I'm just someone who likes cooking and for whom sharing
food is a form of expression.
Maya Angelou
The weirdest thing happened today.
SBean went in for her 18 month immunizations this morning. OMG my baby is 18 months already! How did that happen?
The lady that did the shots was super nice. She was from Winnipeg lol, so we had lots to talk about. It's funny when I run into people from Winnipeg the subject always turns to MTC, WSO, or the RBW. I miss going to the theater, the symphony and the ballet. We do have these things here but on a smaller stage. I really can't complain but Winnipeg has an AMAZING arts and cultural scene. Something I wish I had taken more advantage of now that I don't have it. Cinderella's Don't Know What You Git Till It's Gone, just came to my head lol and no I don't mean the Disney movie LOL
Anyways, after the shot (which went super well) we have to wait in the kids room for any issues and to talk to the dental lady. While sitting in there 1 gentleman started talking about the Strike. We discussed. It moved on to things like health care and taxes.
I said, "I think one of our problems is that older people don't have to pay school taxes."
The elderly lady behind the table said,
"I don't have kids in the school system. Why should I have to pay?"
"It takes a village to raise a child. In 20 years you will be using the system even more than you do now. Inevitably older people use more social services, health services and pension services. The people in charge will be those kids, the same kids your generation doesn't feel like they have to help educate."
She was just about the make a point in her defense when a younger woman who had just came in said,
"Ummmmm isn't there a law about talking politics and religion in public? This is a public place and I don't want to hear this. I want you to stop talking NOW or I'm calling the authorities or something!"
Seriously?
Wow.
Some people are so ignorant. She had a newborn. I hope she doesn't pass that down to her little one!
Maya Angelou died today. She once said "It is time for
parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and
there is strength."
Nobody was arguing. We had been talking for about 15 minutes. I thought we were having a wonderful conversation. Everyone is different but issues NEED to be discussed. You cannot change the system if you don't know the system.
OOOOOOOkkkkkkkkk enough of that. LOL
Today we have having HBear's 2 favorite things, combined. Pizza and Breakfast!
Pizza bagels topped with an egg :) I served it up with a fresh and beautiful tossed salad.
Spray Texas muffin pan (adults) and regular muffin tin (kid size) with cooking spray.
Place the shredded cheese into each well of the pan. Make a small depression
in the middle of the cheese so the egg will stay in the middle. Place 6 pepperoni slices on the cheese. 4 for the smaller size.
Carefully crack
your egg into each well of the pan (my sister would tell me to crack the egg
carefully into a bowl or something and THEN pour it into the pan. She is right.
I am lazy). Place 5-6 slices of mini pepperoni around the yolk of the egg.
Without
spilling any of the egg, carefully place the pan into the oven, cooking for
12-15 minutes. It is up to you to decide how long to cook and how runny your
egg yolk will be.
Meanwhile, cover each slice of bagel with Parmesan (I used Parm on Ninja's and Herb & Garlic Cheddar on ours).
Put bagels in the oven until cheese is melted and golden brown. Last 10 minutes of egg baking time.
While
the eggs are baking throw your margarine into a pan and let it get hot. Add
your mushrooms,
sauté until the juice is all gone. Sprinkle with salt and
pepper.
To
build the "pizza", place a dollop of sauce on plate
and top with
cheesy baked bagel. Add more sauce
and top then spoon your mushrooms on top.
Finish with a baked egg
and garnish with basil.
This was really good. I mean REALLY good. I'm not a huge fan of eggs but this was delicious and super easy to make without a lot of prep. WIN WIN and WIN! Anyone could do it... right Chels? :)
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you
must keep moving.
Albert Einstein
I love Children's Festival!
When we first moved to Penticton I joined the Board of Directors. It was a gong show lol. Seriously though it was... difficult. Maybe because I was a newbie. Maybe because the board had been together for many years and new ideas were, well, new.
I left my position at the end of the year and did not return for my second term. In fact no one did. Last years' Festival was cancelled. Even though we missed it dearly, it proved to me that what I felt was correct.
This year it was back! And it was pretty great! HOWEVER, usually we do the Saturday family pass and this year HBear had camp :(
So I did it. I taught her how to play hooky!
We met Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie and Baby J at the grounds and PLAYED!
We saw Fred Penner! I LOVE Fred Penner! I loved Fred Penner's Place. In the opening sequence he went through a log and that may have been the beginning for me. The beginning of my dream, of having my secret spot lol. I loved The Secret Garden and The Bridge to Terabithia, books and shows about secret places. I used to pretend my hideout was in my closet. In my mind I went through a log to get there LOL 1988
When I was pregnant with HBear I got him to sign The Cat Came Back coloring book for her :) When I told him this, he said I was OLD!!! LOL 2014
SBean 1st Mini Donut!
On Saturday HBear had her 1st sleepaway camp. OMG all night I thought about a movie I watched when I was younger.... Sleepaway Camp part 3. *shiver* She did GREAT!
After we dropped off the girls, SBean and I went to meet my BC Besty. She was putting on a bottle drive for a little girl in the community. Chloe. Chloe is a 3 year old little girl that has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Her chemo is not working. The community has really pulled together to help her parents with the extra costs of travel between here and Vancouver. Her brother goes to school with my Besty's daughter. He is 6.
My BC Besty working hard!
