Pork Cutlets with Mushroom & Onion Dijon Sauce & HBear is Turning 7!

Cakes are special. Every birthday, every celebration ends with something sweet, a cake, and people remember. It's all about the memories.

Buddy Valastro

So it happened! SBean turned 3! Her “party” went super well and she had a wonderful day J

Tomorrow is HBear’s 7^th birthday! I keep trying to negotiate with her to turn 5 but she is just not going for it lol.

Tomorrow is going to be her family dinner. She has chosen white sauce spaghetti AKA fettucine alfredo lol. She has made it very clear that she does NOT want mushrooms, shrimp, peppers or onions, just sauce and noodles oh and bread… with butter! J

Dinner with Grandma, Grandpa and Papa with present opening and lots of happy laughter. I am so lucky.

Now Friday is a totally different story! LOL She has chosen to have 8 girls over to our house for a PJ party. Let me repeat that… 8, 9 including HBear, girls… in our house. Friday.

I’m scared.

We have lots of fabulous things planned and I can’t wait to share them with you next week in a birthday wrap up post. But today it is about HoneyBear.

I know I have said this before but it so important it is worth saying again.

HBear taught me how to love.

I loved Ninja. I loved myself and my family but I didn’t know what LOVE felt like until 7 years ago.

7 years ago on Grey Cup Sunday I began to feel contractions. 

They were far apart but they were there lol. By 7:30 Monday morning I went to the bathroom and lost my mucous plug. Up until a few weeks prior I didn’t even know what that was LOL. Actually when I saw blood on the toilet paper I panicked. I called my midwife right away. I was petrified that something was wrong. I was experiencing more contractions and the pain was making me emotional.

By 10:30am they were very close and my Dad, who had flown in and stayed later because I was 2 weeks overdue, started up the car. Dad drove Ninja and I to St Boniface hospital and I was super calm. I wanted this to go as planned. As we all know, I am a planner LOL

When we got into the elevator I was bent over in pain but smiling. We were shown to our room. It was beautiful. Personal, big, had a walk in shower and chairs with a nice view. I was just over 4cm dilated. A bit early but my midwife assured me I came in at the right time.

I had the BEST midwife team. Elizabeth and Sari. Elizabeth was the midwife I had seen most often. In fact, I had just met Sari briefly but I knew that fate would have Elizabeth on call when I went into labor.

So when Sari walked in I was surprised. I should have seen that as a sign that things might not go as planned.

I was great. I concentrated. I pictured our baby coming into this world. I practiced my yoga breathing and focused on my hypno techniques. My sister, Mom, and Dad had all flown in and were there supporting me. My WpgBesty and my In-Laws were also there cheering me on. A few hours later I had not dilated anymore. 

My water had not broken yet either. Sari thought she should break it to get things going again.

As soon as the warm water gushed I began puking.

And I mean PUKING! Considering I hadn’t eaten anything I can’t believe how much I vomited. It was funny because I had worked on a push playlist and a breathing playlist and a relaxing playlist but the sound of music made me sick.

At that point the pain was stupid. All I could do was sit fat and naked on a big ball in the shower with my head hanging for HOURS. Poor Ninja lol.

After hours of silence, water and vomit Sari, who had the most reassuring smile I had ever seen, talked to us. They wanted to move me to a different room. A room where they could monitor the baby and my vital signs.

By this time the sun had gone down and it had begun to lightly snow.

I was so tired. I vaguely heard the nurses, Ninja and Sari speaking. I heard the words stall, 9cms dilated, stalled, c-section, and the dreaded epidural.

I threw up some more.

For hours I heard the beeping of Maynard’s (that’s what we called her before she became HBear) heart monitor and all I could do was breathe and pray to a higher being that my baby girl would be healthy.

The surgeon came in and spoke to us. He told me he was going to start me on Pitocin in hopes that it would help move things along. The contractions got closer and more painful. He gave me 2 more hours and then we tried pushing. With his help and Sari’s I pushed for the next 45 minutes. It was almost the best thing I had done all day. At least when I pushed the pain seemed to go away or maybe it was so intense I just couldn’t feel anything lol. I went from 9cms to 8 and then 7. The surgeon told me to stop. He very kindly explained to me that he would be back with someone to administer the epidural.

I puked.

He said I would have to have a C-Section.

I puked some more.

