Meatless Monday

Hold your hats for this one.....


Spaghettin and tomato sauce

How exciting was that????  Just kidding.  I was tired and had been busy with baby food making, vaccinating + shoveling and that was all the energy I could muster up.

Next week will be good as a friend sent me what looks to be a delicious stew I am gonna attempt!

6 Month Vaccinations

This afternoon we headed out to the South Calgary Health Center for Poppy's 6 month vaccinations.  They were originally scheduled for Feb 18th but I was too sick to take her.  I was a little choked when I saw how cold + snowy it was today but we braved it.  It was definitely getting worse as we made our way home.  Thankfully, we're just a short drive away from the clinic!

Poppy did amazing!  No tears were shed with the vaccination.  Her head is just beautiful and I was told that I did a wonderful job with my girls - which is always nice to hear.  She also did Poppy's 4 month vaccinations, I am really happy with her!  Poppy weighed in at just over 18lbs and 63cm so not a huge change from her 6 month check up.

Finley was also very well behaved.  No getting into things she wasn't supposed to and she gave Penelope a great big hug when she was finished. She is a great big sister!

We just got home and are now getting ready for nap time, more laundry, and then meatless monday,  nothing too exciting!

Stay warm wherever you are today!!

Happy Sunday

Today I am feeling pretty good.  Penelope woke up around 730 and ate her breakfast and is now playing on the floor.  I was able to start a load of diapers, clean up the kitchen and plan the meals for the week. I can't believe that Finley is still sleeping.  It's 830!  I can't remember the last time she slept that late.  Yesterday she slept til 8am and I was in heaven!  She had been waking at around 630 for the last week or so, so this is definitely a treat.

We've had a busy weekend - on Friday we ran some errands and went to the Flames game.  Yesterday we spent the day at the Home + Garden Show.  I had won free tickets from Virgin Radio so we decided to check it out despite having no plans for any renovations whatsoever.  Finley enjoyed all the free balloons!  After that we headed over to Greg's dad and step mom's for supper and a visit as Greg's Aunty Linda, Uncle Warren + Cousin Eric were visiting on their way back from skiing in BC.  It was really great to catch up with them as we usually only see each other at Christmas!

Today I normally have Zumba class but decided I was skipping it since I am only starting to feel really good and I don't want to use the little energy I have by doing Zumba.  Instead I need to give a little TLC to my house.  And of course, The Oscar's are tonight - so looking forward to seeing what everybody is wearing and seeing who wins. I have seen 3 of the nominated movies which I think is a first.  Normally I have only seen like 1 of them. Its a constant reminder of how lame we are.......ha ha just kidding....

This week will be a busy one for us.  I have to begin + finish cleaning our house, Penelope's vaccinations are on Monday, on Tuesday we have to bake Greg's birthday cake and we have a playdate, on Wednesday we have to decorate the cake and we have gymtastics, Thursday and Friday are free days but I am sure I will have lots to do!! Saturday we are going out for supper for Greg's birthday and Sunday will most likely be spent doing nothing like we enjoy!

Anyways gotta take advantage of a sleeping Finley and get some more cleaning done.

Happy Sunday everybody and have a great week!

Alive!

I am happy to say that for the most part I am finally feeling good.  My throat is still a bit sore and my nose is still full of crap but I am feeling so much better!  Too bad it took 11 days for this to happen.  I am gonna rest through the weekend and then get my household back in order starting on Monday.  My house is definitely in need of some TLC.  There has been some serious neglect the last two weeks and it is starting to show!

The only downside is that Greg, Finley + Poppy are all sick although from what I can tell, none have it as bad as me.  Which is fabulous.  Finley + Poppy seem to only cough  during the night or just after waking up and Finley nose is a tad runny.  Hoping + praying it gets better.

The worst part of all this is that we can't go watch Tanner play hockey Saturday morning.  We were really looking forward to seeing him play.  However, plans have been arranged so that we go in 2 weeks to see him play and at a much more reasonable hour!

