Meatball Sub Cupcakes

I found this recipe on Pinterest when I was menu planning for a recent visit from my 

Mother in Law.  I figured it would be an easy dish to prepare and sneak arsenic into, to off her.  Kidding!

She is a lovely woman.

I thought they were adorable, and that The Boy would like them.  And I had everything 

in the fridge or freezer already except for the crescent roll dough.

I went off recipe in two areas; I made my own meatballs - 12 from one pound of beef, seasoned with salt, pepper, onion and garlic, and I used herb and garlic cream cheese instead of plain.  I loved the flavor that it added to the dish.  If I only had regular cream cheese I would definitely 

spice it up before using it.  

Other than finding pressing the dough into the muffin cups a bit annoying, this was a really easy and really delicious recipe.  And the leftovers reheated well too, which is always a bonus.

Recipe : Meatball Sub Cupcakes

Book Club - Why Not Me?

"Throwing a tantrum feels good because you think you are ruining everyone's good time 

when you feel your very worst.  But the truth is, you're not ruining their good time, you're 

just giving them another good story."

"I want a guy who is a feminist, someone who knows that all that means is that men and women are equal.  A man who admires strong women, like Hillary Clinton or Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  But not that really accomplished woman from his office who seems cool and put-together.  I don't mean her.  I'd like him to resent her irrationally, actually.  I mean older, stronger women in the theoretical."

"People talk about confidence without ever bringing up hard work. That's a mistake."

Winging it - Lasagne Rolls

I was trying to use up a bunch of leftovers we had after a family visit, but I just 

had little bits of this and that - some shredded roasted chicken, 

about a cup of pasta sauce, a few slices of Gruyere cheese - not 

really enough of everything to make much of a meal for us. I didn't want to have 

to crack open another jar of pasta sauce to make a full meal.
I was trying to get rid of all the leftovers, not add new ones quite yet.

 What about trying something new - lasagne rolls? 

 Could I stretch the ingredients out far enough? 

Yes.  Yes I could.

I chopped up the chicken and cheese and added some mozzarella and a baggie of frozen spinach.

The great thing about the frozen spinach in the baggies for a meal like this is, when you take the baggie out of the freezer, quickly - before the spinach starts to thaw - crush the baggie in your hands.

This will crumble the spinach into little shards so you won't have to chop it.

Then I boiled 6 lasagne noodles and ran them under cold water to cool them down.

 Next!  The pasta sauce wasn't going to go far enough so I thinned it with a few spoons of water 

and then spooned a thin layer in the bottom of a shallow baking dish.

I divided the chicken mixture between the noodles and spread it out to cover the whole noodle, then rolled them up and placed them seam side down in the baking dish.

The rest of the sauce was drizzled over the top, and then topped with a bit more shredded mozza.

I baked them at 350' for about 25 minutes, until the rolls were 

heated through and the cheese was melted.

We all really liked these - especially The Boy, shockingly enough.  He even requested 

the leftover roll be saved for his dinner the next night!  

Lasagne rolls were way easier than I expected them to be.  

The Mister is a big pasta fan, so we'll have to try some other variations soon.

Update, 10 years later

I was in my blawg archives the other day looking for something, and I came across a silly post I did on November 5, 2005.

2005.  2005!

10 years ago.

My god, time flies.  I can actually remember writing this too.  Crazy.
So much has changed.  We live in a different city.  We've got kids.  We've had some big ups and downs, just like everyone does.  We are not the same people, in good and bad ways.

But what about the really important stuff?  The stuff that really matters?
The vital questions like, do I still like pancakes more than waffles?
And, what IS the color of my pants??????
Burning questions, my friends.

So let's compare the me of today with the sillier me of 10 (TEN! OMG) years ago -

5 movies you've seen recently
2005 Answer - 
Batman Begins (because Scott wanted to see it)
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (kind of funny)
Super Size Me (freaked me the hell out!)
A Very Long Engagement (wonderful!)
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (i love harry potter)

2015 Answer- with bonus comments as per 10 years ago
The Wedding Ringer (meh)
Mad Max Fury Road (I'm too old for this shit)
Serena (disappointing)
The Theory of Everything (fine)
Peter Pan (Disney version)

5 random songs from your mp3 player
2005 Answer -
Smoke and Ashes by Tracey Chapman (such a good cd)
Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall (this one always cheers me up)
It's a Sin by Pet Shop Boys (the 80's!)
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness (they crack me up)
Are We The Waiting by Green Day (I love Green Day and I always will. Especially Mike Dirnt.Grrrrowl!)

2015 Answer (MP3 player, lol)
Style by Ryan Adams
Diamond Mine by Blue Rodeo
Here's To The State by Eddie Vedder
Eyes of a Stranger by The Payolas
Gangham Style by Psy (ahem)

Yesterday I...
2005 Answer -
was completely stressed out at work. Went home and had a couple of drinks, watched tv and went to bed.

