Sweet Sweet Balls

Rice balls... What did you think I was talking about? Sheesh!

I don't know why I've been sitting on this recipe for so long. But let me tell you it is really delicious and a twist on your every day arancini (aka rice balls).

A few years back an arancini restaurant opened up near us.  We were all about the balls covered in marinara, ooey gooey with cheese.  But they were pretty pricey. You all know what that means. Figure out how to make them myself.

After making the traditional savory variety, I thought why not make a sweet version. Rice pudding surrounding a molten centre, a side of ice cream.... Mmmmm

Nutella was all the rage at the time, so of course we had to make a Nutella filled arancini. Then apple pie seemed like a natural choice rolled in cinnamon and sugar after frying.  They came out looking like timbits (for our American friend, timbits are donut holes).  After exploding balls I figured out that Nutella works better when it's frozen, and it makes it a lot easier to handle as well.

Cinnamon sugar apple pie filled arancini

This weekend my eldest declared out of the blue that we should make s'mores rice balls!  Who am I to stifle such creativity. 


The directions are pretty simple.  First you make your rice pudding, spread it in a pan to chill in the fridge.  You will also need egg wash graham crumbs and some plain bread crumbs.  I complained when my husband bought plain bread crumbs instead of the italian seasoned... but they came in handy on this occasion.

Place about 2 tbs of the cooled rice pudding in your hand and make a ball.  With your thumb press in a hole and spread the rice pudding out so you have more of a bowl shape in your palm like so.

The finished product should be about the size of a tangerine.

Now fill your rice pudding with whatever filling you'd like.  For s'mores I used 4 chocolate chips, 3 marshmallows and another 3-4 chocolate chips on top.  Now's the tricky part.  Try to close the sides back in to a ball around your filling.  You might find it easier to grab a bit more pudding to flatten out and add on top.  Roll in to a ball.  Roll in graham crumbs to coat, then coat in egg wash, then roll in a mixture of half and half bread crumbs and graham crumbs.  I found the graham crumbs alone did not give them a crispy outer layer. Fry the rice balls in oil at about 325 degrees until they are a golden brown.

 Cherry Cheese Cake Arancini

 S'mores Arancini

Other filling options:
Nutella- place 1 rounded teaspoon on parchment paper and freeze before stuffing
Apple pie filling - you can freeze this as well, I didn't.  Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture immediately after frying
S'mores - mini marshmallow and chocolate chips
Cherry cheese cake- mix cream cheese with powdered sugar to your desired sweetness. Stuff with 1/2 tsp of cream cheese and 1/2 teaspoon of cheery pie filling
Blueberry crumble- Add some rolled oats in with the breadcrumbs and stuff with blueberry pie filling
Caramel- Stuff with a caramel square
PB&J- Haven't tried this one yet, but it's next on our list. 1/2 tsp peanut butter & 1/2 tsp favorite jam or jelly

Rice Pudding
Use your favorite recipe, but decrease the liquid by about 1/2 cup so your rice pudding has a thicker consistency like risotto.
2.5 cups of milk (or non dairy substitute like coconut milk, almond milk)
3/4 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Spices *optional
1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom

In a heavy saucepan over medium high heat combine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered and stirring frequently for approximately 25 mins.  Remove from heat, place on a cookie sheet or baking pan and refrigerate until cool and thickened.

Really me,
Sweet Balls in my mouth (seriously get your minds out of the gutter!)
Nik

Pimp My Wagon

It's been a while, but I haven't had all that much to blog about... or anything that I didn't already find on the internet.  Until now! DIY wagon canopy.

My sister in law and I are taking the kids to an amusement park tomorrow.  I know that the kids will inevitably get tired and now that they're 4 and 6 I can't carry them.  So I thought I would get a wagon to take with us.  Since the park is already pretty pricey, the day is going to cost us around $150, there is no way I was going to be buying snacks and lunch there.  Which means we have to pack our own lunch and snacks.  I don't know about you, but I really hate carrying a knapsack, or bags.  I had to find a solution.

This is the wagon I got off of Kijiji for $20.  It was a steal!! I saw other similar wagons posted for $35-$50, so even if we only use the wagon for one day, I know I can get my money back at least.

