Potty Training......

For the past little while I have felt like a YO-YO...physically, emotionally and with just the usual routine of life. Life is never easy! Is it ever easy?? Or is it always meant to be difficult....like a rolling hillside...life has ups and downs!! Who knows where I am right now on this country hillside......perhaps right now I am rolling along some flat ground! But during this roller coaster of life(nice images...huh??) we decided to start POTTY TRAINING! Our youngest, Alex, just turned three on Remembrance Day and the following day I decided to throw him into training pants!! Now the funny thing, I bought him pull ups, Cars Underwear and Training Pants(the quilted kind)....now they are for BOYS and on the package it says, "Training Panties". I thought about this...it made me laugh...I can understand if the "panties" were for GIRLS...but these are for BOYS...they are BLUE and have DOGS ......shouldn't it read "Training Pants".....make it sound MASCULINE!? None the less.....I bought all these and gave them to Alex for his Birthday!! I bet he was EXCITED!! LOL!

So the next day I put a pair of the "training panties" on him. We chatted(one sided mind you) about go pottying and what would happen if we didn't make it!! The whole morning I kept asking "do you have to go potty?" and the answer would be, "NO!" This went on for the WHOLE day!! Even my Daughter was asking him....I bet he was annoyed! But....later in the afternoon...he had that look...that look like he was about to go but didn't want to tell me....it was like he wanted to see if the "panties" would hold it!! It didn't!!!! But that was the ONLY time he had an accident.....and its been a week now!!! And BONUS...he wakes up DRY!!

I feel BLESSED.....that he is making an easy transition!! I have three kids.....and I know each kid is different! But with potty training, each child has been the same! EASY!! I wonder if its because I am FORTUNATE enough to be able to stay at home with them!? Now don't get me wrong, life would be easier, financially, if I worked .....but with daycare expenses and MORE juggling of routines, we might not be that much further ahead....LIFE is HARD trying to find that BALANCE....what works for you!? Maybe by being at home with them, having the same routine, being able to spend that time(one on one) to ensure a SMOOTH transition to the potty is the way to go? Perhaps too its because we didn't RUSH him, he was ready for it, at that prefect age....and who knows what that perfect age is! A child is ready when they are ready! Right!? Its hard being a parent...you never really know what is right or wrong....you just have to follow your gut and do what's right for you and your kids. I have heard some horror stories about potty training from my friends. So if my friends are about to ask, "how did you do it?"........I don't know!! But we don't need diapers(Hubby and I calculated that in 7 1/2yrs of diapering three kids, sometimes 2 at a time, we probably spent close to $7K...on DIAPERS ALONE!!) and we don't need the pull-ups I just bought...I only used TWO!!

The only issue now is trying to convince Alex that he doesn't need to POO every time he PEES!! He will sit there, for awhile, trying to POOP........

LAST photo of Alex in a diaper! It was taken this past Summer when Katie attempted to help me and change him herself!

Deaths......

Lately I just haven't been the normal, happy, go lucky person that I "mostly" am. There are various reasons why, and some I wont bother you with the details....it could have your head shaking and asking "why"! Other reasons...which I have been pondering about (in a Professor like way)  and have come to accept the answer.....DEATH comes in all forms.

First off, Summer has ended....and Nature is preparing for Winter.  Cold, dreary months lay ahead(now don't get me wrong, I like SNOW till Christmas...after the HOLIDAYS are wrapped up, I want WINTER gone........but it never happens that way).  NOW I must clean out the Gardens, pull up DEAD Flowers and vegetables...and it just makes me sad. I know Fall offers an abundance of colour, but to me its just not the same as Spring and Summer. Colder weather and lately RAIN.....too much RAIN...has fallen to the point where I cant get outdoors and do my routine...my REFURBISHING....my other LOVE! It makes me sad(and NO, we don't have a garage or a properly vented basement), I am loosing my OUTDOOR ROOM, my back deck. There in the early weekend mornings, Hubby and I would sit with our coffee and chat...and hide away from the three kids. It was peaceful.....and now we have had to pack things up. It sits empty!

Secondly...people have been dying....some have struggled to hang onto life, others have died too quickly, with no warning...which makes me wonder about my own mortality and those that are the closest to me. Perhaps too...its a sign that we are all getting older...its inevitable. With three children...I started to wonder what would I do, if my Husband died? What would they do, if I died? What kind of funeral would I want? What would he want? It gives communication a whole new level...not just the normal "what to do for dinner tonight?" I know the basics of what Hubby wants....and its all fine and dandy....but then I started think about my Funeral.....what do I want! It came to me last night....I was awake and couldn't sleep at 1:30 AM....a close friend of the Family died on Wednesday....he was like a Brother to my Father.....I had known him all my life.   Lying there awake in bed....starring at the popcorn ceiling...I started to think about him and his Funeral.....which took my back to my Grandparents Funeral(not together...THANKFULLY....two years apart) and everything that I did to get things started and seeing them buried. Then I thought about mine!

I have decided to be cremated......and I want to be sprinkled in various locations...crazy HUH!? (But think of the savings of not having a tombstone/plot).  I don't want a visitation(been through enough...and for Families after a while it can get tiring...smiling, shaking hands with people you don't even know) I would rather have a small gathering....a lunch at a favourite restaurant...hopefully Milestones is still in business when I go...in 60 years...fingers crossed) and just have a good time remembering this and that. As for flowers at my gathering...I want a couple of vases of Hydrangeas, two toned coloured roses(preferably pink) and sweet peas....no CARNATIONS please! Then plan a trip(YES, to PEI)...and sprinkle me here and there! Did you get that FAMILY...that's what I want! Simple!

So... I guess with the Seasons changing, not being able to do what I LOVE and having DEATH surround me in various ways....I just have not been my normal self! I apologize to my near and Dear.....I'll try to snap out of it! I'm trying to plan various things to fill the gap....but some things take time. But I am THANKFUL that I have a LOVING Husband, THREE Dear Brats and some GREAT FRIENDS!!

Second Hand Stores......