2015 Answer -
Dyed my hair.  The Boy did not like how dark it came out (me either). After a long fun discussion on WHY I have grey hair, his final question to me was "Are you a grandpa?"

Today I...
2005 Answer - 
am completely stressed out at work. Have to go pick up my car from the shop and go to the gym before going to the grocery store to find something for dinner, then go home, make dinner, eat dinner, clean up after dinner, then go to bed. I'm tired today.

2015 Answer - 
Baked cookies.  I was craving cookies. They turned out crappy.  Thanks, link from twitter.

Tomorrow I...
2005 Answer - 
hope to sleep in.

2015 Answer - 
hope to shower.

What are you listening to right now?
2005 Answer - 
Green Day, baby!

2015 Answer - 
The Daily Show

What color of pants are you wearing?
2005 Answer - 
Um, I'm wearing green pants, with a brown shirt and black shoes. Did I mention I'm tired today?

2015 Answer -
No pants!   Huh.  I guess I should have thought about that before I teased about an exciting answer to the question in my intro.  No pants because I'm in my nightgown, btw.  I'm not a no pants weirdo.  Yet.

What's on your mouse pad?
2005 Answer - 
Here at work, it's plain black. At home it has a bulls eye on it.

2015 Answer - 
No mouse pad!  I use the chair arm.

Favorite meal - breakfast, lunch or dinner?
2005 Answer - 
dinner.

2015 Answer - 
breakfast food for dinner.

Favorite snack?
2005 Answer - 
Plain pita chips. In the summer, fresh fruit.

2015 Answer - 
Doritos

Favorite non-alcoholic drink?
2005 Answer - 
Water or a smoothie.

2015 Answer - 
Water or Ice Tea

Favorite alcoholic drink?
2005 Answer - 
Rye and Coke.

2015 Answer -
I don't drink anymore.

Pancakes or Waffles?
2005 Answer - 
Pancakes. My stupid waffle iron NEVER works.

2015 Answer -
Waffles.  And I have a new(er) waffle iron.

Pasta, Rice or Potatos?
2005 Answer - 
Potatos.

2015 Answer -
Potatos

What site is a must see for visitors to your city?
2005 Answer - 
I guess the Calgary Stampede. We also have a very nice Zoo.

2015 Answer -
I would say walking trails.  The River Trail on the North and South shores, the West Highlands Trail.
Sun Peaks.  

Stretch your right arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?
2005 Answer - 
My printer.

2015 Answer -
a cookbook.

What is the last thing you watched on TV?
2005 Answer - 
The MTV Europe Awards last night.

2015 Answer -
The Daily Show

With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
2005 Answer - 
My desk fan. Our office building is incredibly warm today.

2015 Answer -
The TV.

When did you last go outside?
2005 Answer - 
Just before noon. I walked to Tim Hortons and got a bowl of chili.

2015 Answer -
About 8:30 pm.  I went outside to see how warm it was and if I could see the stars.

When did you last laugh?
2005 Answer - 
Last night.

2015 Answer - 
About 8:00, while talking on the phone.

What is on the walls of the room you are in?
2005 Answer - 
Some pictures, some work certificates, a calendar and a SpongeBob Squarepants sticker.

2015 Answer - 
Family photos, a couple of paintings we bought from the Leighton Art Centre in Millarville Ab.

Tell me something about you I don't know
2005 Answer - 
I am terrified of dogs.

2015 Answer - 
I never liked the show Seinfeld.

Two truths and a lie. Which is the lie?
2005 Answer - 
I have a hard time sleeping on a regular basis.
I graduated from University.
I used to be a vegetarian, but one day I had an overwhelming desire to have a ham sandwich.

2015 Answer - 
I have a brother.
I just had a birthday.
I love to read.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?
2005 Answer - 
Morning person.

2015 Answer - 
Morning person.

What color is your bedroom?
2005 Answer - 
White.

2015 Answer -
Beige.

What color is your bathroom?
2005 Answer - 
White. We haven't painted anywhere in the house yet. We are still trying to get the basement finished.

2015 Answer - 
Beige.

What should you be doing right now, instead of this?
2005 Answer - 
Working, but my boss is out of town this week, so I am having an extended lunch.

2015 Answer -
Nothing super pressing.  I guess I could be reading...

Well, I think we've all learned some important stuff here tonight.  Like, I'm still boring.
And I should read more and scroll through my archives less.  And maybe get more hobbies?

Original post here.

Grocery Shop October 19

Action shot!

Potatos,salsa, Star Wars cookies, coffee creamer, iced tea, milk, carrots, blue cheese dressing, salad, oranges, bananas, avocado, raspberries, bread, sliced turkey.

