Scoobidoo noodles (or macaroni or other short pasta)
3 cups grated cheddar cheese

Heat a large pot over medium low heat. When the pot is hot, add the oil, then the onions, garlic and carrots. Saute until softened. Add the spices and cook for about a minute. Turn heat up to medium. Add the ground beef, stirring to break up. Cook until all the pink is gone. Drain excess fat if necessary.
Mash half of the kidney beans. Add beans and tomatoes and increase heat. Once it boils, reduce it to low and simmer for at least half an hour (the longer you cook it, the better the flavour).
Preheat the oven to 350F. Boil water for the pasta and cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes less than written on the package. Drain and stir into the chili. Stir in about 1 cup of the grated cheese. Pour chili mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
Bake until cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes.
Notes:
I used crushed tomatoes because, oh yes, kindergartener doesn’t like chunks of tomato and would spend the entire meal picking them out and not eating. Instead she had two helpings!
If I make it again, I would probably use half the beef and an extra can of beans. Or maybe my favourite vegetarian chili. Really, you could use any chili. And any cheese that melts well. Pepper Jack might be super tasty!
Don’t cook the pasta all the way. It will absorb some of the liquid in the chili while it bakes. If you cook it all the way, it will be over cooked when you take it out of the oven and mushy, slimy pasta is gross!

Long weekendness

Yeah, yeah, it’s Thursday, but it feels like the weekend just ended as the weather has been beautiful all week (although it is a bit cooler today) and my birthday just made it feel like it should still be the long weekend!

These two happy little ladies were glad to see the long weekend arrive because it meant lots and lots of DADDY! Check out the smiles just for Daddy! We started our Saturday off slowly, sleeping in because we’d all been up late waiting for our hot house to cool down a bit. While Alex ran some errands, J and I took C to the library and C got out her first ever library books. Then it was time for some fun at Granville Island.

We started out at the playground, but that was just the appetizer. What we really came for was the water park!

J thought it was a bit chilly at first, but she quickly got over that and spent almost two hours playing in the cool water.

Looks like she had a great time. Once Alex joined us after finishing up his errands, J decided to brave the waterslide. She’s been down it once before at her third birthday but she rode down it with her friend I’s parents (one at a time obviously) because she wasn’t tall enough. Well, this summer she is!

She wasn’t too sure about it the first time and then she decided she loved it…we had to bribe her away from it with promises of gelato…she loves the little gelato guy!

Sunday was more of the same – Alex took J to the waterpark for a bit (so I could have a nap…ahhh…) and then apparently they stopped for gelato…again! Then it was home for burgers (apparently J likes peas in her burger?) It truly felt like summer at our house – something that I rarely feel in Vancouver because I’m so accustomed to Kelowna summers. But there was the heat and the white noise from the fans and a small girl, dressing up her burger, still in her bathing suit and smelling faintly of sunscreen. The only difference is that in Kelowna we would have eaten outside…good thing we have plans to head up there at least once more before September so we can do just that!

After dinner attempted to calm Baby C down with one of her new library books – Baby Happy, Baby Sad – she spent most of her time commiserating with Baby Sad…not crying, just complaining!

And then it was Canada Day. It was hot and I haven’t been able to find a small hat for C, so she got to wear a 6 month sized hat…it’s a bit big and floppy!

J remembered Canada Day 2011, so we had to get her a Canada flag tattoo – only one this time!

Of course, since it was Canada Day and she was with me (Alex had to work…booo) we went for more gelato. Auntie Rebar joined us and J was so happy to see her. And then there was more water sliding. J actually went down once before we got gelato but she waited (very patiently) in line for over half an hour. She was happy to keep waiting, but I convinced her we would go for gelato and come back. Good plan! When we got back the line up was about 5 minutes long and it was shorter after every slide down because it was close to closing time and people were heading home.

Check out the face!

We had a great weekend. We’re so lucky to live in a neighbourhood with all of these things within walking distance…and that the city provides us with such amazing parks and they’re free!

Skipping school

Today the advent calendar told J that she got to stay home from school (aka daycare) and that we were all going to go to the Vancouver Christmas Market to ride the carousel. J is not a fan of skipping school. She complains endlessly that she misses her friends and usually when we finish whatever it was that kept her home, she immediately starts demanding we take her to her daycare for the rest of the day. Today, no complaints! (Alex and I both had the day off work)

So, off we went to the Vancouver Christmas Market. This is the third year for the market, but we've never been before.

We had planned all along to go for a ride on the carousel - that was the main draw for us. Yesterday at the Santa Claus Parade, J got a ticket for the carousel, so it worked out perfectly!

J and Alex waited by the entrance to the carousel for their turn.

Looks like they're having a great time.

Hi Mom! (Not sure who Alex is looking at...)

Bye Mom!

I didn't go on the carousel with them - I was a bit surprised at how fast it was (J and Alex were fine) and my stomach has been a bit queasy, so I was the official photographer. Because we chose a Monday morning to go, there were very people at the market and only one other child on the carousel when J went.