But what I really wanted was a wagon with a canopy to give the kids some shade if it gets hot.  Anything that could possibly make the kids more comfortable (read less whiny) during a day trip, is worth more than the price of admission in my books.  So I searched through Pinterest to find a DIY canopy project.  Guess what?  They're weren't any!! Pinterest failed me!

Challenge accepted!

I was walking around Dollarama with my husband, racking my brain trying to figure out what I could use for the frame of my canopy.  Hubby was less than helpful, albeit supportive.  So this is what you'll need...

2 Hoola Hoops
Drill
Fabric (maybe you have some left overs from a project like I did in which case, great.  If not 3/4 of a yard should do for most wagons)
2 small knapsacks

First, find the joint in the hoola hoops and pull it apart. There are usually 2 staples, you can take those out first or just use brute force like I did. You'll have two ends like this, if you can get that black piece out, great, if not, make sure that's the end you cut off in the next step.

I had the kids sit in the wagon to see how much head room they needed.  In this model of wagon you can see the top beige piece is about 6 inches so make sure to include that space when you're measuring.  Use a hacksaw or a good kitchen knife to cut the hoola hoop, and then cut the other one the same length.

Drill two pilot holes on each end of the wagon.  Once you have the pilot holes, you can move to your biggest drill bit.  My biggest drill bit still wasn't big enough, so you may have to circle the drill to widen the holes.  Do this very slowly.  You want the holes to be a tight fit so that your frame doesn't move around a lot. (The blue dots are where you're going to drill your holes.)

Insert your hoola hoops and push them all the way down.  It should be a bit tough to get them in.

Tada! Now for the cover.  Starting at one end, pin your fabric around the hoola hoop leaving just a little space around the hoop. Leave about a foot from the wagon up each side of the hoola hoop. Repeat this on the other side.  You want the fabric to be tight, but not so tight that it pulls the two ends together.  Once both ends are pinned, cut off your excess.  Remove one end of each hoola hoop from the holes in the wagon and slide your canopy off.  Sew each end leaving the sleeve you created.  Slip the canopy back on the hoola hoops, and fit the ends back in the holes.

The next part is optional.  You can leave the canopy the way it is, it will work for shade.  Or you can go the extra step and make a support brace across the top to help push both ends apart.  To do this, push each end apart pulling the canopy taunt.  Measure and cut another piece of your left over hoola hoop to fit in the space.  You will have to bend it (use your hair dryer) so that it is as straight as you can get it.  Use some left over fabric pieces to create a pocket on each end to hold your support piece. Sew 3 sides.

There you have your wagon and canopy.  But remember I said I hate to carry bags... I know I could just put the bags in the wagon, but my girls are big and I would be worried about people taking them while we're on rides or not looking.  Ya ya, I'm paranoid.  On this model of wagon there is a small space between the beige piece and the wagon itself.  With a small knapsack, unthread the strap and push the end of the shoulder strap through the space from the inside of the wagon.  Rethread the other end of the strap and tighten as needed.

Now you have extra storage space for snacks or a change of clothes etc.  Plus free hands!!  And nobody is going to run off with your bag! Bonus bonus bonus!   You now have your pimped out wagon complete with canopy and extra storage!

Really me,
Frugal genius wagon canopy creator
Nik

A Long Time

It has been a long....long time.  The only reason I even thought about the blog was because I wanted to make the LaRocca Caramel Crunch cake, and when I googled for the recipe, I was actually shocked to find my blog on the first page of my google search.  Awesome!  Then I got to reading some of my old posts.  Some made me smile, some made me cringe, and some made me want to start writing again if for nothing else than to document our life.  To have something for the girls to read later in life. Or to laugh at as the case will likely be... and maybe to use as embarrassment when they become teens.  No, I would never do that *wink*.

To bring everything up to speed, the girls "Demi" and "Jordyn" are growing like weeds.

They are developing an attitude all their own.

They are little people now! How the heck did that happen?

As for me, I am still crafting, maybe not as much as before.  I am still ranting, maybe more than before.  I am still learning, and growing and trying to figure out a balance. There are challenges ever day.  Dealing with their different personalities. Starting with a very quiet Demi, to a very loud in your face Jordyn, it is like changing tactics at every turn. 