After the epidural I remember my Mom coming in and I looked up at her and asked “Mom is the baby ok?” Am I OK?" And her reassuring me as I finally fell asleep.

A while later I was rolled into the operating room. All I felt was fear. I tried thinking about our Doula classes. I thought back to that 1 class that took us on a path of all that could go wrong. Ninja and I had laughed at the time… as if any of that would happen to US! Duh. Every hurdle we faced in that class was one that we had faced in the past 18 hours.

As I was wheeled in one of the pretty nurses looked at Ninja and was like “Hey Chris! I haven’t seen you in years! How have you been?” My head whipped to the side to glare at him. Up until this point there had been no yelling, no swearing and no tension. I wanted this baby to come into the world surrounded by the love that had created her. However, I was about to freak out on Ninja and pretty blonde nurse until he took my hand squeezed it and assured me everything was going to be great. We were going to be great.

In the operating room it was just me… and 16 nurses, Dr’s and my midwife. They undressed me (so much for the beautiful birthing gown I picked out) so I was buck naked and took both arms and stretched me out like Jesus on the cross and buckled my wrists to the table.

The Anesthesiologist looked at me and said, “Are you alright?” I looked at him and said, “Well up until a few weeks ago I didn’t even like showering by myself in the light so this is just ducky. Thanks.”

He laughed and said “My aren’t we being a bit of a bitch?” I cracked up! He read me just right and alleviated my embarrassment. Ninja showed up a few minutes later all dressed in scrubs and with his “you can do it” face on.

Minutes later I felt fire. My stomach was on fire. I felt burning pain and the table was being jolted as my insides were pulled on and pulled out.

And then… her cry.

And my heart opened up and my life changed forever. The love I felt was so all consuming that I will remember that feeling for the rest of my life. It was protectivness, pride, amazement and a love so intense that the pain of the past 36 hours was forgotten and she laid on my chest and I felt complete.

I knew that nothing in my life had EVER made me feel like she made me feel at that moment. To my surprise I STILL feel that every single time I look at her or even think about her.

I am so lucky.

After they stitched me back up we went to recovery. 

Ninja bathed her and I began the latching process. It was at that time that we named her. We ended up picking a name that wasn’t even on our list. I don’t know why, we really thought she was going to be Noa. But I felt that was too sweet for this little munchkin that had been so stubborn about coming out into the world. When they finally took me to my room (a shared bedroom, a far cry from the beautiful private room I had started in) I was exhausted. Ninja. Mom, Dad, WpgBesty, and my Sis all gave me and Baby a kiss and headed home. They had been in the waiting room for almost 24 hours by this time.  

I finally closed my eyes when I heard, “Here’s your Mommy sweet Baby Girl.”

I opened my eyes and a nurse was handing me this perfect Baby. I shook my head… ummm no I’m very tired right now don’t you take her to the nursery or something? The nurse laughed at me and said “no dear you look after her. She is yours.”

I was sitting there completely exhausted holding this little pink baby… pretty much the 1^st baby I had ever held and terror began coursing through my veins. WTF do I do with her?

That lovely image I had of peering through the nursery window at my perfect little baby was shattered. I was gobsmacked. She cried. Holy Crap! I began singing “You are my Sunshine” and she stopped.

The fear disappeared like that. I got a fourth or fifth wind and I just knew. Everything was going to be OK.

Because I loved her. I loved her so much that my pain, tiredness and fear were pushed aside to just stare at her and bask in the glow of love that surrounded us.

I thought, I am so lucky.

I was not lucky later that day when they made me walk down the hall to see my in-laws. 

I was also not lucky when my catheter got stuck and I couldn’t pee for hours until the haughty nurse that didn’t believe me flicked the tube and pee shot out all over her… actually I guess that was my good luck and HER bad luck lol.

7 years later and I remember it all like it was yesterday.

December 1… the day I learned how to love.

Happy Birthday my Sweet Baby Girl. Mommy loves you to the Moon and Back.

A few weeks ago I made this super yummy chicken. Another breaded chicken actually? Weird lol. Anyways, It was pretty delicious. Not too saucy and with excellent flavor. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did J

Pork Cutlets with Mushroom & Onion Dijon Sauce

Adapted from A Family Feast

4 pork cutlets

¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon thyme

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 cup red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon bold deli mustard

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ cup white wine

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

¼ cup chicken stock

¼ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons margarine

Put flour and thyme in a medium bowl and season with salt & pepper and stir. Dredge pork in flour, shake excess and set aside.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Add pork and brown 3-4 minutes per side. Remove pork to a platter and set aside.

