Its TIME to GARDEN!!!

In Canada...they say(I don't know who...but I've heard...perhaps its a wives tale)...the LONG WEEKEND in MAY is the WEEKEND to garden....perhaps it is then that the FROST is no longer a threat to our pretty little friends in the rich, black soil!! I have been itching to get to my gardens......in March we had LOVELY MILD temperatures...but I was too scared to dig about...I kept reminding myself..."I live in Canada...I live up NORTH in the 705 area code!" However this past weekend, was the LONG May 24 WEEKEND. Not only did I shop early at the Grocery Store and my local LCBO...I hit the Bradford Greenhouse...time to buy some flowers, vegetables and herbs. I was HAPPY.....picking out plants!!

This is my third summer here in our little home....now the gardens are healthy and flourishing with perennials.  This year I am correcting mistakes that I made last year.....FOR ONE, RASPBERRIES........YOU need a LARGE space for them...like in the back corner of the yard...where they can grow and flourish...cause they will GROW and FLOURISH...they are like a WEED!!! They were taking over a certain part of my garden....to the point where my hydrangea had to fight to survive! Last week....I fought with my Hubby's work gloves and a SHOVEL..to dig up NEW spawns of the original Raspberry bush...those ROOTS went on and on...deeper and deeper....BUT I THINK I WON!! Time will tell!!! Give me a WEEK!! I'll let you know!

Every new year with gardening, you realize certain things...what can survive in YOUR garden and what doesn't. YOU also realize what YOU like and what YOU can improve on ...what to add, what colours to mix...what new vegetables to try.....its a great way to get your kids involved too...they end up trying the veg/fruit from YOUR garden!! Its FUN!! We tried celery last year....it was too dry...as Josh said "its not juicy enough!" We also tried to grow a pumpkin....it got WAY OUT OF HAND.....then one night a squirrel came along and ate the WHOLE plant........

Every SUMMER we have to have our tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, rosemary, and oregano...those are our staples!! But now the GARDEN is getting too FULL.....I have no more room to switch it up, grow something new...unless...unless  I can convince the HUBBY to dig up some grass...poor kids....their play area will be getting smaller and smaller......

I finished the INITIAL weeding, mulching and planting yesterday....and I must say....I am quite HAPPY with the GARDENS so far...its just the beginning....and you know it was a SUCCESS cause your legs and arms are SORE from battling the weeds/roots and rocks...and even potatoes...YES potatoes....I am still finding potatoes buried beneath the gardens...I have no idea what the previous tenants were thinking...but I FOUND many, many POTATOES!!!

The GARDENS...various angles!!! See the KIDS have some space to PLAY!!

Its been awhile...a little drama and then add Mothers Day in the mix...I'm tired!

Its been awhile...yet again...LIFE gets in the way of BLOGGING...how RUDE!!! Since my last entry I've had to OPEN my HOME  to my MOTHER!! The day before her trip to Thailand, she fell.....she didn't see that ROCK(or pebble) while hurrying back to the office! She fell and did enough damage to her wrist...broke it and shattered the bones.....HOW LUCKY CAN A GAL GET!! She went her whole life without breaking a bone...let alone twisting something! And the day before her first exotic trip to Thailand....she makes a trip in the ambulance to stay and visit the exotic Toronto Western Hospital. There she waited for over three hours....I cant even imagine the pain and looking at your wrist and seeing bones, almost poking through your skin. That afternoon I was bombarded with emails from her co-workers....no one knew exactly where she went or what the damage was!

Finally I tracked her down....calling hospitals, I told each operator the story.......but by that time I couldn't speak to her...she was sedated...they were trying to POP things BACK in!! Eeek....  Saturday night she had surgery(a plate and screws were put in). Sunday she was released and came back home with me....in our small home, three kids, and a husband! Don't get me wrong, I love my Mom...but in small quarters and her injured and in constant pain... I was scared that one of the kids would hit her, or accidentally bang her with a toy car or something....I think I lived that week on egg shells. It was like I had FOUR kids....and I had to keep the peace with everyone! It was exhausting!!