So once again for the.... well, at least a few times, I'm coming back to blogging!

Really,
Still me
Nik

Elusive Silence

Back in the day, when I was young, unsure of myself, and couldn't be alone with my own thoughts that would run rampant in my head if left unchecked, I couldn't be caught dead without background noise. The TV was a constant in my life. I turned it on as soon as I woke, and fell asleep to it set on the sleep timer.

Now, well now there are children. There are distractions galore! There is shrieking from two little girls.
There is dog barking.

Phone ringing.

Baby crying.

Little girl pleading.

Husband asking.

Dog licking. (disgusting!)

Boss calling.

Customer whining.

Little girl whining.

Temper tantrums.

Cell phone texting.

Cute baby babbling.

Cartoons, and cartoons and cartoons.

and so.many.more noises.

I cannot get a single uniform thought out. I've already been stopped twice while writing this one wee little post.

And then my husband decides to play this



Who can concentrate with that song going on!!

What I wouldn't give for some silence! A full thought to come to fruition!

Bliss!

Until then, I'll just dance. Fa Fa L'Americano da da da da da.

Really me,
thought challenged (see I couldn't even come up with a clever tag line!)
Nik

Look out Pickle Barrel Cajun Seafood Pasta to die for

I've been a little neglect this week with my meal plan. I can tell you that we did stick to our plan with a little shuffling. Unfortunately we had to put our beloved dog down this week so I can admit that I wasn't up to doing much of anything including eating or cooking.

Here's the meal plan for the past week.

Monday- Cajun Seafood Pasta
Tuesday- Sloppy Joe with coleslaw
Wednesday- Fantastic Chicken with rice and peas
Thursday- Chimichangas
Friday- Pulled pork

Monday we were invited to dinner at my dad's so we pulled the cajun seafood pasta. Wednesday was a bad day, I can't even remember what we had. Fantastic Chicken was pushed to Thursday.

I pushed myself to get back at it today after doing not much of anything, and figured the Cajun seafood pasta was as good a recipe as any... that and the whipping cream was going to go bad.

I read the recipe K found on all recipes and I was less than impressed. Even less impressed when I read the reviews. So I decided to go it alone.

2 cups of whipping cream
1/2 cup 2%
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning (again I used creole because I just like the taste better)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup of Kraft Parmesan cheese
1/4 lbs of shrimp peeled and deveined
1 can of crab meat
Spaghettini noodles

1. Place whipping cream in a medium pot on medium heat. Heat until just before boiling. Add salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, and garlic. Allow to simmer for 5 mins. stirring frequently.
2. Turn heat down to low. Add mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Stir frequently for 5 mins.
3. Cook noodles. Place raw shrimp in white sauce. Allow shrimp to cook through until no longer translucent.
4. Drain noodles, return them to their pot. Add crab meat to the sauce allow to heat through 1-2 mins. Pour 2/3 of sauce over noodles, make sure all noodles are evenly coated.
5. Plate noodles, top with the remaining sauce dividing it equally between plates.

With the addition of some julienned zucchini, and carrots, this would be a pretty close contender to Pickle Barrel's Jumbo Shrimp and Lobster Pasta. Of course you could add any seafood you like. Substitute crab for lobster, add some scallops.

We give this meal a 'solid 7.5' says K. It's a tasty dish, quick to make even after a day at work, it is a little pricey, so I would probably drop it to a 7. But overall a keeper!

Really me,
Executive Chef
Nik

Sunshine and lollipops

Perfection

Seems to be a running theme in my life right now. Maybe not even perfection, but reality. Am I being real? Am I giving an impression of my life... the life I wish I had? The life I think I *should* have?

The other day in my news feed I saw a comment from one mother to another. Mother 1 was thanking the Mother 2 for posting a status that showed her family had it's ups and downs like everybody else because Mother 1 was starting to think she was doing something wrong. I'm sure we all know somebody that we think has a perfect life... odds are, they don't.

I know as a mother I like to look like I have everything put together, I'm in control... my hair is done... I'm dressed... the kids are dressed, we make cookies, sing kumbaya around the campfire every night and my sh*t don't stink. But it does. Some days it reeks to high heaven!