Heat pan back up to high and add mushrooms and cook for about three minutes until just starting to brown. Reduce to medium high and add onions and rosemary. Cook for two to three minutes.

Add both mustards, and wine and scrape up bottom. Add parsley, stock, cream and margarine and mix to combine. Add pork back in and cover with sauce. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook just until the pork is cooked through. Serve with sauce over each portion.

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Bacon Gouda Chicken with Garlic & Cremini Mushroom Quinoa, Road Trip PLUS SBean is Turning 3!!!

Stories aren't the icing on the cake; 

they are the cake!

Peter Guber

Family. 

Families are our roots. It is where we come from. No matter how far apart you live from each other or how long it has been, there is a certain amount of comfort just being with them. 

It is crazy how much we are all alike. While in Cochrane  my Uncle, Aunt and 2 cousins came over for a visit and a glass of wine... Or 4 bottles. Lol

They are my peeps. They get me. I get them. It went from hello to family in depth conversation in 4.6 seconds. My family is a family that loves hard, fights hard and has many secrets but we can tell each other anything.  Lol

I love being with them all. 

When we are all together I tend to drink waaaaaaay too much lol after everybody left and we went to bed, every single time I thought of something I said that may have hurt someone's feelings, I had to run to the bathroom to throw up. The next day my sister got a text saying how much fun everyone had! 

My family rocks.

It was so worth the scary as hell drive through the passes. At one point we were on ice with 9 semis all stopped around us and 1 headed straight for us… I thought this is it.

It took us close to 11 hours but it really was beautiful. I have never driven through the mountains with all the snow. It was absolutely stunning!

When we got to My Sis's, her and my BIL had homemade Chinese food ready for us! It was awesome!

On Saturday after the kids played in the sprinkle of light snow, we went Christmas shopping!

Making crafts with my Aunt and my cousin's BF.

On Sunday we had high hopes of going for a swim... but I was HUNG OVER lol so we played all day at home! The kids played so well, no fights, sharing and laughter! Cousins are so important, they are our first friends and they will have your back your entire life :)

And then Monday we drove home. The roads were MUCH better and the sun was shining :) It was a great visit, too short but wonderful just the same.

Speaking of family…

I cannot believe my baby is going to be 3 tomorrow. SBean is such a character. Almost daily she sets me on my ass laughing. Like when she talks nonstop about Oupee Dupee. Who is Oupee Dupee? Well, R2-D2 of course! LOL

She says the funniest things. Like a while back when we are out walking and she realized that she had a blister on her toe. I don't know how she saw it through all of the mud and dirt of her the little flip-flopped feet but she saw it and she was upset. "Mommy will you kiss it better?" Oh SBean I would love to kiss your dirty little toe better lol “okay do it" so I got down on my knees in the middle of the sidewalk and kissed her dirty grubby toe and she said “okay all better, Mommy stand up tall now and let's go you are wasting my time"

She is getting to that age where she just can't express her feelings in an appropriate way. If she is frustrated sometimes she can't even get the scream out, she just opens her mouth and bares her teeth. Ninja says she would make a fantastic ape. LOL

A few more Syd-isms:

• She loves pressing the handicap button on all doors. If the door is already open she will wait until it closes to press the button.

• She can bow her head, flutter her eyelashes and say "pretty pretty pretty please" better than anyone I have ever met.

• Her favorite TV show is Paw Patrol. She went through a Toopy and Binoo phase, and then Julius and now Paw Patrol. We have had to limit it to a lunchtime picnic with one episode. She is a huge TV freak, if you let her she would watch TV 24/7.

• She has a very distinct fashion style. She loves dresses and pink but she is not girly at all.

• People think she is a mute. She becomes very shy in front of people and hides behind my leg. She barely speaks when we are around strangers or even people she knows! Until she is at home and then she lets loose LOL

• She has the memory of an elephant. If you tell her she can have something after nap, before she even opens her eyes she is asking demanding it. Which leads me to explain how persistent she is! If she wants something she won't forget and will keep on asking until she wears you down lol I now say "Mommy has made up her mind and it is not changing." EVERY time she asks I say the same thing :).