I am finding that Second Hand Stores are the COOL places to be!! Maybe they already were, it was just hush hush...no one admitted going to the Salvation Army or the Good Will. But things have changed...we now have shows based around furnishing your home or updating your wardrobe through these stores. I don't know why, but I didn't want to be seen entering or leaving these stores! Then again, it could be MY OWN ISSUES with SHOPPING there. In my MIND I see strangers thinking "oh poor thing, she is poor and has to shop there! Tsk tsk.." Then I have the thought that I shouldn't be shopping there, we are not POOR...we are middle class, if we want something we have to save, but overall we are quite content. I don't want to take away from someone who ACTUALLY needs it. I did realize that while browsing through all the stores most of the customers were elders of a certain class, which kinda worried me about our future! Then there were young families, mostly Mothers(and three children to each Mother) shopping for kids' clothes while their kids played with aged toys....that too got me thinking, is our Government doing enough to help EVERYONE!?

BUT, I got over my own issues.....and I did all the shops in one day!! I went (alone...phew) with high expectations that I would find some great pieces that need refurnishing and then they would shine with their brilliance in my home.....I had that Nate Berkus ideal in my head....find those hidden gems!!! But after that Saturday...I was let down....there were no real gems...just ordinary stuff!! How sad!! Or at least I thought!

I did find many BOOKS in the Good Will Store!! This was my first stop.....as soon as I walked in, there was a ROW of BOOKS...broken down into categories....and then hardcover from paperback.....I was in awe!!! I browsed carefully...if anyone knows me...you know that I love BOOKS!! I bought in total 6.....all hardcover and was QUITE HAPPY with my FINDS!! Some were even ones that I couldn't find any more...out of print...and here they were, in hardcover....it was like the heavens shining down on them!!! I quickly grabbed them...looking around...I was ecstatic!! With MY books clenched to my chest I meandered through the rest of the store.....there were some cool "silver" pieces...and they glittered....I bought a silver dish...I know its not REAL silver...but I loved the detail!

My next stop was the Salvation Army.......as soon as I walked in the cashier was barking at kids running about, touching this and that.....she was small, a smoker and LOUD!!! She looked like she was in her late 70's...and she had so much spunk!! While walking around, I saw a BOOK section...but it was nothing compared to the other store...but they did have MORE FURNITURE!!! Some pieces...I stood there, glancing at them...wondering where I could use them in my ever growing small home....but in the end...I decided not to get them. I did find an old apron, likely from the 70's...mint green with frills and lace on the edges and the pocket had a rose stitched on it....I had to have it...it reminded me of my late Grandmother....she always wore aprons and had them hanging between the fridge and stove....its now in my kitchen!!!

The last stop was a second hand store.....the owner buys mostly anything you want to sell to him, plus he buys from estates sales. It was small and off the main road...at first I was slightly worried...would I ever be seen again...I don't have a cell phone....there are some cars parked outside....so there must be customers...SO I WENT IN!! I was surprised...it was fully stocked with this and that....and it was FUN to go through everything!! I saw a few pieces that I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE...but decided not to get them....however I did see a serving bowl and had to get it...again it reminded me of my Grandmother and her bowls! My Father was too hasty during their estate sale....and packed mostly the whole kitchen up and sold the contents...but this bowl reminded me of many dinners in their home!! It came home with me!! The owner's Mother was the cashier...in her late 70's(again...), wearing those quilted jackets that all Grandma's wear...and she was quite pleasant and very talkative...we chatted for a bit....and I know that I will be returning!!

During the drive home I felt very happy, I conquered my FEARS of Second Hand Stores....and I do believe that I will visit them once a month....to see if I can find any gems that are SPECIAL to me! BUT it also got me thinking about our SOCIETY and our GOVERNMENT.....and where things are lacking.

Eating Healthy Causes PAIN......in various ORFUSES!

Don't get me wrong....I know there are many benefits to eating healthy and exercising...for ONE, YOU WILL LIVE LONGER!! But this morning, as I was munching, kinda like a cow grazing on grass....my jaw started to hurt....this healthy cereal was causing me pain. Too many bits of seeds/clusters of oats and thick hearty flakes(which reminds me, must buy more toilet paper....going healthy has its ups and downs). But I felt healthy...munching away! It then got me thinking....I only bought this cereal cause it was on SALE...normally I don't buy it....I stroll past the HEALTHY cereals and wait for another week, wondering if it will be on SALE. This then made me ponder on other areas...like a banana, peeling back the layers of HEALTHINESS! If I did everything that the media/professionals told me.....I would need to be a MILLIONAIRE! There is no way, a family of five, on one income can afford to be TOTALLY HEALTHY! If you can, let me know....please!!

Every Friday I do our weekly shopping, having browsed through flyers before hand, I know where to go and I usually stick to that ONE store!! I try to keep within a BUDGET...now our budget is $200! That might seem like a lot...but after you have everything in your cart and a few treats(cause its the weekend and you have three kids, OK four, if one counts their Hubby) there goes the BUDGET! (Most of the times...) Four bags of MILK alone is $18......then there is Bread, a STAPLE.....but what KIND do YOU BUY!? You can go CHEAP(No Name) for 2.99, slightly more for 3.49(slightly healthier) or 4.99 for a REAL HEALTHY LOAF OF BREAD...full of grains, and seeds/nuts(but then with this, you cant make school lunches). I understand eating the HEALTHIER OPTION makes you FULLER, and so it should...it takes you about twenty minutes longer with all those grains/seeds.....but with OUR family, a LOAF CAN (sometimes) LAST JUST A DAY! Hubby has two sandwiches to last him his shift at work, then there are sandwiches for all three kids, and even at times they want toast and peanut butter for Breakfast!! So...you get idea! HEALTHY FOOD IS EXPENSIVE!

But we try our best, thankfully I shop in order of the store....I start off at Fruit and Veg(and shake my head at the prices), move onto Bread, Meat(not the processed stuff), move down towards Dairy and then I start the aisles...the aisles of temptation!! What I found, in all my years of shopping(lol) is that they(being the government/media/health professionals) want YOU to be HEALTHY and LEAD A HEALTHY LIFE(which I have nothing against) and they should REALLY drop the PRICES of the HEALTHY FOOD, giving the AVERAGE JOE a choice in being HEALTHY! Why are chips, cheesies, cookies and various snacks foods and processed foods and ice cream and pop ALWAYS on SALE!! They are cheaper than the healthy food. If more health options were available to the average joe....things might change. To be healthy is expensive...and with society and the world as it is as a whole, its hard to afford the multi-grain jaw breaking cereal.....