I know plenty of women (including myself) who are terrified about living up to this perceived perfection and blissful existence that seems to be 'the way it should be when you're a mom'. This notion that as soon as the baby pops out you'll fall madly in love, house payments will magically be made without a thought, a healthy dinner will shoot out of the tips of your fingers while you blissfully hold a contented child in one hand and a beer for your loving husband in the other, all the while looking as put together as June Cleaver... and if you're doing it any other way, or without a smile on your face, well then, you're just a disgrace to women everywhere!

Let me tell you, it is not so! Right now I am standing at my kitchen counter with Demi's curls hanging annoyingly over my laptop as I try to type. The sloppy Joe mix that I made last night is probably burning on the stove for lack of stirring. Instead of doing the dishes in the sink, I quickly threw them in the dishwasher so that K wouldn't think I did nothing with my day. Jordyn is not so happily sitting (read shrieking) in her high chair because she is overly tired from my very selfish lunch out with the girls today. And this morning I spent the few quiet moments I had when the baby was sleeping to go over my back to work budget and figure out if/how we were going to afford anything else after paying the mortgage and child care.

It took long overdue lunch with a bunch of awesome ladies to get me grounded again. Sitting around laughing about all of our parenting faux pas. Children falling down the stairs/furniture, back talking, sleeping issues, money issues, work issues, intimacy issues etc. etc. etc. We are all the same. These moms I look up to. These moms I aspire to emulate. They're just like me. They have problems. They have good days. They have bad days, and they have all the days in between.

So don't worry about living up to some imaginary expectation of perfection because it doesn't exist. There is no such thing as 'the right' way to parent. The only thing you need to worry about is Love. If you're parenting with love, then you will always be doing the right thing for your family.

Really me,
Not so perfect, for reals
Nik

Fajitas and 'Fries Supreme'

Last week went really well as far as the meal plan was concerned. I ended up cooking on Friday after all because Demi's audition went kind of long, and Jordyn was frustrated and had had enough by the end of the drive home, I decided it was best to turn down my parent's dinner invitation and stay home so I could put her to bed.

Here's what you can throw together in 30 mins.































Mmmm 'Fries Supreme'

All it takes is cheddar cheese soup with a splash of hot sauce, some sour cream, and some browned ground beef with some taco seasoning. K added some salsa on top. Delicious.

This is not a particularly healthy meal, but in comparison to eating out, this might save you some calories. We give this meal 6.5 stars. Low marks for lack of nutrition, but it was tasty, fairly quick to make and it hits the spot when you're looking for take out.

Really me,
Taco Bellist
Nik

These are a few of my favorite things...

This is the entertainment unit we had growing up. Now it's the one my kids will have as they grow up.




















And this is the wardrobe I used to have in my room, tuned basement storage unit, turned pantry. Painted and personalized to fit into our coffee inspired kitchen.
































One of two couches and a massive TV the for the girls from my aunt and uncle S & R







































This is my garage sale re purposed computer desk turned bar. It houses all of our wine glasses, alcohol, shot glasses and extra vases and tablecloths.






















A mirror from K's mom. It used to hang in their bathroom. Repainted and hung in our hallway accented by the pussy willows from Nanna.

















One of two storage shelves from aunt J and uncle J. The second one will go in Jordyn's room when the crib comes out. This one fits perfectly in the basement to hide K's wires from his studio and house the kids' toys.

And these are just a few of my favorite things.

So instead of cursing as I clean and dust, I'm thankful for these saved things. These pieces that will get a new life in our home. These things with scars, these old things turned new. Just like all of us these things deserve a second chance.

Even though I'm sure I've said it before. Thank you to everybody who has ever shared with us. We truly appreciate it.

Really me,
Repurposer.
Nik

Curry Chicken Chicken

I'll just say it, I was chicken to make curry chicken. I'm also chicken to make ox tail. Why? Because those are two of K's favorite meals. Any time we're out with an excuse to get food he will aim for the curry... or a roti. Last night I went for it, with the help of several friends, I felt like I could do it.