After the carousel ride, we did a little exploring - J was fascinated by the fountain tree and its decorations.

Empty on a Monday morning

Alex and J as Santa and the Honeybee

And then, because carousel riding and window stall shopping and decoration inspecting are such hard work, it was time for a little snack. J wanted a sausage - it was super tasty.

Alex and I shared spaetzle with cheese and ham. YUMMMMMMMMMMM...it was soooo good! I was always excited when there was spaetzle for dinner when I was in Switzerland. Occasionally when I worked in the private sector, we would have birthday lunches at The William Tell restaurant (it has since closed...boo) and, no matter what I ordered, I'd make sure there was spaetzle to go with it! I haven't seen it too often in Vancouver...I should probably learn how to make it, because I love it! Alex thought it was delicious too.

Just before we left, J discovered this sleigh. She wanted her picture taken, but she wasn't thrilled that the seat was damp...

Apparently J loved the carousel and her sausage, but she is still insisting that she shouldn't have had a home day...I'm sure that when she's actually in school, that will change (and likely we won't be keeping her home from school to go the Christmas market!).

Bring on the holidays

This year has been such an incredible mess of stuff that I thought there would be no way I'd be ready to deal with the holidays...I wasn't looking forward to December. I was looking forward to Christmas, but I wished everything would look after itself. Or you know, the elves would move in. Or something.

But this little lady had been counting down the days to December because on December 1 she gets to start her advent calendar (more on that later), we get to turn on the Christmas music and get the Christmas books out. And later this month we're doing some fun stuff, my parents are coming to visit and of course, December 25 comes complete with family, turkey dinner, other good food, and SANTA!

And today I woke up and I realized, I'm ready. I can't wait to start making cookies and goodies and seeking out gifts and wrapping them and sending cards and and and...

Happy last day of November...can't wait to see you Christmas season 2012!

Storybrooke/Steveston

19.7 Go on 10 "adventures"
53.1 Visit at least two of the places in Alex's day trips book

After J’s adventures Saturday night, we let her sleep in yesterday morning (she had a 3.5 hour nap Saturday, stayed up until midnight and slept until 9:30 Sunday…) and she had a quiet time after lunch, but she fell asleep a few minutes from home. She was zonked out by the time we made it to Steveston.



Our plan has been to get there early and visit the farmers’ market that is held every two weeks and then have fish and chips for lunch. But we have a fridge full of produce and not a lot of freezer space right now and we decided J needed some extra rest so we arrived in the afternoon instead of the morning, so we just browsed the market (we’re planning on going back – maybe in two weeks) and went straight for an early dinner.



J thought the fish shaped plates were kind of neat – even if the food slid around a bit more than normal.

After we ate we decided to go see what was happening in the metropolis of Steveston/Storybrooke. Alex and I both enjoyed Once Upon a Time and always spent part of the show exclaiming, “Hey, that’s ____” so it was cool to walk around and what little bits of Once Upon a Time had left their mark on the town.



Here’s Granny’s Diner, which is actually a law office. Behind the tree on the right is a sign painted on the building next door pointing to Granny’s Bed and Breakfast.



Our little bug glasses girl wasn’t so sure about this walking around town stuff, so we stopped into the museum/post office beside Granny’s.



J was pretty excited that the tourist information centre was in there because she managed to procure one of her new favourite items…a map! Then we walked past the Storeybrooke Pet Shelter…



…to the place I was most curious about, Mr. Gold’s Pawnbroker shop.


We think that maybe this is the actual shop used in the show. If you go here, you’ll see that the wall paper and ceiling match and the canoe is in a few of the shots. I’ll have to see if I can get a better shot next time…



His shop is even a member of the Storybrooke Retailers Association, but given that he is the most powerful person in town (sorry Regina), I’m sure he’d be a member in good standing no matter what!



We stopped by the toy store (which I think becomes a five and dime) so that J could give us some ideas for her upcoming birthday. She basically ignored everything in the store except the Brio train set. Then she and her dad tried on some goofy hats!



We saw the Storybrooke bread shop – it was busy. Maybe our next trip will include a stop there!



fter an ice cream break, we decided to take a walk to Garry Point and that brings us to Alex’s day trips book. Garry Point happens to be one of them!



We stopped along the way so that J could go for a bit of a wade and play in the sand – we were kind of surprised to see so many people swimming – the water looked pretty icky.



J loved watching the kites. They’re pretty small specks in this picture, but it was a glorious day for flying a kite!



One the way back, J stopped to blow the fluff off the tops of all the dandelions…I guess she had a lot of wishes!



We will be heading back to Steveston soon I think. as we drove out of town, J noticed their massive playground and water park. So the list for next time:

• more fish and chips
  
• more ice cream
  
• water park and playground (bring bathing suits!)
  
• Mommy gets some time alone to browse the shops
  
• J would like to try flying a (much smaller than the ones we saw today) kite
  
• a visit to the farmer’s market and the bakery and maybe a visit to the London Heritage Farm

Definitely day trip worthy!