For us though, its all about give and  take...I try to opt for healthy breads, but I will buy the WHITE PASTA(ohh I can hear my Mom shutter at this..) and it will last longer than the smaller, higher priced whole wheat pasta.....and lets be honest, I tried it once....I hate tasting whole wheat goodness in my pasta! Just doesn't fit! Its like biting into a chocolate chip cookie...all ooey and gooey and buttery, you don't want to bite into it and taste wheat germ and flak seeds.....do YOU!? Well.....I don't! So its a BALANCING act.....but those scales could be tipped more into the HEALTHY category, if PRICES were LOWER!! Just saying.....YOU want US to be HEALTHY....then LOWER PRICES!!

So...that is my RANT for the DAY! I want to be healthy and try to buy healthy...but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. I avoid MOST COOKIES/MUFFINS and make my own...at least that way I know what goes onto them and an added benefit is that my KIDS get to help in the process!  I am broadening their horizons......educating them that making treats is better than buying ready made ones. YES I know, not all can bake or let alone have the time to bake, but if you can...do it!! I also make my CLAN aware of bad choices, good choices and that sometimes it is OK to have that BURGER and FRIES!! It's all about BALANCE!!! But also....if we want a HEALTHIER SOCIETY, things need to change!

To Biscuit or Muffin? Banana Chocolate Chip Mufcuit!

I LOVE biscuits.....I can usually whip them up fast to accompany a meal that I feel needs a biscuit. I vary it with herbs and cheeses and some flavour boosters(like garlic). I LOVE muffins too....but find it temperamental at times...slowly mix, with a fork, don't over mix... etc etc etc! Then one day...I thought why not take my usual biscuit recipe and tweak it a little...for muffins! And it worked! BUT...what do I call them?? That's when I came up with Mufcuits....its in a shape of a MUFFIN but the main recipe is BISCUIT.

The KIDS love them....and they are GREAT for SCHOOL!!

Here you go!! What do YOU think?!

Banana Chocolate Chip Mufcuits @Sherry Watton

Preheat Oven to 350

½ cup Butter(softened)

½ cup Brown Sugar and ½ cup White Sugar

2 eggs

2 Ripe Bananas

½ tsp of Vanilla(I like PURE)

2 ½ cups of flour(just the regular All-Purpose Flour)

2tsp Baking Powder

1 cup Chocolate Chips

Cream the Butter and the Sugars, once well blended, add the mashed bananas and blend again, then add the eggs and vanilla, blend again…..till one big cream mess!

In another bowl have the flour and the B. Powder, mix together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. When it’s almost thoroughly mixed, I add the Chocolate Chips. Mix WELL!!

Take your greased muffin pan….normally I use a little Pam….even with my NON STICK PAN…better to be safe than sorry!!! Fill the cups…makes 12 Mufcuits!! I usually leave them in the OVEN for about 18 minutes...remember OVENS vary, so I start checking at the 16 minute mark....just in case!

NOW as a SIDENOTE…..this morning I made them again, but only had ONE BANANA…and NO VANILLA!!  Obliviously I left the VANILLA OUT and the SUBSTITUTE for the lacking BANANA, I added ½ cup of MILK….and it worked out fine!! So….when in doubt, lead the way with your INSTINCTS! 

GARBAGE is NEW AGAIN!!

Awhile back I took GARBAGE and made it into something COOL! It was bothering me, seeing it sit beside the fence...the fence where various broken things sat, before being tossed on garbage Day. I actually ignored it every garbage day...I just kept thinking that something can be made from this! But what? I could see it every day out the kitchen window... just sitting there while I washed the dishes......then it came to me!!

I took it and carefully sanded it, and borrowed my Hubby's saw and trimmed off the ends....WOWZERS...such power!!! I had never used one before, I was scared that I might lose a limb or eye! After it was trimmed and sanded, I added wooden clothes pegs, stained it in Walnut and then rubbed some coloured paint on it.....to match my Daughter's room. I LOVE IT!!! It was just garbage......it was broken and had no use any more...and I turned it into something NEW!! Since doing this, I have had some interest in making more for others.....also I can custom the colour...for your kids room, kitchen, hall entry....or wherever you want to put it! Katie now clips photos, invites and jewellery. I am even going to make one for our kitchen, in pale yellow, to clip recipes, school info, lists and so much more!!

Its NEAT!! It use to be a little, garden picket fence...but with three active kids in the backyard...they broke it when the BALL went too FAST!! I knew it could be used again....I just didn't know how! Now I do!!! What's funny...maybe not for my Hubby, is that when we are driving about and I see something at the curbside.....I stop and look and think!! ONE (WO)MANS TRASH IS ANOTHERS TREASURE!!!

Just when things were going along so well.....

This is the last weekend of Summer....it was quite cool and rainy on Saturday, today though its SUNNY and BLUE skies.... but I don't feel the cheeriness of it!! Yesterday Hubby and two of the three kids went to the cottage(its not our cottage...but its like our cottage...we are free to go when we want...all the fun and none of the hassle of owning a cottage...the best kind). So after they headed off....it was Alex and I at home. My allergies have been terrible lately and with the cooler weather, I opted to stay home where I could shut out the world of allergens! Saturday was great.....it was the day that I went through the whole house.....tidied this and that, threw out broken toys, sorted Summer clothes to be packed or clothes to be donated...I FEEL UTTERLY HAPPY WHEN I CAN SORT IN PEACE AND KNOW MY HOME IS CLEAN!! Alex was no real trouble....as long as you put on Treehouse!! I did notice that throughout the day Alex was getting a runny nose.....I knew what was coming!! It was his turn...Josh just had a mini cold, Katie didn't have it yet...but it was Alex's turn!!

The whole DAY was perfect, besides the runny nose.....then it was night time.....I had plans to unwind, have a glass of wine and watch what I wanted on the TV..perhaps turn in early and read!!! It was to be a perfect night....a night one rarely gets....a night I should have taken full advantage of, being alone......but it all went down hill about an hour after Alex went to bed.....