Really hoping that you and your families are able to avoid this terrible cold that is going around

Kijiji

I love kijiji.  I have been able to find some great things on there such 2 baskets of baby toys for $20 which were full of lamaze and manhatten toys - total steal.  Some of the toys in there sold for $20 each.  I was very excited.  We found 3 leather back chairs for our kitchen to go with our table and bench.  They were $150 for all 3 - perfect condition, only used for staging.  Very happy.

We've managed to sell some crap around the house, hockey tickets, dog pen, futon frame, water cooler, washer + dryer, dishwasher - we've been very lucky.

Now, I am getting ready to sell off our baby things since we don't plan on having anymore kids.  Sorry to disappoint you Grandma's.  So this morning I was perusing Kijiji to see how much we should sell our Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Swing for.  I was planning on listing around $80 and negotiating down to around $60 or so.  Maybe lower if I liked the person.  I found a couple just like ours - one was $40, one was on hold for $55 and one was selling for $100.  Most swings were listed between $70 + $85 I noticed regardless of brand or model.  The one that caught my eye was $100 because it was identical to mine but she was claiming she bought it for $250.  Where on earth do you find a fisher price swing for that price and why would you pay it?

People amaze me on there sometimes.

Regardless, I love kijiji for all the things it does for me but especially the comic relief that it provides to me on a daily basis.

Quotalicious Thursday

Understanding failure helps you appreciate success

Michael Vick

Tasty Tuesday

I tried this recipe out last week and it was delicious!   We all enjoyed it and declared it a "make again" recipe!

Sweet Mustard Chicken Bake

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 Chicken breasts
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a shallow baking dish
2. In a small bowl, stir together the honey, mustard, melted butter + pepper
3. Place chicken in baking dish and pour the sauce over top of it 
4. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, basting frequently with the sauce, until chicken is firm and juices run clear

I basted about 7 minutes or so and it was perfect.  I served it with stir fried vegetables consisting of butternut squash, zucchini, mushrooms, green + red peppers, + carrots.  It was a very tasty combination!!

Meatless Monday

We didn't have meatless Monday yesterday since I took advantage of Greg being home on the holiday and had him cook.

So I am going to make up for it with Meatless Wednesday + Meatless Thursday this week.  Why not Tuesday you ask?  Well I have to pick up Greg tonight cuz I got an errand to run so I using the slow cooker for something else!


Will post Today's recipe tomorrow

Finally Felt It...

Penelope has a tooth coming in on the bottom. Certainly explains her behaviour these last few days.

A Little Sad

Just loaded our baby swing and bouncy chair on kijiji to sell.

Penelope is getting too big for the swing and she never really liked it anyways.   She enjoyed her bouncy chair but sits in her high chair downstairs which she prefers.

Kinda sad that my babies are getting older.

Sinful Sunday.....

Every Sunday, Greg and I take turns making Sunday brunch.  Some days it's fancy (when it's his turn) and some days simple (my turn).  Lately it has been just him making brunch as I have been taking Zumba every Sunday at 10am but since it was cancelled today due to the Family Day Long Weekend I decided to do it.

I cannot make cinnamon buns or eggs or bacon for the life of me, I still don't know how to work my waffle iron (haven't really tried to learn thou, Greg usually does waffles) and can make some decent pancakes and french toast.  I tried a french toast casserole but it did not turn out.  It was worse then disgusting.  I made peanut butter pancakes which were delish but a little rich and carrot puree french toast which also very healthy and tasty.

This morning I was perusing on the internet for something yummy to make and came across this:

Raspberry Baked Stuffed French Toast

8 slices of firm bread
4oz spreadable cream cheese
1/2 cup raspberry jam
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/8tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
2 banana's sliced
pint raspberries (optional)

Directions:
1) spread cream cheese on 4 slices and jam on the other 4.  Combine to make one sandwich
2) beat eggs in large bowl.  Add milk, cinnamon, vanilla and mix again.
3) dip sandwiches in mixture and make sure both sides are evenly coated
4) Place sandwiches on cookies sheets coated with cooking spray and bake at 400F for approximately 10 minutes or until nicely browned
5) top with banana's and raspberries if desired.