Here is the Ultimate Curry Chicken

You’ll Need…

3 Lbs Dark Chicken on the bone
3/4 tablespoon salt
dash black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (scotch bonnet, habanero or any hot pepper you like) *Optional.
heaping tablespoon curry powder (madras) I used the regular old yellow curry powder from Basics and added about 1/2tsp of Garam Masala (you can get that at Bulk Barn)
1/4 teaspoon roasted Geera (powder) aka Cumin powder
1 medium tomato diced (I used canned)
1 medium onion sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 teaspoon green seasoning mix (This is what you do with the leftover cilantro from the fish tacos)
2 + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 1/2 cups water
6 tablespoons water (to cook curry)
1 scallion
Shado beni (see note below) substitute cilantro or culantro

My house smelled really good last night, the curry chicken, and then my sister made some red velvet cupcakes. It's a wonder I didn't ruin dinner 'sampling' everything.

I served it with rice and peas (peas and rice for you JR), and a bottle of hot sauce on the side for K.

We all ate it up, even Demi, who, upon looking at it proclaimed "I don't like that".

K said it could have used some more salt, seeing as how I forgot to put the salt in in the first place, that makes sense. lol We give this recipe 8 stars!

Tonight we were supposed to have fajitas and 'fries supreme' but a last minute audition call for Demi will mean take out tonight. Sometimes plans change, and that's fine. We'll push it back to Saturday.

Really me,
Not so chicken
Nik

Quick Fry Steak and Fish Tacos

There wasn't much to report on Tuesday. Quick fry steak is kind of a family thing. My grandmother used to make it every Monday. Unlike me, she likes the same thing every week. Week after week.

The premise is simple. First you need a think steak... pound it out some more. Heat a frying pan, toss in a bunch of butter to brown. When the butter is on the verge of burning, throw in the steaks and cook for a few minutes on each side. Serve with mashed potatoes and corn (or veggie of choice) and pour the brown butter over the potatoes. Really not the healthiest meal out there. lol

We give it a 5. It's quick, easy, you got your protein, stahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrch and veg (or starch again. lol) And it's tasty.


Fish Tacos with Mango Corn salsa.

Now here's a dish that you can feel good serving to your family. The recipe is based on the two recipes above. I have edited them to our taste.

For one, I cut my basa into strips, dipped in milk and dredged in bread crumbs, then cook them in a pan with a bit of butter. I felt it was a bit healthier of a choice. Because we have two little ones, I omitted the jalapeno peppers in the white sauce. I used 1 part mayo, 1 part greek yogurt (yum!) lime juice, cumin and oregano. Let it mingle for at least an hour, overnight if you can.

As for the salsa... we live in Canada, there is no fresh corn. I used 1/2 can of corn, 1 mango, a hand full of cilantro, squeeze of lime and lemon, and canned diced tomatoes (again because we live in Canada, and I refuse to buy 'fresh' tomatoes from Mexico.), salt and pepper.

The recipe calls for corn tortillas. I tried to use the corn, I really tried to like the corn. I even tried extra hard to like it because it has half the calories as the regular tortillas, so I could have twice as many! But I just do not like corn tortillas. Maybe the ones I bought were old and stale? Or maybe corn tortillas just normally taste old and stale? Whatever the case, I will forever more serve them on flour tortillas. Oh, and K says it's even better with some hot sauce added.

This dish gets a 9 star. It really is a fantastic dinner, and it's kid and baby approved in my house. I barely heard Demi utter a peep, which is rare. She just munched down her little taco.
















Enjoy!

Really me,
rate my dish
Nik

The winnner

I got caught up in Alcatraz. I'm not sure I understand what is going on, but I'll give it a chance.

More to the point....

The total spent on all of that food was $106.27. If my math is right (please somebody double check!), that makes Ashley the winner!

All of the meat aside from the ground beef was 30% off. The total savings on my bill was just about $30. The cheese and orange juice was purchased at Walmart. $4.44 for the cheese, and $7.49 for the juice.

Thanks to everybody for participating!

Jammin' Jambalaya!!

My mouth was watering hours before dinner since I decided to get started on my Jambalaya around noon. The recipe is super simple. You could easily use leftovers cooked earlier in the week and make this a simple 20 min meal. Or an easy slow cooker meal.