I ended up going to bed early so Alex could sleep with me...HA...SLEEP....we were up throughout the night!! The only HOURS I didn't see was 2AM and 4AM!! He wouldn't take medicine!! I couldn't get it in him!! I was fighting an never ending battle!! NOW don't get me wrong...I LOVE my CHILD..but I don't want to get sick...if I get sick the whole ship is going down!! With Hubby's hours....we cant afford to get sick, there is no back up plan or person!! But by 5AM, I gave in and turned and faced Alex, snot and all...and he cuddled within my neck and sneezed!!! I do believe its all over now.....I'm just waiting for my time! When he sneezed I pictured his germs floating all around me.  It was like that movie with Dustin Hoffman....the monkey with the virus.  There is a scene where they are all sitting in the movie theatre...and someone with the virus sneezes....you see all the germy particles floating, people were breathing it in....eeek...that's what I was thinking at 5AM.....my son had infected ME!!

So that has been my weekend....ONE GREAT DAY of CLEANING and SORTING, a NIGHT FULL OF GERMS and NO SLEEP and TODAY I am LAUNDERING EVERYTHING and MAKING EXTRA STRONG COFFEE!!  Hopefully by cleaning, taking extra vitamins and washing my hands...all the way up to my elbows....I can avoid this COLD...the first COLD of the SEASON! Hubby and I were right...we placed bets when the first cold would come home from school........two weeks!! BUT when its all said and done.....if someone has to get a COLD, its good to do it on the WEEKEND!! Right!?

Enjoy the rest of YOUR weekend....I am hoping to get a nap in.....sometime? Most likely not! But the idea is NICE!!

It's been awhile.....BUT I've been BUSY!!

Corner Hutch....I have always wanted one!

I know..I know...it's been awhile!! With Summer and being busy and finding very little time for ones self....even to take a BATHROOM break is hard.....as soon as I sit on the throne, little fingers peak from the bottom of the door..."Mommy? What doin? Mommy?" So to find the time to write and Blog is hard!! But now that the KIDS are in SCHOOL(woo hoo...) and things are SLOWLY getting back into the groove....I am finding little moments, to write to YOU!! So how have you been? How was your Summer? Are you glad that Summer is over? Are you HAPPY that the KIDS are back in SCHOOL!? I know that some will argue that Summer is not over....officially I know its not over...but once the kids start school, and you notice the odd leaf on the grass...and then there is that smell of Fall and just the change in the temperature, the change in the air...YOU KNOW THAT FALL IS APPROACHING!! SO HOW HAVE YOU BEEN??

New desk for my Boys' Room!

I have looked for awhile, but found ONE  I can afford!

Even though I was not blogging....I was still busy doing some of my regular OBSESSIONS...I just tweaked it all to INVOLVE my KIDS!! Now Josh, who is SEVEN...has started to say "please Mom, no more Kijiji, no more antiques...we have enough...you said you were going to stop!?" SOME THINGS YOU JUST CANT STOP!! But it has been fun....we have made some decisions together and they love the outcome!! All the PHOTOS in this post are items that I've found...and have then made them my OWN! LOVE IT!! Some I have SOLD...others have found a HOME in my HOME.....it makes me SMILE!!
Also...don't worry..I have been baking and cooking...coming up with some ideas here and there....and will soon post the recipes and photos.  I just have to tweak some here and there and write down others....good thing that I keep a notebook on my kitchen island!!

A Dresser that I fixed up and later sold!

So...what ever you have been up too...I hope you had a GREAT TIME!! LIFE is SHORT! Do what makes YOU HAPPY!! You never know...you might find a career within it!!! Fill your circle with LOVED ONES and just CHERISH each day!!!
Cheers!!!

I'll be BACK...soon!!!

WOWZERS.....I cant believe that Summer Vacation is almost over?? And I am almost counting down the days till school starts!! OK, lets face it...I am counting down the days till school starts!! It has been a busy SUMMER ....... trips, sleepovers, Weddings, Birthdays(including mine), painting, making some new recipes (YUM) and refinishing various items!! It has been a FUN SUMMER and I know its not over yet, but it is one for the books!!

Now...I am trying to get Josh back into doing Math ...that was his sore spot.....he needs HELP!! So now we are doing a few pages here and there on Math.....just preparing him for Grade 2!!

So enjoy the rest of Summer.....here are some pics of what we have done!!

Come September I'll have some hard core BLOGS including a cake recipe with pudding...OMG SO MOIST!! Right now though, I cant string a sentence together if my life depended on it.....I have two boys behind me...fighting...as usual...over CARS!!!!

The Corner Hutch I found and painted/sanded to match the Hutch!

 Made this for Katie's room....its an old fence that I evened up and then painted/stained to match her room!!

Refinished this DESK, loved it, but just wasnt using it...found a NICE LADY who wanted this!

 I sanded through FOUR LAYERS of paint and refinished the top!

I found this DRESSER and FIXED it all up!!

Enjoying a glass of wine in PEI!!

Kids walking down an old road in PEI! 

At a friends Wedding....love the shots, especially when we are POLISHED!!

I LOVE this...cant go wrong, I look flawless....a good thing!

OUR TRIP is UPON US!!!

Cavendish Beach, 2009.

It was February...that's when we planned our trip to Prince Edward Island....and it seemed so far away...especially in February when its soo cold and dark......it was then I thought about saving MONEY and eating KD....well, it lasted for awhile and it was the go to meal when stuck!! I found many variations for KD, thanks to some readers!! But here we are NOW....July 11th....and we leave at MIDNIGHT on the 14th!! We are ALL QUITE EXCITED!!! There are talks about never returning to Ontario!!

So...it will be THREE kids, a VAN and Mommy and Daddy!! I am trying to be compact...HA....I want everything to go into ONE BIG SUITCASE!!! And I think that I have that under control. There will be a little suitcase, full of toys and movies(taking a DVD player...for those early mornings in PEI....I don't want to be bothering the neighbours) and a small(ish) Roots Bag...which will carry things for ONE night in the Hotel!! A Dora backpack FULL of SNACKS...and later a COOLER with Yogurts/Milk and Frozen Juice Boxes(they will act as a freeze pack...and then later a COOL treat). They also will have colouring activities...I found colouring packs in Walmart...by Crayola....so I think I am READY??