I had to alter the amount of ingredients because I needed more then 8 slices or so I thought.  One sandwich per person along some turkey bacon was all you needed.  Anymore was way too much.


It was delicious.  Sinfully delicious!!  I highly recommend that you all try it if you want a yummy Sunday brunch!!

Alumni Game

Here are some photos of the Alumni game.  If you want to see more head over to Facebook.  It was frigidly cold and parents brought kids as young as Penelope to the game.  I am not even kidding.  The poor baby cried the entire time we waited to get into the building.  The baby and her brother (around Finley's age) didn't even have scarves on. I felt so bad for them.  If I didn't have babysitters I would have stayed home with my kids.  Never would I have brought them to the game.  

Besides silly parents and the insane coldness I felt and continued to feel until the middle of the night, it was so cool to be there.  Not cool enough that I regret selling my tickets to the Heritage Classic but cool still.  It was awesome to see alot of the team from the 89 Stanley Cup winning season and I am sure my 9 year old self would be jealous.

I am looking forward to watching the Heritage Classic today from the comforts of my nice toasty warm house.  Oh and the Hitmen game tomorrow?  No way I was going so we gave mine + Finley's tickets away not that she was going anyway.  Greg + Jack may still go.

Happy Half Birthday Sweet Pea!!

Poppy This morning on her 6 month birthday!

Dear Penelope,

Six months!  You are officially half a year old - where does all of the time go??  It definitely seems to be all going by so much faster this second time round!  It has been a wonderful 6 months and we are looking forward to it!

***You are such a great eater!!  We started you on solids last week as per Dr Bernhardt.  You love almost everything with exception to green beans, broccoli, peas + mashed potatoes.  Your eating preferences are very similar to what your big sister's were at your age although feeding you is so much easier!  You love apples, peaches, pears, + mangos!  Your favourite vegetables are carrots + sweet potatoes.  I had forgotten how much time making baby food took up but I am happy to say that I have a deep freeze with pureed veggies, fruits + meats as well as various leftovers.  I am already eagerly awaiting her ability to feed herself.

***You are eating solids at breakfast, lunch and supper and having bottles right before nap time.  Usually 3 - 4 bottles a day.  You still cannot hold your own bottle which is surprising.  Finley held hers at about 4 months.  You did it once and we were so happy but you prefer for us to do it for you.  I tried giving you a sippy cup in place of your bottle and you were having no part in this either.  Maybe next week.

***You are sleeping through the night without any sudden wake ups. Bed time is between 730 + 8am and you basically sleep for another 12 hours - just like Finley did!  I think this is because we starting feeding you solids.  Milk just wasn't doing it for you anymore.  You are also much happier during the day.  You always have a good afternoon nap and if we are home, you are starting to enjoy your morning nap.  The combination of increased naps and food has made for a very happy Penelope.

***You are still a thumbsucker.  I am hoping that this is because you have no teeth to bite on your fingers.  Your sister liked to suck her middle three fingers but gave it up as soon as she bit one.  She then tried to bite ours.  Please be nicer to us! It's kinda nice because it puts her back to sleep or calms her down but I always envision those 4 year olds with soothers or thumbs in mouth and it freaks me out because that cannot be my kid.

***Still no teeth trying to pop through.  I check everyday and can never feel anything.  Your cheeks are usually red and you are drooling a lot and are constantly trying to chew on something which leads me to believe that it will happen soon!  For the most part you are a happy teething baby just like your big sister was. 

***You are still on the top button of your cloth diapers although I am pretty sure we will be moving on up to the middle button fairly soon.  You seem to have figured out the whole pee thing because your diapers are a normal amount of wetness unlike your earlier months.  No more soaking through diapers and clothes because  you hold your pee and do it all at once.  We are very happy about this.