Then came Mothers Day...which in all honesty, it didn't feel like it! I did receive lovely flowers, cards and brunch at the local Milestones Restaurant...but that element of relaxing to the point where I did nothing, was not there!   However after brunch, my Aunt was waiting at our house....she took Mom and Katie for the week(almost..till Thursday)...that was LOVELY...it was then after their departure, I was almost back to myself!! Perhaps the wine and shopping at the Antique Market helped too!!






Friday was the BIG TRIP to TORONTO....during rush hour... on a Friday of the HOLIDAY WEEKEND...construction here and there...more volume here and there...not finding a parking spot and having to drive around the hospital three times before finding the spot....three kids and a Mother...it was FUN!! It was a LONG DAY!!! But after three hours in the hospital...and her finally having 9 staples removed(ouch).....we were out and Mommy Dearest was on her way home........to her CONDO....her HOME!! LOL!! She is now HOME and starting work again this week.....she is more mobile but wishes that she could retire...not yet please, I'm not sure I can handle her idea(?) of moving in........I'm not rich enough...and she needs an entire WING to herself!! BUT I LOVE HER DEARLY!!!


On the BRIGHT SIDE of this....I would have to say that she got to spend MORE time with her GRANDCHILDREN.....and BOND with Katie....Katie was her shadow, her nurse while she stayed with us. Normally we see my Mother a few times a year, birthdays, anniversaries, just special occasions...she lives too far away, or we are each too busy with our own lives...its hard to re-connect...but with this accident, we connected. It also had me thinking of the sandwich generation....where we are raising our children and then looking after our ageing parents....its kinda scary!  I think we are getting too busy with activities, working more hours at the office(cause we want bigger and better things), moving here and there....perhaps we need to slow down...take the time to smell the roses, appreciate our parents and children and friends.....just enjoy the LIFE we were given. But its hard to do that...isn't it!?

WOWZERS.....

WOWZERS is all I can say when I logged on this morning.....well over 80 hits on yesterdays BLOG on Triple Chocolate Cookie Balls. I hope you do try them!!  I believe they are quite simple to make since I made 140 on Friday....I kinda turned into a machine...lol!! I found it interesting that my two kids came running when I started to make each batch...they eagerly watched and commented on the ingredients...of course they wanted a few chocolate chips....but when it came time to rolling the cookies...they took off...I was boring them!! And it understandable...there came a point when I just rolled and glanced out the window...watching the squirrels and birds...I even noticed that the same squirrel was hanging about, he had a patch of fur missing on his right side! Once the cookie tray went into the oven and I washed the dishes, the timer BEEPED...and the kids came back, eagerly awaiting to sample some balls and watched the process all over again, again leaving when it came to roll out the cookies.

I do have other recipes that I have created...tinkering over time, trying to perfect them. I think I will share them with you...weekly. The reason that I do my own stuff, is that I ACTUALLY ENJOY DOING IT and I know what goes into them. I know with three kids it would be easier to just buy a box of cookies, but then you have  ingredients that YOU cant even pronounce and preservatives. I just try to keep things simple, great tastes and appealing...after all you eat with your eyes! Also by baking/cooking you get your kids involved, they get to know ingredients, whats healthy and they actually eat it too....why...cause they helped to create it.

I believe that ANYONE can BAKE/COOK...take a simple recipe, try it out. If you really like it, think of something to add to it or something to take away from it. Tinker with things....kids and husbands are great for testing things out on....kids tell the truth. I know, my six year old commented once that the chicken was not JUICY enough!! Kids can be OUR toughest critics!!  I am always tinkering....I  love Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Michael Smith and Ina Garten.....I have their books. I took one of Nigella's recipes a bit further. She has in one of her books, a recipe for muffins....in it she has yogurt and oil, I took it a step further and omitted the oil and doubled the yogurt...and they are great...the KIDS love them!!!