Our agenda is to leave at midnight on Saturday....this way a lot can be done at night...and its cooler and it should be EASIER than three years ago when going through Quebec...full on construction/congestion. We then stop over in New Brunswick....and because we collect Air Miles...we traded some in and are staying for FREE at the Best Western in Edmundston, NB!! From there we will wake early and head out...hoping to make PEI somewhat EARLY??

NO trip is COMPLETE till YOU have been at COWS!!!!

I knew packing was always difficult just for myself....trying to remember this and that, making lists, second guessing if YOU will need this or that...but add three kids and trying to help the Hubby....well...no wonder I have lists coming out of my ears!! And its only for a week!! But we are ready...new camera has been bought...tires are checked, oil is good...brakes are NEW....tissues and wipes are in the VAN...snacks...GOOGLED MAPS(three years ago,when we made this trip...the directions...in slow motion flew out of the window in New Brunswick....this YEAR I wont ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN!) I guess that's all....stay tuned for a FUN FILLED TRIP BLOG full of PICTURES!!!

Three years ago....there was alot of this................

LAST DAY of FREEDOM!!

This is the LAST DAY of SCHOOL!! If you are like me....you are slightly HAPPY...no more HOMEWORK...no more routines of getting them up and ready for school...lunches packed(which by the end of the school year it gets a little boring to make the same things over and over again)...and I cant wait to throw out their LUNCH BAGS...used everyday....I have tried washing them out...but I don't know...I'm sure there is some kind of bacteria in there.  Then there is Josh's LUNCH BAG...broken pull on the zipper(since September)...so glad that I don't have to fuss over getting it closed.  Its all done...when they come home tonight, I am going to chuck the bags in the bin and REJOICE!!!

There is a difference between the kids...Josh is EXCITED not to do any work...sadly he doesn't know that I will be getting him MATH books...he lacks in the mathematical area...lol!! Poor kid!! Then there is Katie, she loves school and is sad that it is over.  Katie has no real work, she was BE(beyond expected level)...but to make her feel LOVED, I will get  her some books too!!

I know some parents fret...its summer...what am I going to do with them...no school...yikes...especially if they have to work...HAPPILY I am not one of them...at least not YET!! I have a few things planned for them...but mostly having FUN...cause they are KIDS!! They are starting the weekend off sleeping over at my Aunts(we are going to a WEDDING...alone..overnight....NO KIDS...so excited!!) Then we will get ready for our trip to PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND!!!! After which my Nephew is coming up from the States....so something is always going on.....I came across a friends idea(actually she got it from Pinterest...which I still don't know what that is all about...).  She is doing a FAMILY BUCKET LIST for the SUMMER....and I think that's GREAT!! I am going to do that too....each kid gets maybe 4-5 IDEAS and we toss it in the BUCKET...and then randomly choose one weekly!! Should be FUN and ENTERTAINING...cause as we know, kids ideas are the simplest...they just want to be with YOU and SHARE time with YOU. I know as a PARENT, I sometimes go OVERBOARD with my IDEAS...when in fact they want something SIMPLE!!!

So....have a great summer at WHATEVER YOU DO!!! Stay SAFE!! Stay HEALTHY and ABOVE ALL...HAVE FUN!!!

So today...for the LAST FEW HOURS of SANITY...I am cleaning the HOUSE...thoroughly, cause I know  I wont be able to do a REAL GOOD CLEAN again until September!!!


Cheers!!

Old Fashioned, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Cookies!!

I find that WEATHER can set the MOOD for so many things. Today its slightly cooler...but there is a lovely breeze, pushing all the humidity and stale air out of the house.....its also the last week of school, MY TIME is slowly running out...soon it will be them fighting, yelling, not sharing...stating that they hate each other....wishing that they had their own room.....own space....  and declaring, while slouching on the couch,  "I'M BORED!!!" So while its still quiet, here is another Cookie recipe. There is nothing better than an Old Fashioned, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Cookie...and shouldn't every bite of COOKIE have some CHOCOLATE in it?? YES!! Even before they were made....the smell of softened BUTTER being CREAMED together with BROWN SUGAR was QUITE COMFORTING!!! So after making these....and the smell still lingering about the house...relax...make a cup of tea and sink into your chair with a cookie!! Cheers!!!

Old Fashioned, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies@Sherry Watton

Preheat Oven to 350

½ cup Butter(softened)

½ cup Brown Sugar and ½ cup White Sugar

2 eggs

2 cups of flour(just the regular All-Purpose Flour)

2tsp Baking Powder

2 cups of Oatmeal( I use the Large Flakes)

1 ½ cups of Chocolate Chips

Cream the Butter and the Sugars, once well blended, add the eggs and cream again…..NICE AND CREAMY!!!

In another bowl have the flour, B. Powder and Oatmeal mixed together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. When it’s almost thoroughly mixed, I add the Chocolate Chips. Mix WELL!!

Then drop good-size Teaspoons of batter on the Cookie Sheet…I use parchment paper…easy peasy….once baked for about 12-13 minutes(start to check around the 11 minute mark…ovens vary..and depending on your GOOD-SIZE drops of COOKIE…it’s good to check)….I lift the parchment paper and cookies off the sheet and place it all on a cooling rack…easy!!! Line the cookie sheet with another sheet of parchment and you’re ready to go again…..makes 24 COOKIES!!

Christmas in a Pinwheel...

Gotta LOVE this weather...HOT..HUMID...HAZY!!!! This past weekend when we went up to the cottage...I took some little appetizers for us and our friends. Our Friends were celebrating their upcoming Wedding Anniversary!! Two years ago we were there and witnessed their Wedding....it was held at the cottage...it was a joyous occasion....then came the food!! Waiters walked around with appetizers...wine and beer was readily available...then came a lovely, Waiter with a tray of these pinwheels....he had no name for them and would not divulge what was in them.....and believe me...I asked....repeatedly....it was then I started 'tasting' them to figure it out!!! I had the basics....I knew...and after tweaking the recipe to suit us...I discovered that it reminded me of Christmas!  Therefore I call them "Christmas in a Pinwheel" and this past weekend, I made them, chilled them, and brought them up to the cottage. Slicing them Saturday afternoon, I took them out on the deck....and with wine and beer in hand...they popped a few! She knew right away.....he then joined in and commented, "you are awesome....you remembered and made them...you are talented!"