***As far as clothing, you are wearing a few 3 - 6 month outfits from the Gap but the rest is pretty much 6 - 9 months.  A few outfits are 6 -- 12 month or even 12 month but they are very small outfits that were barely worn by Finley because I didn't realize how small they were.  At least now they are getting some wear!You still wear a 2 or 3 in most shoes although Finley usually takes them off of you.  Just like your big sister, you are also quite fond of kicking off your shoes. 

***You celebrated your first Valentine's day!  To celebrate we did some crafts, went to a Valentine's Day Party and you hung out with Grandpa Don + Grandma Jen while me and daddy went out for dinner and a movie.

***You are a roller.  You can roll from your back to your tummy and vice versa without any help from us.  You are starting to figure out that you can get around this way.  You are happy in either position.

***You went for your 6 month check up with Dr B last week.  It was early due to his vacation coming up.  He was so pleased to see how well you were doing and that the shape of your head was as round as it could be.  Glad to know our insistence of tummy time paid off and you still seem to love me!  You weighed in at 17 pounds 9 ounces which puts you in the 90th percentile.  You were 27 inches long which puts you in the 95th percentile.  Dr B said that you were taller then you were round so that was fantastic and what you always want to be.  You had no issues other than a diaper rash that he thought was from her teething so she got some medicated stuff that made it all go away.

***You love your Baby Einstein  Musical Mat and are always singing and laughing and kicking and pulling at all the toys.  You have discovered how loud you can scream or sing or make noise and take full advantage of it!  You are generally a very happy baby + only cry when you get hungry or poop.  Even when you are tired,  you remain happy which is a polar opposite of your big sister!

***You love your musical jumper and love to jump around.  You laugh when you are in it and always have a large smile.  Soon you will be big enough to spin yourself around!  You have figured out how most of it works thanks your big sister who showed you.  She still hates that toy but is happy that you like it.

***You have started to laugh a lot which is just fabulous.  Your sister does a very good job of making you laugh and you seem to go into hysterics when you do Baby Yoga.  I still am not sure what you find so funny about it.  You are ticklish already and your sister gets a kick out of tickling you until we have to tell her to stop.  She just loves you so very much.

***You LOVE to watch your sister.  You are constantly staring at her and seeing what she is doing.  She makes you laugh all the time and smile through the tears.  She is always able to put you in a  happy mood.  She loves to help feed you and change you and put you to bed.  She sometimes gets annoyed when I have to use your carseat or swing or bed for you and she is forced to move one of her babies or animals.

***You enjoy your toys as long as someone is there to give them to you and hold on to them with you.  You don't actively reach for them and prefer to be entertained rather than entertain yourself.  The last few days you have been playing with your big yellow giraffe that you got from you Aunt + Uncle for Christmas and seem to be impressed with all that it can do.  You are slowly gaining an interest with Sophie.  She's not a hanger on of anything which makes it a bit difficult for her to do anything on her own.

***You love to stand.  Daddy always has you standing - whether it is holding on to his hands or the couch and you LOVE IT.  Your big sister hated using her legs and I don;t think she really did until she was about 9 months old and started to crawl.

***You love the colors and sounds of the TV and are constantly moving your legs to whatever happens to be on.  Music is your favourite and you can definitely tell

***You were supposed to go for your 6 month vaccinations this morning but we had to reschedule them until February 28th due to a nasty cold that has inhabited our house.  This has made for a tough week but you and your sister are troopers.

No Sick Days for Mom's

I have been sick for 5 days.  5 days.  This is like an eternity for a mom with 2 kids.  2 kids who are in desperate need of attention during all of their waking hours.  It has been tough.  Very tough.

My house is nothing short of a disaster, the laundry piles are insanely high, we're slowly running out of groceries and we haven't left the house in days.  Basically, I went to my Zumba class on Sunday but otherwise we haven't left the house since Saturday.