So  you never know where your inspirations can come from...get in the kitchen, tinker about......

Give into Temptation!!

Since these were a BIG hit at a party recently(I made 140), and some have wanted this recipe, I thought that I would share my creation!! I am not an expert, but I love creating new things. And I must say...Ladies, you know when you crave SOME CHOCOLATE...well these hit the SPOT!!


Hope you enjoy, let me know!!!


By the way for dessert tonight we are having these, crumbled up in a bowl, add some frozen Vanilla Yogurt and top it off with Chocolate Syrup!! If we had cherries...I would add one! 

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE BALLS@Sherry Watton 2012.

Preheat Oven to 375

½ cup Butter(softened)

½ cup Brown Sugar 

½ cup White Sugar

½ cup of Cocoa (unsweetened)

2 eggs

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

2tsp Baking Powder

1 Cup of Chocolate Chips

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

In another bowl have the flour and B. Powder mixed together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. When its almost thoroughly mixed, I add the Chocolate Chips. Mix it all, it will get hard to mix after awhile, all thick and NICE!! If its not thick enough and too mushy to handle …just add a little more flour for a nice hard thickness. Then I make balls…grab some and roll it in your hands. Usually, I can make 35 Balls…but  if YOU want BIGGER balls…you want bigger Balls…just remember to adjust your time for BAKING. I have adjusted my baking time to 8 minutes…I still want them soft, like brownie consistency …..then let them cool.

CHOCOLATE COATING: I have melted in the microwave(cause I have that button to melt chocolate) 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips, then add 1tbsp of Veg. Oil, for glossiness…mix well.

For larger batches of cookies, I have melted the chocolate chips in a small pot, just on low heat, stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn!! Then add the Oil, stir till its smooth and shiny.

I use a teaspoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies…..then after I sprinkle with some candy sprinkles or whatever you have…or nothing at all!! Mostly I do the sprinkles for the kids. Then refrigerate till the melted chocolate is hardened!!

To make them fancier, drizzle some melted, white chocolate over the other chocolate(once that hardens). I have even used Peanut Butter Chips instead of chocolate…but with so many peanut allergies out there, I usually stick with Chocolate Chips!!  I have also used Semi Sweet Chips before, but I like Milk Chocolate Chips better…more of a preference!!  ENJOY!!


PS. You have to try one about 10 minutes or so after they come out of the oven, just heavenly...luscious chocolate melting in your mouth!!! Just saying!!

GOOD, GOOD DAY!!!

Today has been an excellent day...no one has been sick, I didn't have to clean up puke off the carpet, I didn't have to stick my hand in the toilet to pull out a wad of tissue, no one spaszed about a tummy ache of some sort and I did not see wet flurries(I know, come on, enough...) Alex did not have a nap, and he is still going....and behaving....that there can make a GOOD DAY!! But besides having GOOD KIDS today(and believe me that can make or break a day) I got to bake!! I think.....as I pondered about this with my mid-morning coffee, I BELIEVE that my DAY is not COMPLETE without BAKING or COOKING something. I NEED to CREATE to be FULLY satisfied with MY day! 


Is that wrong to say that as a Mother to three kids?? I know all Moms wear various hats and it can get confusing. But as an individual, I need to create daily....and for me, that's through baking and cooking and even writing. I feel good as the day ends, kids are tucked away in bed, dreaming of new adventures and I have cleaned and organized for the next day.  I then can be ME and come up with new ideas, ways to be creative.


The one way that I got to be creative today was baking! Double chocolate chip cookies....I then took the recipe(my own, I might add) a bit further, I glazed some with melted chocolate, and for the kids decorated them with sprinkles.......and all this CAME FROM MY IMAGINATION...and it makes me SMILE!! 