So here they are.....easy to do....can be made well in advance....and are a HIT at any function that you have....or NO function at all......and on a HOT day like this, it will take you back to December...when things were a little cooler!!





Christmas in a Pinwheel@Sherry Watton

2 packages of Cream Cheese(250g each) I stick with Light!!

1 package of Fresh Basil(40gr containers)

1 package of Fresh Chives(40gr containers)

1 Cup of Dried Cranberries(Craisins Original)

Sprinkle of Sea Salt…not really needed but I do it!

5 wraps(full size..whatever Brand.…jazz it up & use multi-colour ones)

 With softened Cream Cheese in a large bowl…add chopped Basil, Chives and Cranberries(after measuring a cup of Cranberries I do a rough chop with them) and a pinch/sprinkle of Sea Salt…..mix thoroughly!

  

Then spoon and smear the Cream Cheese mixture on the wrap…..almost to the edge of the wrap…and then do a tight roll(best you can)…..then once finished you should have 5 rolled wraps. Wrap them all tightly with tinfoil or cling film..…and fridgerate for a few hours or overnight.

Once the party begins…slice and serve them…I usually give the ends(cause they don’t always have a lot of filling) to my kids!!!

Everyone is HAPPY and HOPEFULLY it will remind YOU of Christmas…like it does for me!!

ENJOY!! 

INSPIRED...Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Cherry Trifle!

I LOVE watching the Food Network....I have my favourites...Jamie, Michael, Anna, Ina and of course the Domestic Goddess Nigella(see how I use just their first names...like close friends....how little they know!!) I love watching Nigella cook/bake...and putter away in her kitchen...just seeing her wall to wall bookshelves makes me swoon.....I think she is great!! She makes mistakes and admits to that...she is not perfect...NO chef is...she shows her faults...actually, if I think about this for a moment......all the chefs that I admire do show their faults! (Huh.....I learnt something new today....see what happens when you Blog!!) I have all of Nigella's cookbooks...they sit proudly with my other books on my kitchen counter! Its soothing to see my books, neatly in a row...close to the coffee maker!!

Hubby loves Nigella too....so for Fathers Day and his Birthday cause it follows a few days later....I decided to make Nigella's Chocolate Cherry Trifle! I have made it before...followed every instruction to a T and felt AWESOME and PROUD when it was all finished! I too was like Nigella(however less bosomy) and drooled over my Trifle......so did Hubby!!! But this time around...being on a time crunch and with three kids to entertain...I cheated with her recipe!!! And you know what.....friends who hadn't sampled the original recipe thought that my verison was the best that they ever had! So....you know that I just had to share it..........anyone can do it!!

Nigella INSPIRED Chocolate Cherry Trifle@Sherry Watton

Once everything is made….it is quite like an assembly line….I had the kids helping me!! Plus….there was some leftovers…which the KIDS LOVED even more!!!  Trifles have layers…..first is a Chocolate Cake…second is the Cherry…third is the Pudding…the fourth is the Cool Whip….then a light dusting of Chocolate Shavings(or in my case…I only had Chocolate Sprinkles).

First off……you can buy two Chocolate Pound Cakes from your local store…if you cant find that(and at times I cannot) I just use a Chocolate Cake Mix(use what you like…) follow the Box’s directions and make the cake…let it cool before slicing it!!!

Cherry Layer……for me it was Cherry Pie Filling(E.D. Smith…540ml)

Pudding Layer….I made two boxes of Chocolate Fudge Pudding(Jello Brand…each box was 114grams) and chilled in the fridge while the cake was baking.

Cool Whip layer….use what YOU like….I used the Fat Free…made me feel slightly healthy! Just make sure that it is thawed!

By now the cake is made and cooled….I use whatever LARGE size bowl that I have…I have a nice glass bowl for showing off….but this time since we were going to the cottage, I used a glass mixing bowl with a lid!! So…the point is….use what you have!!!

I sliced the cake in rows and pressed them up around the bowl….basically mirroring the bowl’s shape….of course there will be leftovers…I used the inside rows and left the outside rows of the cake for the kids!

Next I spooned in the Cherry Filling…trying to get it up all the sides…it gets messy…but that’s the fun part…..especially with kids helping!!

Chocolate Pudding.…well set and chilled and ready to be the next layer…spoon  the Pudding over the Cherry Layer….by now its filling up nicely…and on your fingers too….and REMEMBER there will be leftovers….ideal for a treat/dessert for the kids!!!

Lastly, fill the top with Cool Whip……I leave some edges of the Chocolate Cake/Pudding showing….I guess I like it rustic! Make some curves and wurves …..then a light dusting of Chocolate Shavings…or... if YOU are like me…who had NONE….I used Chocolate Sprinkles!!

Chill over night…..make it a day ahead…so it can all marry and mingle and become ONE!!

Enjoy!!

Cottage Life!

This past weekend was Fathers Day and Matt's Birthday .....they are so close together I try to do a BIG Celebration for him...but he would prefer that we just celebrated Fathers Day...to him that's the MOST important date!! So this year....we went to a friends cottage. Matt loves the COTTAGE.....he LOVES to FISH! He is most happy when he rises early...makes coffee and heads out to the dock...spending the early hours fishing...and spending time with his son, Josh...who wants to be with him. To me..that would be the GREATEST gift to give Matt! And that's what we did. The whole weekend at the cottage...no phones, TV, computers....no FaceBooking...no Tweeting....no Blogging...no Kijiji.....just US, two friends and great food...of course a BOX of WINE was on hand....it just added to the moment...sitting on the dock, listening to the Loons...sipping wine...it was HEAVEN...no else existed...just us!!

Never having a cottage when I grew up... I realized what I missed out on....I would love for my kids to have their own cottage...a place to go to and escape the WORLD...to RECONNECT with YOURSELF and YOUR FAMILY! Packing for the cottage is another story....soo much to bring..lists here and there...what food...what clothes(what if it rains, turns cold....) and being Fathers Day Weekend...I wanted to make a special dessert. Matt LOVES Nigella Lawson...and I do too...she is my GIRL CRUSH.....I made her Chocolate Cherry Trifle!! I made it before following her every instruction BUT this time around...I cheated... I didn't have enough time to make chocolate custard from scratch...cake and whip cream!! But THEY all LOVED it!!! With FOOD pack/prepared and clothes neatly folded in Katie's Dora the Explorer Suitcase...we were ready!!! AND we only turned around TWICE....to return home for things that we forgot!!