After we dropped off our bottles I went up to see Mom. This next little bit is going to be hard. The past 11 months have been hard but now I can remember everything that happened and put a date to it. You know what I mean? Last year on this day Mom went into the hospital. I look around and remember the weather, the Mumford and sons concert, Mom finding out the cancer returned... it all happened last week. A year ago last week was the beginning of her end. I try so hard not to think of it this way. But I find myself constantly doing it.
That night we had my in-law's over for dinner! We set up the new deck (pictures to come) that afternoon and were having BBQ ribs, corn on the cob, Caesar salad and beans. I invited HBear's besty's mommy too :). It was a fun night, even though HBear wasn't there :(
Cook bacon in a pan over medium-high heat until crispy, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a separate plate. Set aside.
Meanwhile, reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the sauté pan, discarding the extra. Add the onion and chili flakes, and sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the beer, beans, brown sugar, oregano, chili powder, salt and cumin, and stir to combine.
Continue cooking until the beans reach a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, and continue simmering uncovered for about 15 minutes.
When ready to serve, stir in the lime juice. Then serve the beans topped with fresh cilantro.
On Sunday morning we picked HBear up! I missed her every second. She has stayed at Grandpa and Grandma's before but camp? OMG I thought of the creepy noises she would hear. The shadows in an unfamiliar cottage dorm room. If she would wake up and be too scared to go outside to the bathroom... in the dark... with cougars (we got notice of 2 animal attacks the week before). I was so relieved to see her happy and all camp dusty dirty the next morning!
Watching the last of the fire burn out with her besty :)
That afternoon I put on The Parent Trap (the Hayley Mills version)...
Maybe I should have picked the Lindsay Lohan version LOL After a catnap we went to Grandma and Grandpa's for Auntie's birthday dinner :)
Fascinated with Aunty's bubbles!
Yesterday was the strike. Have you heard BC teachers are on rotating strike. What does that mean you ask?
I have no freaking clue.
Seriously, I have asked the principal, HBear's teacher. I have Googled it, I watch Facebook groups AND I read the news.
Still NO idea! Do we have school on Friday? dunn-o :(
So with Monday off, we painted HBear's cardboard castle. We have been doing it for a year. It is very detailed and she loves switching colors lol. We finished the castle and the roof! Now we just have the courtyard... it's true.
And then we said bye bye to Auntie and Baby J :(
Today I got HBear ready and off to school. Then SBean and I went to the bank to do the deposits. Then we drove to Summerland to take pictures of our new HydroPole!!!
Then we quickly ran to the market and to T-Bones. (fish tonight so I grabbed myself a marinated chicken breast).
When we got home we played head and shoulders and ring around the Rosie and then someone played Housekeeper lol So after we vacuumed and had lunch and SBean went down for a much needed nap, and I could steam the floors :)
So after we vacuumed and had lunch and SBean went down for a much needed nap, and I could steam the floors :) We picked up HBear and we thought we would ride bikes to the Leir House, to hand in HBear's summer choir registration.
So lovely... my baby girl riding her own bike, with training wheels of course, but on her own.
Flash forward to dropping off the registration and going back UP to our house. 3 streets over. UP.
There was screaming, there were tears, there was snot... oh man was there snot.
Don't leave me MOMMY!"
I thought, "get the F*** on the bike and pedal. Seriously? Do you think it is easy pushing this little tricycle while your stubborn sister turns the handle bars constantly to the right? Do you? Yes I know it's tough but it is only a very slight incline. Put some effort into it! What do you want me to do let go of SBean so she can roll backwards? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT"
I said, "sweetie. I am not leaving you. I need to get SBean to level ground before I come help you."
Well, the bike is thrown down and the waterworks REALLY begin.
Get me home.
So there I am pushing SBean as fast as I can so I can get her level and then running my ass back to give Hbear a push.
Her training wheels are a bit high and she was literally spinning her back wheel. I was cursing every bad curse word that I knew, in my head. I finally just picked her up and gave her a big hug. She was tired and and she was done. After she calmed down it was much easier.
Until she got distracted while walking her bike and it tipped over and scratched her leg.
I'mmmmm melting!!!!! I'mmmmmmm melting!!
When we got home I hear,
"Mommmmmy"
"No mommy here. I moved to Cabos"
"Oh, well can you get me a drink and then you can go back to cowbose?"
Jeeze Louise what does a mommy have to do to get some peace and quiet??? So i shuffled the girls out back with Ninja and I... cleaned the bathrooms. With the door closed the whole time. :)
2 tablespoons margarine, divided
1 ½ cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1 yellow onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup basmati rice 2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
Melt 1/2 tablespoon margarine in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the bell
pepper and the mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until tender.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and then remove the vegetables to a small bowl and set aside.
Add the remaining margarine to the hot skillet and allow it to melt over medium heat.
Add the rice and stir to coat. Let the rice cook, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes.
Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes, until the rice is lightly brown.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cover
with a lid, making sure it continues to simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Remove from the heat, stir in the cooked
vegetables and then fluff with a fork.
Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! -Dr.Seuss
I'm Kristin! I am a stay-at-home Mommy to an Inquisitive 11 year old, HoneyBear & a Devilish 7 year old, SydneyBean. I am married to a supportive & amazing man who loves me despite my crazy gene! Together we have a Couples Podcast called How Was Your Week, Honey?
I love cooking, crafts, teaching my little ones to respect the Earth and all things beautiful.
I enjoy politics, pop culture and sports. As a family we love to explore, adventure and learn!