Greg stayed home on Tuesday to help out with the kids but it did not help and I have gotten sicker as the week went on.  It started off with severe sinus pain and congestion and has now progressed into a nasty sore throat and chest cold.  Coughing is no fun and it hurts so much.  Sudafed + Vics Vapor Rub have been my friend but it has not been enough.

Although both kids seem to have picked up the cold it has been no where near how bad mine has been.  Penelope is basically just sneezing a bit more while Finley has a runny nose with a tiny cough.  I am so thankful for this.  It would be a nightmare if it were worse.  Greg thought he had escaped it but this morning he was complaining of a sore throat - hopefully nothing too serious will come of it.

To make things worse, this is the big outdoor hockey weekend here in Calgary.  To kick off the celebrations of the weekend, the Flames' farm club the Abbotsford Heat are playing tonight at the Saddledome.  We have tickets.  Me and the kids are not going.  We never really wanted to go but in order to buy Alumni tickets you had to get this game or the Hitmen game on Monday and we already had tickets to that.  Greg and Jack are still going so it's not a total waste.

I am a bit concerned with the Alumni game tomorrow.  It doesn't start until 430pm and the high is only -9 which is what it was when the Grey Cup was held here back in 2009.  I think I will survive but I am hoping my cold does not get worse.  The girls will be going to my Aunty Leslie's house so they won't be exposed to the cold elements.  I will not miss this game, I don't care how sick I am or how much more sick I may get but nothing will prevent me from going to see Lanny + Joe + Jim + Mike + Gary from playing.  Greg says it will be a quick game so we will be ok.

Thankfully, we have sold our Heritage Classic tickets to my friend Jenn's fiance so I don't have to worry about sitting outside during that game which will be long + cold.  Yes I am a wimp, I have lived in Calgary too long that my body has forgotten where I lived for my first 25 years of life.  Why did we sell you ask?  I can't justify the price of tickets for the game and I knew they would be appreciated by someone more then myself.  I really hope Adrian enjoys the game - what a great birthday present!

Monday is the outdoor Hitmen game but it starts at 130 which is way warmer then the other 2 games.  I am hoping I will feel better by then though!!

But I best be going, Penelope is napping and Finley is almost done watching Curious George and will need something to distract her and I need to figure out what we will be having for lunch and for supper since Greg won't be home.  Maybe some Finger Cooking courtesy of Boston Pizza.....haha.

Here's hoping to a get better weekend.  I am optimistic as I am feeling slightly better and I had a relatively decent night's sleep.....wish me luck......

Gingersnaps Without Molasses

I really really wanted gingersnaps on Tuesday night but we had no molasses and I was not about to go buy any that late at night.  And it has been pretty cold + snowy that I saw no point in getting the kids bundled up and going to buy any.

So online I went and I searched and searched for a molasses free gingersnap recipe and finally I found one this morning.   So while Poppy was napping, Finley and I decided to make them.

The dough was delicious to eat while I rolled them into balls and Finley rolled them in sugar.  As they cooked, the main floor smelled so yummy - just like Christmas!  However, they were gross.  The recipe said they tasted better then those with molasses - but they were WRONG!!

Finley enjoyed them but there isn't a sweet treat that she doesn't like.

So basically Greg was right - you do need molasses for gingersnaps and I definitely need Lindsey's recipe for gingersnaps because hers are mouthwatering.......

Needless to say, molasses are on the grocery list.....lesson learned....

Clean For A Day

This was Finley's room a week or so ago.  I think this is the cleanest that it has ever been. But it didn't stay like this for long.  Can't wait until she can clean her own room and hang her own clothes up.....

Quotalicious Thursday

Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way

Dr. Suess



PS  Dr. Suess quotes are some of my favourite quotes!

Nicknames....