It was a great time...and you know its GREAT when........Alex falls into the water, I lose a sandal in the mucky bottom of the lake(but find it again), Josh falls and scrapes his leg, I get spiked by a fish(who knew that fins had spikes on them for protection) dock SPIDERS can walk on WATER and then after the weekend is over and you are about five minutes from home, Josh throws up in the VAN...cause you are on the highway and  there is nowhere for you to pull over...so you hand him a diaper to throw up in...but most of it lands on the floor(ugh)! That was a GOOD WEEKEND!! Then comes the laundry when you get home....two full loads...and showers and baths...and to save time you bathe two kids together and when they get out, it looks like the beach is in YOUR TUB....ITS THEN YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAD AN AWESOME WEEKEND...and are ready to do it all over again!!!

June is ALMOST OVER.....YOU know WHAT that MEANS!!

I cant believe it...June is almost over!!! I am looking at the calendar and realizing that Katie has 7 more classes...Josh has 13...then its OVER..they are ALL HOME WITH ME for the SUMMER MONTHS!! I have mixed feelings...I am happy that they get a break!!  I get a break from school too...no more sitting with Josh and trying to help him understand MATH....drilling him with SPELLING WORDS or READING those annoying little books....and helping him with those PRESENTATIONS(he is in GRADE ONE!) Then there are the LUNCHES....its hard to get creative...and by the end of the school year you are throwing whatever in the lunch bag(with no NUTS)...it will be a NICE BREAK!! But with that the BREAK comes the REALITY that they are going to be HOME...fighting with SIBLINGS, complaining that its too HOT, complaining that THEY ARE BORED!! Let the FUN begin!!! COUNTDOWN is on..........

At least there will be EXCITEMENT this SUMMER...15 days after SCHOOL is finished we head out to the EAST COAST....to PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND!!! For a week we will be staying in the Provincial Park, in Cavendish...renting a HOUSE!! Just cross the road and there is the OCEAN!! There has been non stop talk about our trip...kids are excited!! Josh even commented that "the suitcase is not big enough....we have to pack up our whole house!" I WISH!!  Perhaps ONE DAY....but for now its a WEEKs' VACATION!!

So I HOPE all PARENTS and KIDS have a GREAT, SAFE SUMMER...filled with FUN and with PERFECTLY BEHAVED CHILDREN......CHEERS...... here's HOPING!!

I can almost see myself there...sitting in the sand, listening to the waves....smelling the sea air...perhaps a  glass of wine..and the kids making a sand castle!!!

Being a GIRL...I JUST call it a HAND SANDER!!

I am not very techy...I can use and get my way around a computer, files, photo shop etc etc...but don't ask me the PROPER TERMS... I don't know!!! I might agree and nod...but inside my head its full of question marks!! But if I can use it...do I really need to know the proper NAMES?? I think not!! I've been now introduced to SANDERS...WOO HOO...so exciting!!! I have a LOVE AFFAIR with old antiques...don't worry my Husband KNOWS...everyone knows...lol...its quite funny...I'll receive emails telling me where something old is located......usually by the side of the road..lol..which is FINE!! I do believe that anything can be fixed up...if you see something run down, battered and tattered...but you see something more in it...you see what it could be...then take it!! Love for things can make your home the most perfect place in the whole world...I think!! Its better than going to your local department/furniture store...buying something quite expensive and its really not made properly....pieces back then where made to LAST...not now a days..things break too easily!!

I used to sand pieces of furniture by hand...now granted it might have helped me lose a pound here or there...but then that pound would go back on after I made my cookies or other delectables!! BUT now we bought a sander...and the power behind that...I feel like I could sand anything...and I promised my Hubby that he wouldn't come home from work and see the HOUSE SANDED!! What use to take me a LONG TIME now takes me a few minutes...at least it feels like that!!! So...for fun I took some old pieces in the house..things that we don't really use...and tried sanding them...and repainting them..with an antique-y chic look...I think I did OK!!  You take a look...and now I am putting them up for sale on Kijiji!! Gotta build that PEI FUND!!

Plain Black table...Stone Harbour Beige and ol' Paint  rubbed through!

My OLD night table as a child, done is Shy Voilet/White and new  Knobs!

I think Hubby is even getting into the spirit of sanding and refurbishing...be brought home an Secretary's Desk for me to redo....I've got ideas rattling around in my head.....

WELCOME to SUMMER...PASTA SALAD(GRILLED VEG&MEAT)

I LOVE May...its the month where we..who live in Canada....can start to garden and bring out ALL the OUTDOOR stuff....my NEW living room is AVAILABLE for me to enjoy. We live in a nice house...but there are times with three kids and a Hubby..you JUST need to find your own space...and our back deck is an addition to our home..if only for the Summer months. There I can escape in the early mornings with my MUGS of coffee or in the afternoon to sneak a chapter in of a book that I am currently reading, or in the early evening...relaxing with my Hubby...chatting about the day and glancing about the gardens(where my mind runs off, with the many possibilities or even planning the next years treats). BUT on a DAY like TODAY where the temperature...with the humidity is 39...its time to hibernate indoors...close the windows, pull down the blinds and try not to use extra power...like lights and stoves and ovens....its TIME TO BBQ ALL MEALS!!! (if possible)

And on a day like today...where its only HOT today...tomorrow should be back to normal.....I'm trying NOT to use the air conditioning...and so, at 2:31pm its still only 24 in house....so MAYBE I'll make it!! Perhaps too we will lose a pound or so in sweat..nothing wrong with that...I have Weddings to attend to in the next few months...and lately I've been indulging in PC's IceCream Shoppe Flavours.....OK, just the one FLAVOUR...Peanut Butter and Chocolate...OMG...delish!! I've been skipping LUNCH to BALANCE things out...shhhhh!!!