• Her favorite songs this year were, Roar by Katy Perry although she calls it Tiger. (There is a tiger in the video), Shake It Off by Taylor Swift (actually any Taylor Swift LOL even when we hear it in the grocery store quietly she starts yelling “Taylor Swift! Mommy it's Taylor Swift!”), I Bet My Life by the Imagination Dragons (we play it really loud and have a dance party at Mom’s resting place) and Sugar by Maroon 5 (OMG we listened to that on repeat this summer).

• She cannot take a compliment. After a haircut she will go up to you and point to her hair (her way if asking "do you like my haircut?")If you don't say something she will pout if you do, she will flip her hair and walk away.

• She loves getting dirty. No matter how hard I try I cannot keep this girl clean. She cannot wear white, she cannot keep her hair done, and her fingers are always sticky!

• She expresses… Everything! When she is happy she is over the moon and when she is mad… Putin would be scared.

• As soon as we start driving towards Kelowna she starts crying “No not this way! I don’t want to drive this way!” LOL she knows wherever we are driving to is going to a long drive when we head out that way. LOL

• She loves letters. Every day she makes me draw the alphabet on the whiteboard so she can draw them too. Phonics are her best friend :) even when Netflix comes on she spells it out and sounds out each letter LOL

• She will do anything for ‘ert (desert). She will ask “how many bites to get me ‘ert?” and even if she hates dinner, she will choke it down to get ‘ert.

• She will only go poop on the potty if you spray "poop spray" and turn on the fan.

• She loves snacks. Her favorite snacks are fruit gummies (especially Star Wars ones which she calls Stirs Gummies), cheese strings, oranges, marshmallows and carrots.

• She still naps. She sleeps for about 2 hours every afternoon. Her bedtime is 7pm and she gets up by 7am at least lol every morning.

• She loves shower time after diner but would prefer a hot tub or as she calls it a "tubby" any day.

• She loves going to the park and has NO fear. She will climb anything and slide head first down the slide. She attempts things that HBear wouldn't even think about trying at 6 lol

• She is a terrible loser. She always wants to win. She will sing “I’m gonna beat you, I’m gonna wiiiiIN” It is not pleasant and when we tell her that nobody wants to play with little girls that say those things she shrugs her little shoulders and looks directly in your eye and says “I’m going to beat you anyway!”

• When she is happy she lets you and everyone else know! She showers you in kisses and screams "I love you! I VERY love you so much love!" LOL It makes your heart almost burst.  

For her birthday party we are keeping it small and quiet. Tomorrow, Grandma and Grandpa are joining us and Papa and we are going to open gifts, have dinner (her pick, French toast with strawberries and whip cream), have ‘Ert (funfetti cupcakes by request with vanilla fwosting lol) and then we are all going to see her very 1^st movie, The Peanuts Movie!

Every year I put together a slideshow of all of her best moments… it can run a bit long LOL My Uncle Dave jokes that he has to take 3 bathroom breaks to get through it! Here it is, the year that SydneyBean was 2! Enjoy, I know we sure did!

Happy Birthday My Love I can’t wait to see you ROCK being 3! You make Mommy so proud and you make everyone you meet smile :) L.O.V.E

I promised to share this AH-MAZING chicken dish with you and here it is! I honestly just wanted to use up the extra honey mustard I had brought home from hot lunch the other week so this is what I did! It was soooooo good! You NEED to try this recipe, I hate breading chicken because of how dirty my hands get lol but I promise, this 1 is worth it!

Bacon Gouda Chicken

Adapted from Made from Pinterest

4 chicken breasts

1 egg

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

½ cup panko

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons oil

6 slices of bacon, cooked.
1/2 cup honey mustard

1 to 1½ cups shredded Gouda Cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Pound your chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap.

In a shallow bowl, beat your egg.

In another shallow bowl, mix together the parmesan, panko, parsley, salt and garlic powder.

Dip your chicken breasts into the egg and then into the parmesan/panko mixture and coat well.

Add oil to hot pan and fry chicken until they are golden brown.

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place a wire cookie rack on top.

Place your fried chicken breasts on top of the rack and cook until the juice runs clear, 15-30 minutes.

Dollop on the honey mustard and sprinkle the shredded Gouda cheese and the bacon on top and broil for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

Garlic & Cremini Mushroom Quinoa

Adapted from Damn Delicious

1 cup quinoa

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook quinoa according to package instructions; set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir in quinoa until well combined.

Garnish with Parmesan.

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