See what happens with a little creativity and imagination.....YUMMY COOKIES!!

Perhaps I need to go into business.......any takers??

Have a good night Dear Readers!!!

It was a GOOD Easter!!!

Easter just passed...done for another year...time to detox my system of Cadbury Chocolate Mini Eggs...my WEAKNESS!!! You CANT stop eating them....you CANT!! The bunny brought a FAMILY SIZE bag and left many in a crystal egg....although when "he" was pouring it into the dish, some rolled away....across the table and onto the floor...its amazing how much noise that can make at 4AM!!!  Quickly "he" picked it all up and most went into "his" mouth..."he" believes in the 5 second rule!! Once everything was placed about and hidden, "he" drank two glasses of water and went to bed...."he" was done for another year!

Josh was the first to wake, 6AM......off to the bathroom and back to bed. I laid there awake, I knew he saw the eggs near their bedroom doors and the purple basket...waiting to be used in the collection of the many EGGS! But he went back to bed and talked with Alex about what he just saw. He stayed in bed till going on 7AM, that's when Katie woke up and was excited..."the Bunny brought me a basket...look at the eggs!" It then began! The Easter rush to find the eggs, chocolate bunnies and anything else that the Bunny might have brought! And what was funny, all kids were looking for the hidden treasures and disregarded what was in PLAIN VIEW! Alex got excited and shook when he realized that underneath the shiny, colourful, wrapped foil was chocolate! He grabbed and collected the eggs and then made his way to the couch, where he climbed up top...and placed all his treasures in between his legs....he started to eat them...without taking the foil off!! The kids excitedly rushed about....they also found 2 movies and Princess Bedsheets. They were VERY happy!!

After coffee was consumed and we were presentable to the outside world, we headed to the Waterfront. There the kids and other kids played about, running from here and there...wearing off their sugar high! Parents sat or casually stood, watching their kids while sipping their Tim Hortons coffee. It was a BEAUTIFUL, mild, sunny morning! It was a perfect Easter Sunday! It was even MORE perfect when all KIDS napped in the afternoon. A Ham dinner followed...and off to bed they went. And just to think, it started off questionable....Matt was quite sick on Good Friday...but after much needed sleep....he was better!! And I didn't even mind the crowds at our local Walmart and Zehrs on the Saturday AFTERNOON!! It was one of those perfect Weekends where you wish you could push the pause button...and just live in it for a few days!

The BOYS love the water!!

Katie, being PROUD....she did the TWIRLY slide!

It was CALM until......

 I woke this morning a bit earlier...maybe deep down I knew something was going to happen!? But I got up any ways, started the coffee, the kids lunch and threw in a load of laundry(trying to get it done before 7AM......cheaper hydro rates). I then sat in the living room, in my Ladies chair by the window and glanced out at the quiet street...no noise anywhere. I got two mugs of coffee into me before the kids woke up! Then it was OVER!!

Madness began.......Katie threw up three times(only once in the toilet)...hence more loads of laundry and the higher rate of hydro one must pay! Katie then plugged the toilet...with a wad of tissues! I got a plastic bag, put my hand into and in the toilet bowl I went...and grabbed it out! Josh fussed over having a shower...and then when he got out, complained of stomach pains...to the point where he had a hissy fit and cried and slapped the table. His problem was HUNGER! Or so I think.....so far he is still at school! Then there is Alex.....all he wanted was milk and being able to play with his cars! During this I still found the time to do the dishes and tidy various things...while having my third and last mug of coffee.

I got Josh out the door on time for school....first showing him how to use the umbrella and telling him(like all Mothers do) don't poke someones eye out! And here we are now......its all quiet again...Katie is in bed watching movies, Alex is watching Treehouse and playing with his cars.....and the house is clean and organized and Josh is at school. Calm before another storm??? Its funny how we have these rushes...to the point where we think "what did I do, having these three kids...was I crazy!?" And then it passes and everything is good again.......