With the Summer weather, I try to BBQ daily(if I can)...I LOVE the BBQ taste...FOOD just tastes better when its been BBQ'd...and BONUS...less dishes!! Tonight's menu is quite simple....although I might add, I have to cook pasta(slight hiccup...when I'm against using the STOVE in this HEAT!) But the way I beat that, is that early in the morning, I come up with the meal plan for that day....and try to cook it then....when its still COOL outside.....cause by the afternoon...its too HOT to do anything! So with the pasta already chilled and in the fridge...I grab peppers, red onions, mushrooms and frozen chicken breasts(skinless/boneless). Chicken goes on first...then on the other burner, I add my veg(all washed and sliced in half and drizzled with Olive Oil and Sea Salt) and let it all cook. I usually take the veg off when its al dente and let it rest in a bowl. With chicken...I am overly cautious...and usually leave it on too long...but as long as there are no pink juices...we are good! I let it all rest and slightly cool down to handle...then slice it all(lengthwise) and throw it  in with the pasta. I do have a dressing too...light....a few glubs of olive oil, a good handful of basil(chopped) and some Sea Salt and a quick grind of Pepper....mix everything and then top the salad(that's in individual bowls) with FRESHLY GRATED Parmesan Reg. Cheese!! AWESOME!!!

All sliced waiting for the pasta!

At first I cooked Bow Tie Pasta...but while draining it, the lid slipped and it all went into the sink...so I reached for the next available pasta...rigatoni, it the was bottom of the bag! Hence the broken bits! BUT still tasty!!

The thing with this SALAD...it can be whatever you have in YOUR KITCHEN....whatever pasta shape you like...whatever vegetables YOU like....even the meat can vary!! I've done it once with a steak...it made the steak stretch and feed a family of 5.....so anything is possible!!

That's the thing with cooking....you never know what you will create when NOT using a recipe....just grab your favourite flavours...whatever you have on hand....and just create!!!

Cheers!!!

Blueberry Lemon Biscuits....

I know a few weeks ago I posted my Triple Chocolate Cookie Balls, which...while browsing my name(for fun, cause who doesnt GOOGLE their own name??) .....I came across MANY recipes that have the same title.....hmmm......perhaps I should change it?! This week I thought I would add something slightly healthy...with a kick of anti-oxidants....Blueberries.....cause Lemons and Blueberries seem to go together like two peas in a pod!

The  thing with this recipe is that I have left out the Blueberries before...Katie doesnt like Blueberries....she only likes Lemons! While making a batch before, I quickly dropped a few on a cookie sheet just for her. Then added the Blueberries to the rest of the dough....it was too wet...still a learning process...but thats half the fun.....you never know what you may create...thats why I always make notes...just incase...might discover that multi-million dollar deal......

So on a somewhat sunny, Sunday afternoon...with a glass of wine in hand...I got out my ingredients.  After I had the dough ready, I thought about patting it out and using a glass to cut out perferct circles...must have been the wine-thinking...but they turned out GREAT(and got along well with the wine, Sauvignon Blanc, from Jackson Triggs!!) Although...I must say, I like my drop method better than patting it down...more of a rustic look...you decide!?

PS. Remember too...ovens vary...perhaps set timers for 15minutes...and then test them...they should give a little...

BLUEBERRY LEMON BISCUITS@Sherry Watton

Preheat Oven to 350

½ cup Butter(softened)

3 cups of flour (just the regular All-Purpose Flour)

2tsp Baking Powder

1/3 cup of sugar

pinch of salt

zest of 1 whole Lemon

Softened Butter should be in the BOWL first, dump the rest of the ingredients on top….then mix coarsely together with a fork, should resemble a coarse mixture…

What it LOOKS like, all mixed.....with a FORK!

IN ANOTHER BOWL ADD:

2 eggs

1/3 cup of milk

Juice of WHOLE Lemon(the lemon that you just zested)

Whisk these WET ingredients…..then add them to the DRY INGREDIENTS(make a well, then pour in liquids) …mix and add the Blueberries(I use a small pint…which says 170g/6oz.)

FROM HERE…I have done two different things….

1.   ** Once mixed(not over mixed) I take a BIG SPOONful and drop the mixture(on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper)…just a good size biscuit.. and bake for 20 minutes

2.  ** Once mixed, I turn out onto floured board and just pat nicely…to about an inch thick….and using a glass, cut out perfect little circles…and bake for 15 minutes

NOW…both I have brushed with milk and have sprinkled(evenly/lightly) with sugar. I have also made a light icing(4tsp milk and ½ cup of icing sugar) mixed in a sandwich bag(I got Katie to mash and smoosh it....till completely smooth....no lumps), snipped the tip and quickly zig zagged over the COOLED Biscuits.

I have too in the past, substituted the milk for lemon juice and added some Lemon Zest(but that’s more for decoration). It all depends on the TASTES of the PEOPLE that you live with!!

ENJOY!!

DROP Biscuits.....

Patted out biscuits....

All because of WATER MAINTENANCE.....

Just a quick note today......I was going to make my Blueberry Lemon Biscuits, I had all my ingredients and was ready for the day....but I forgot a notice that came to our house..."on the 24th between the hours of 8AM and 7PM, please refrain from using the WATER. They are doing maintenance/flushing on the water system. Sorry for any inconvience." Now....you don't really realize how much water you use daily, until you cant use it. I DRINK tons of water daily...every hour or so, I'm filling up the Brita container...washing hands from gardening...washing my kids hands...using the potty...how readily we turn to our water, just flip the tap...and there is clean water.  That got me thinking about countries that don't have clean water, or those that have to travel miles before reaching "somewhat" clean water!  We are privileged...and at times we forget that!! We as a society take many things for granted. Today and it should be everyday....I am cherishing what I have! I don't need BIGGER and BETTER things...Matt has a GOOD, secure job..... and as long as my family is healthy and tummies are full and there is laughter and hugs throughout the day....I will not want for BIGGER, BETTER and MORE.....

All these thoughts ran through my mind as I sat outside, early this morning...drinking my COFFEE!! I got up earlier to shower, makes lunches, water the gardens...doing the things that evolved around water. Then while the 3 kids were still asleep...I snuck out back and savoured my coffee and the scenery.....sun filtering through the trees, and hearing nothing but the wind rustling the new leaves and the birds singing.......with a such a BEAUTIFUL morning, it was then that I started to reflect on my life and those that I do not even know.....all because of the water maintenance.....

Sitting with my COFFEE........this is my VIEW!!

Side VIEW.........all the PLANTS starting to GROW!!