Here's what you need.

6 slices of bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
1 celery stock chopped
1/2 green/bell pepper chopped
1/2 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 chicken breast cooked and cubed
2 sausages cooked and cubed (andouille which I couldn't find here, but hot italian would be awesome, or mild italian for a kid friendly version, kielbasa is also a great alternative I came across)
1/2 pound fresh or frozen shrimp
1 can crushed tomatoes (I used whole tomatoes and an immersion blender)
2 cups beef broth
2 tsp cajun seasoning (I used creole seasoning, but they are very similar)
1c Instant Rice
Franks Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Since the chicken and sausage need to be cooked, you can do this the night before, or earlier in the week.

1. In a frying pan, crisp the bacon. Remove it with a slotted spoon. Add celery, pepper and onion. Cook until tender, add garlic.

2. Add chicken, sausage, tomatoes, beef broth, hot sauce, corn and cajun seasoning. (If you are using frozen shrimp add them now). Bring to a boil.

3. Turn heat down to a simmer, add rice and fresh shrimp. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the rice is tender.

4. Add bacon just before serving. Enjoy!

K didn't even notice that I had done my hair when he got home. The waft of jambalaya was so strong in the air that he was pulled out of his boot and into the kitchen to look in the pot on the stove. Never mind that I had newly dyed my hair, he wanted to know what bowls to use. He wasn't disappointed.



We give this meal an 8.5 out of 10. It's easy, quick and tasty. It could have used a bit more heat, in K's opinion. This will be a keeper for sure!

Really me,
The Chef
Nik

How do you do that?

That's something I hear fairly often when I talk about my shopping budget. I usually spend about $80-100 every two weeks on a big shop. Then we will likely spend another $20 on extras during the two weeks for things like milk, or buns or a forgotten item for dinner. Lately we've been in a little rut. Working a few hours every week, two kids at home, pre-school, crawling, ballet and all the other things we do during the week make for a tight schedule.

Food and money and taste and time are all things that drive me crazy on a daily basis. Making healthy meals that don't take forever, taste good, and not break the bank. So when a dear friend said that she was going to try to have a different meal every day for a month. That sounded like an awesome challenge!

I'd love you give you the opportunity to follow along. I'll post recipes, and shopping tips.

We have our meal plan set for the next two weeks, I'll post the recipes with a rating as we go.

Today: Traditional rump roast ($8.59) Scalloped potatoes ($1.49) and Broccoli ($1.50)


Monday: Jambalaya
Tuesday: Quick Fry steak with mashed potatoes and corn
Wednesday: Fish Tacos with mango corn salsa
Thursday: Curry chicken with rice and peas
Friday: Chicken Fajitas with Fries Supreme

Since this is my first blog in a while, I feel like starting it off with a little fun.

Here's a picture of my Sunday shop for 2 weeks.
The person who comes the closest to the price I paid for all the items will win a little something.
Here's a little tip: I spent more on this shop than I usually do.















Eggs (18)
Quick Fry steak (2)
Medium Ground Beef (2)
Bon in skin on Chicken breast (pack of 5)
Chicken thighs (pack of 11)
Pork Shoulder
Bananas (4)
Oranges (4)
Green Pepper
Broccoli
Yogurt Tubes
Alphabits Cereal
Pasta Sauce (4)
Margarine
Butter
Diced Tomatoes (2)
Large Fajitas
Small Fajitas
French Fries
Coleslaw mix
Sour Cream
Whipped topping
Mac & Cheese (2)
Cheesestrings (pack of 16)
Whipping cream
Canned corn (2)
Tropicana Juice (1.63)
1% milk
Old cheddar Cheese (500g)
Mozzarella Cheese (500g)
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
Nibs (2)

ETA: I shop at Food Basics.


Really me,
Glad to be back
Nik

New Favorite Sweet Treat

I went over to Nanna's this week. She presented me with a plate of... well, they were brown, and shiny, and odd looking kind of bars. They really leave something to be desired in the looks department.

I judged this book by it's cover and proclaimed "Eww those look nasty!"

Then I put one in my mouth.

Oh

My

God!

They were sweet, but not too sweet, chocolaty, crunchy, creamy, mouth full of goodness.