I am not a huge fan of nicknames despite the fact that I go by a shortened version of my own name.  My name is Rebecca almost everybody calls me Becky.  Basically my mom, my sister and a few aunts, uncles + some cousins call me Rebecca and that is it.  Growing up, I hated Rebecca and preferred Becky but now I don't really care either way.

I never call Greg Gregory unless he is annoying me or in very rare circumstances.  Finley even calls him Greg and sometimes daddy.  The only people who call him Gregory are his dad, stepmom and Grandma Janet.  Most everybody else calls him Greg. He refers to himself as Greg and me as Becky never Rebecca.

Finley is Finley.  I hate all nicknames related to her name.  Occasionally I will call her Finnigan but more often than not it is Finley or Peanut.  She is called Finn, Finnigan, Finner, Finster and I can't say I like any of them.  Finley is such a simple, pretty name that is easy to say and I don't think a nickname or shortened version is even needed.

Penelope, on the other hand, needs a nickname.  It is most definitely a mouthful to pronounce.  I like Penelope but I have a feeling she will not like it as she gets older.  Despite being a very old name, it is unique.  Nicknames that have been discussed have been Lady Penelope (not pronounced correctly), Penn, Penny, Pineapple (not me), Lopa (variation of the Russian pronunciation) , and Lo.  They all were decent enough but I just couldn't do it.  However, we were at a Valentine's Day party last week and when I said her name, someone mentioned Poppy as a good nickname for her.

I was hooked.  Poppy was on my list of baby girl names for her.  Greg hated it.  Hated it.  I loved it  but eventually relented knowing that he would never give in to it.   Greg still doesn't like it but Finley also calls her Poppy or P or Puppy so he has given in a bit.  That being said, I don't believe he will EVER refer to her as Poppy but only time will tell.

Despite my love for Poppy, I still find it hard to refer to her by a name other than Penelope.  I don't know why that is.  So I am about 50/50 Penelope and Poppy + on occasion Sweet Pea.  Greg is Penn, Lady Penalope and Penelope.

No matter what Greg and I decide on a nickname for both girls - it is not going to stay the same forever.  I have been called Becky, Bec, Speck, Beckles, Rebecca, Reb, Backseat Becky (from Cheers not reputation) over the years and it never bothered me.  The only thing I won't allow is Becca and I am sure Finley and Penelope will have a preference as they get older and that it will most likely change on more then one occasion.

So all this being said, call them what you want.  If you like Fin, Finner, or Penn or Poppy then do it.  Call them that.  Sooner or later, we will all be corrected


Happy Wednesday
Becky, Rebecca, Bec, Speck, Beckles, Reb,

New Foods For Penelope!!

We started Poppy (as I am calling her for now, but it may change as I don't like nicknames...) on solids a few weeks ago.  Milk just wasn't doing it for her anymore and Dr. B said that it was a-ok because some babies just need it.  We also started Finley early as well.  

Here she is sitting in her high chair waiting for some delicious runny rice cereal.  My how time flies!

She did really well.  She loved it.  This was exciting.  Finley was the worst baby to feed.

Nothing like organic pureed apples.  Finley used to love these but now she won't eat it.  Probably because there is no sugar in them.  Poppy also enjoyed her apples as well as peaches, mango + pears.

And she really liked her sweet potatoes and carrots too.

Green Beans + Broccoli (separately of course) were not enjoyed.  At all.  I even mixed broccoli with carrots to see if that helped.  It didn't.

As soon as she wakes up from her morning nap, I have some peas waiting for her followed by some stir fry for supper.  Sounds appetizing doesn't it?  Unfortunately, stirfry for a 6 month old is as gross as you can get.  But it's got all kinds of fun things for Penelope to try!!

The only bad thing about P being on solids?  Her poop.  I forgot about baby poop with solids in diet.  Gross, smelly and not pleasant.  Not at all.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Finley with her new princess cell phone

Finley with her new Princess camera

just like mommy....