I'll admit, these probably aren't for everybody, but they're my new favorite leave them on the counter, they'll be gone by the end of day, snack as you walk by kind of treat. And with the Christmas season soon approaching, I will be adding these ugly little treats to my repertoire.

These things are so ugly, I'm not going to post a picture. You'll know they turned out right when you look at them and go Ewww. But I encourage you to close your eyes and open wide!!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Mallow Bars

1 1/2c rolled oats
1c bran flakes (or special K, or Rice Crispies, or Corn Flakes, whatever you have will likely do)
1c peanuts
1c raisins (I only used a handful cause I'm not a fan of raisins.)
1c small marshmallows (no, the big ones will not work)
1/2c honey
1/2c brown sugar
1/4c butter
1/2c cocoa powder
1c peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl combine oats, cereal, raisins and marshmallows. In a pot combine honey and sugar, cook over medium high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Add peanuts, butter and peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat, add cocoa powder and vanilla. Mix well. Pour mixture over cereal and oats. Mix thoroughly until marshmallows are melted and everything is covered. Press into a 9" pan. Cool for an hour. Cut into squares.

Really me,
Yes, I eat ugly things (no jokes please!)
Nik

Comfort food

Since the weather has already been getting many of us down, myself included. I thought it would be nice to have one of those meals that makes your stomach feel happy. For me that's something creamy, and savory, a little heavy, and rich, with a little bit of a crunch.

I thought the perfect thing would be chicken pot pie. One problem. I suck at making pie dough. Any time that I have ever needed pie dough, I've had to ask one of my grandmothers to make me a batch. Pathetic, I know.

I decided to try the pie dough anyways. Got some tips from my aunt J. Kept everything cold, and chilled it for 4 hours (while I went to lunch at my aunts.) Came home rolled it out for a little cherry pie for K. It seemed to be ok. But with the way the week has been going so far, ok probably would end up sucking. So I started thinking what else I could do.

Stove Top to the rescue yet again! I made up a batch of my chicken pot pie filling, and a batch of Stove Top. Placed the mix into ramekins and topped with the stuffing. Haven't had it yet, but I know it will be good!

Chicken Pot & Stuffin
1 chicken breast (large)
2 c water
1 cube of chicken stock
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 c milk
cornstarch (as needed)
Veggies of choice
Box of Stove Top

Boil chicken in 2 cups of water in a medium size pot until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and flake using 2 forks pulling in opposite directions. Add chicken stock cube or powder to the boiling water. When stock is dissolved place chicken and veggies into the stock. In another small pot melt butter add flour and cook for 45 seconds. While stirring constantly add milk slowly. Add milk and flour mixture to stock and bring to a boil. Add salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme to taste. If the sauce is not thick enough, mix a Tbsp of cornstarch with some water and add to mixture until desired thickness. Spray ramekins with cooking spray. Make Stove Top as per box directions. Place stuffing on top of chicken. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 mins before serving.

Enjoy!
















Really me,
Chef extraordinaire
Nik,

Walking Mustache

I made meatballs today. I reminded me that I wanted to tell you about the greatness of Stove Top.You want to know what the best thing since slice bread is? It's Stove Top.

I don't like eating anything that is cooked up a turkey's butt. So Stove Top it is! I never used to like stuffing... now I do!

Not only is it good as stuffing... it has many other uses.

Meatballs for example. You can use Stove Top instead of bread crumbs in meatballs... or burgers... or anything else you usually put bread crumbs in.

Topping. Yup it works great for topping on home made mac & cheese or tuna casserole.

Finally, cesar salad. Yup, I ran out of croutons the other day and used Stove Top.

Anyways, back to meatballs. I'm making meatballs, rolling them and putting the on the cookie sheet with Demi helping me. When a mustache comes out of the vent.

I watched it. My hands were all ground beef, pork, stove top goodness. I couldn't do anything. It found a hole and hid.

I watched the hole.

I told Demi to watch the hole.

Then it came out of the hole and headed for one of Jordyn's toys on the floor. I made a dash and kicked the toy out of the way. The mustache started high tailing it back to the hole.

I ran and put on some shoes so I could step on it. I missed it by thismuch.

As far as I know it's still in the hole in the quarter round. Who knows what kind of network of bugs is in there... it could be a virtual bug highway!

Now I'm all like this





Only replace spider with mustache bug.

Really me,
Mustache Hater
Nik

EI and Maternity Leave Calculator

I created this calculator years ago when I was pregnant with Demi. I posted it to a forum , it was well received, and I don't believe there is another calculator out there. So why not publish my own work!

Please keep in mind that there are many variables that go into the calculation, which means the calculator might not be exact. My calculations this time around were $40 off.

Enjoy.

>DOWNLOAD SPREADSHEET


Really me,
The excelaholic
Nik

Confessions

Here are my confessions.

I am not a perfect mom. I am FAR from it.

Sometimes I freak out.

Sometimes I raise my voice.

Sometimes I sound like *gasp* my father!

Sometimes I use the television as a babysitter so I can use the bathroom or grab something to eat.

Sometimes I have to leave the baby in her crib while she's crying so I can throw on a clean pair of pants and a dry shirt.

Sometimes I use bad words within ear shot of the kids.

Sometimes I get mad and yell at Demi

Sometimes I feed us 'crap' like kraft dinner or McDonalds.

Sometimes I find myself judging other mothers for their parenting choices.

Sometimes I don't make time to play.

Sometimes I think I'll really mess the kids up beyond fixing.

Sometimes I think I'm bi-polar due to the crazy mood swings that happen due to stress, breast feeding, lack of sleep, lack of food etc.

Sometimes I think that my kids will hate me when they get older.

Sometimes I tune out when Demi is screaming... I mean singing one of her songs.

Sometimes I'm not the best mother.

I hope that most of the time will make up for some of the time and my faults will be forgiven.

Really me,
Sometimes
Nik

FML... Really?

I think this is going to be a pet peeve week for me.

I scroll through my facebook statuses. The usual proud moms bragging about their kids, social commentaries from others, zen moments from some... and then I see FML. Oh how I hate you FML. For those of you who do not know what FML stands for... don't laugh, I had to ask! It's an acronym for F*ck My Life. As Daniel Powter would say, 'You had a bad day'.

I can't even think of a situation where FML is appropriate. Maybe...

My identity was stolen and the person racked up millions in debt in my name...FML

I was wrongly convicted and I'm in jail for life... FML

Cause you know, those situations really suck. But that's not what I see. I see...

Got a paper cut on my finger and I have to type an essay. FML

Broke my cell phone. FML

Dog peed on the floor. FML

Ummm really? You had to clean up some pee, so your whole life is ruined? Sure the phrase may have been genius at one point, but the novelty has worn off, and clearly so has the meaning.

I don't want to get in to the whole "life is a gift" shpeal but it is, and for one little disappointment, or inconvenience to have somebody saying f*ck my life! is ridiculous! Forget about the fact that you're fortunate enough to even own a computer, and in some cases a fancy phone. I'm sure there are a lot worse things that could happen.

Think about it next time you're about to type FML. Is it really THAT bad?

Really me,
Loving Life
Nik

"Camping"

Last weekend we did the closest thing we will ever come to camping. K won't stay anywhere where there isn't running water... so that makes real camping difficult. Our version of camping is setting up a tent in the backyard. And let me say we got an awesome deal on our tent!

We bought the Broadstone Makobe Lighted 6 person tent from Canadian Tire. Regular price $129.99 on sale 45% off $69.99. We also bought 2 air mattresses 1 queen and one twin.



I'm lucky to have an aunt who's inlaws have a cottage... actually I'm lucky said aunt likes me. lol So off we went to Round lake to set up our tent in the backyard of the cottage property.

The tent went up really easily even for novices. It only took us about 15 minutes, which isn't too bad for the first time. I'm sure next time it will take 5 mins. After we got everything set up and we lied back on the air mattress K exclaimed "This is roughing it" ha ha, he's funny.

The weekend was fantastic, as always we were fed well by my aunt and uncle, the water was beautiful, my cousins were great with Demi. And now K can say that he went camping like every man should. Now if only we could get rid of all the bugs, I would be a happy camper!



Really me,
the camper
Nik