Weekend House Guests

Phoebe

Piper

My Aunty Leslie + Uncle Doug went to Edmonton for the weekend so we watched Phoebe + Piper.  Finley really enjoyed having them here despite the fact that Piper ate her mini Crave Cupcake.  They did not have as great a time and were very happy when they got to go home.

Valentine's Date

On Saturday night, Greg + I dropped Finley and Penelope off at Grandpa Don's + Grandma Jen's for the evening.  From there, we went to the Flatiron Kitchen for supper which is just delicious!  We had Asian Mango Ribs as an appetizer and then I had the New York with grilled zucchini + mashed potatoes.  Greg had honey glazed pork tenderloin with mini potatoes, beans + apples.  It was just amazing.  It is located just off Barlow Trail in the NE right by the Toad + Turtle but they are opening 2 more locations in Chinook + downtown on 3rd ave.  I highly recommend it.  The best part is that there are lots of items on there that Kristy would like so we can go again next time she visits!  We were both stuffed from our meals so no dessert was had.

We then headed to the Crowfoot Crossing Theatre to see Black Swan.  That movie is amazing.  Natalie Portman deserves every award she gets and it should definitely win for cinematography at the Oscars.  A lot of people said that after seeing that movie they questioned their sexuality.  I don't get that part of it.  I don't think it is disturbing or creepy but it is definitely intense, insane, crazy and mind boggling.  After the movie, Greg and I  discussed it and we both had different theories and both worked.  I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it but it is definitely worth watching.

It was a great early Valentine's night for us!!

Meatless Monday #2

My friend Virginia made this recipe for her meatless monday last week so I thought I would give it a try.  I have never, ever made soup in my entire life - from scratch that is - so it was a bit exciting!  The recipe can be found HERE 

I made a few alterations to it since it was Meatless Monday.  I eliminated the bacon and chicken broth and used extra vegetable broth.  The recipe also called for 2 cups of beans and I think that was a bit too much.  I would also add a bit more pasta then the 1 cup because it didn't seem like a lot.  Also, it doesn't mention pre-cooking or soaking the beans before hand so I think it assumes you would use canned beans.  I used uncooked beans and did the quick soak of boiling for 2 -3 minutes and soaking for an hour but I think next time I will do the 12 hour soak of the beans since they were a little under done.

The soup turned out really good and both Greg + Finley enjoyed it.  Finley used both crackers and french bread to soak up the broth which made her very happy!  Needless to say, I am quite proud of myself.

Here is a photo of the finished product:

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day from my Valentine's to yours!!!

Zumba Class

Last week Living Social Deals had a coupon for unlimited Zumba for $20 so I purchased with really no idea what Zumba actually was.  I thought it was like a dance class.  I was wrong. Very wrong.  It is a tough, hard core workout class.  I go every Sunday at 10am and I LOVE it.  It is so much fun and the workout I get is ridiculous.  I am hot, sweaty and feel great.  The best part is that the class if full of all kinds of women in all kinds of shape and who all lack rhythm for the most part but we all have fun and that is what is most important.  I have tried to find a zumba dvd but have not been able to thus far.  I heard that there is a zumba game for the Wii but not sure how it is.  Anybody tried it?

My instructor is Maya and can be found at Calgary Zumba and her classes are located in Bridlewood, Chapparal, Midnapore (where I go), and McKenzie Town.  If you don't have a coupon, it is $35 a month for unlimited classes at ALL locations.  When my coupon runs out at the beginning of May, I am going to sign up I think.  It is a fun way to get exercise.

Here is a video I found on youtube.  You guys should definitely give it a try if you haven't already!

A Valentine's Day Party

Last Tuesday was our South Calgary Mom's + Tot's playgroups Valentine's party at Caffe Creme.  It was a 2 minute drive from our house which is always nice!

Finley checking out all of the toys that were there for her to play with.  She had tonnes of fun with them.

Penelope hanging out while Finley + I did crafts.  She was a very well behaved baby!

Finley, with a heart painted on her face, doing her craft.  She also did one for Penelope.

Finley making sure that her kitty had a seat to do crafts as well.

There was a tent set up by Discovery House and Finley loved it.  She has a similar one with a crawl through tunnel attached to it at home.

Playing with the kids.  Finley had a great time playing with all the kids and toys.  She was very well behaved and only cried when it was time to leave.  We had to leave a bit early because Penelope had a early 6month check up since Dr. Bernhardt was going on vacation for a month.

We are looking forward to the monthly playdate in a few weeks!!

Meatless Monday #1

After watching Oprah last week, I decided to take a more proactive approach to a Flexitarian diet - meaning a good mix of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals.  Tonight was Meatless Monday so we had Cashew Tofy Stir Fry.  I was very excited about this recipe and followed this recipe exactly (well almost) which I think is a first to me.  The only exceptions were the ingredients that I didn't have in the house.

Here is the recipe:

Cashew Tofu Stir Fry

3/4 cup water

2 tbsp sweet or regular chili sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp canola oil

4 cups chopped suey chop

2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 1/2 cups sliced onion

1 cup sliced red pepper

1 tbsp finely grated gingerroot (3/4tsp ground ginger)

package of extra firm tofu, cut into pieces

1/2 cup salted cashews

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in small bowl.  Set aside.

2. Heat large frying pan or wok on medium high heat until very hot.  Add canola oil.  Add next 5 ingredients.  Stir fry for about 2 minutes until vegetables start to soften.

3. Add tofu and cashews.  stir fry for 2 - 3 minutes until vegetables are tender crisp.  Stir cornstarch mixture.  Add to vegetable mixture.  Stir fry for about 1 minute until boiling and thickened.

If you have never cooked with tofu, you need to drain it first and I don't just mean open up the package and drain the water from it.  You have to do the following:

What I did was put the tofu between 2 cutting boards and then put 3 cookbooks on top for about 15 minutes to ensure that the majority of the liquid gets out.  My previous attempts did not include this step and what a difference this made.  

Once drained, it should look like this.  I was only able to get medium firm tofu from Sobeys.  So it definitely isn't as firm as I would have liked.

The sauce was delicious.  I used sweet chili sauce which provided a good amount of kick to the meal.  I didn't have any cornstarch left thanks to an incident last night so I used flour.  I didn't use enough so my sauce never really thickened but it was tasty.

I also didn't realize that I had NO vegetables in my fridge except for mushrooms and carrots.  I was too lazy to peel + cut carrots so it only had mushrooms.  I spaced this morning and didn't buy anything but tofu + cat food.  I blame it on it being Monday.

The tofu cut up and in the wok with mushrooms.  Tofu is a lot like chicken in that it takes the flavour of whatever you cook it with.  You have to make sure not to overcook the tofu as it will turn to mush and will definitely turn to mush if you don't drain it at the beginning.

The finished product!  It looked and smelled delicious!

I served it with rice.  The sauce was great and the mushrooms had just the right amount of zing to it.  However, I can't passed the texture of the tofu.  I have tofu before when I have made it and  it always tasted gross because it was mush.  I have had tofu in various chinese + japanese restaurants usually in soups and it tasted great but I just can't seem to replicate it at home!

Finley trying it.  You can see her first piece of tofu on the table there.  She loved it as a baby but has since developed a hatred for it.  Greg really enjoyed it but would've preferred more vegetables in it.  He said that this was the best tofu I have ever made and thinks that I would like it better if I bought extra firm and did the same draining technique.  He thinks it might be even more like chicken.  He also told me to google to see if others also had aversions to tofu texture + what they did to overcome it.  So that will be my next thing on my list.

Let me know if you have tips or suggestions of me in regards to tofu, it would be much appreciated!

Also please try the recipe above with tofu or any other meat, it is delicious.  Tomorrow is another meatless meal as we are having spaghetti with herbed tomato sauce.

We are well on our way to becoming a Flexitarian!!