$54

Salmon Arm, BC

My first chia pudding

I've been a fan of chia seeds for a couple of years now as a both a smoothie 

ingredient and for chia gel. Chia pudding seemed like a good next step, 

but I couldn't decide on a recipe to try.

I found a very nice sounding one on Food 52 using coconut milk (love it!) and pureed fruit.

Yes please!

Other than needing to puree the fruit, which really isn't a big deal, this is a snap to make, and only needs a couple of hours to sit before it's ready.

I really really liked this a lot.  Of course, The Mister and The Boy did not, but whatever. 

The coconut milk and fruit make the pudding thick and creamy. 

I could see this being a great breakfast when I go back to work, or an afternoon pick me up snack.

Recipe: Chia pudding

Gasthaus on the Lake

Final Penticton post!

 Our last couple of days in Penticton were very very smoky from the fires. We'd planned to hang out at the pool on the last day, maybe go for one final walk, but we pretty much got up 

and started packing to try to get away from the smoke.

Of course packing up and jenga-ing the car took a while, and once we'd made a final stop at the butchers and farm stand, it was time to consider lunch on the road.

My parents suggested Gasthaus on the Lake in Peachland.

The restaurant was so charming -it has a spectacular patio area that I would have loved to sit at, but because of the smoke we sat inside.  The inside is pretty cool too - tons of wood and tchotchkes.  The have an enormous fireplace - truly gigantic - and a massive wine bottle drip candle.  Huge!

The Men both had the daily special.  Schnitzel, spaetzle, currywurst and caesar salad. 

This was a winner lunch.  The currywurst was THE BEST.  I must make it.

The Boy had a pizza and ate the whole thing.

If you are into special nights, you may want to check out Schnitzel Nights on Thursdays

And a Medieval Feast.  Sounds so cool.

Gasthaus on the Lake

How to: Freeze Spinach

This is a, I think, helpful share for an easy way to store spinach and add it into your meals.

I buy those big bags of spinach that cost only a few bucks and pack one or two large
handfuls into baggies and freeze them. 

Then they're available anytime to be added to smoothies, curries, soups,
rice bowls, pastas, stir fries.

Whatever floats your boat and needs some greens.  

Easy peasy.

Okanagan Almonds

One thing I found at the Penticton Farmer's Market that I was not expecting to 

see was locally grown almonds.  

The vendor offered The Boy and I one to sample, and they were 

delicious and such a cool find, I had to buy a bag.

Here's what they looked like - they had a beautiful green grey velvety outer shell.

The outer shell was split open, so it was easy to pull the seed out.  

It looks almost like a small peach pit.

Along one side of the shell is a ridge.  The shell is soft, so it's easy to pull/tear 

off the ridge down the side of the shell.

Pull the shell open, and.....

There is the almond!

Now repeat that for a whole bag, by yourself while sitting on a hotel bed.  It gets old pretty fast.

I was so excited by the purchase, and trying to keep an eye on all the family at the busy market, that I didn't think to ask the vendor how long they would keep, or any details like that.

I did a quick search on the internet on my phone, but didn't see anything about storing or keeping them, so we ate them quickly.  The texture was a bit softer than almonds you'd buy in the store, and slightly more delicious.  A fun find on our trip.

Bad Tattoo Brewing Company

We spent a rainy lunch hour at the Bad Tattoo Brewing Company in Penticton last month.

The Mister had it on his list of places to visit, and it worked out perfectly that we were 

only blocks away from it one day when lunch time was approaching 

and we needed some shelter from the rain. 

Bad Tattoo is in a gorgeous building with a beautiful covered patio.

I wanted to sit out there in the storm, but I was the only one.

The Men both had a sampler tray of beers.

Below, The Mister and The Waitress are discussing and pointing at The Beers.

When we were walking to our seats, we passed a couple enjoying the soft pretzel appetizer, and I informed the table that we too would be having that.

It was sooooooo good.  The stone ground mustard dip - omg.  OMG.

We also shared two pizzas.  The Fromaggio -

And the Carolina BBQ.

There was also a Caprese salad I didn't get a picture of.

All the food was great.  I heard the beers were pretty good too.

Website: Bad Tattoo Brewing Company

New plates!

We've had our plates for a long time, 8 years now. 

And they look it. Most are chipped, a couple have small cracks. 

The big plates are TOO big, and too heavy.

We've lost a few to outright breakage. 

Chips and cracks in something you eat off of isn't a good idea, so I decided 
to treat myself to a new set of plates. 

The thing was, I didn't want a new set of dishes.  

I love mismatched things.  If you've ever seen the way I dress, you know how true that is.

But I really do!  I don't like things to be too matchy matchy.  

I sprung my idea of not only new plates, but new unmatched plates on The Mister one day when he seemed fairly agreeable.  I didn't want him to have too much time to think about it.

He was, as I thought he would be, pretty "Whatever" about it.  

Figuring out where to look took a bit more thought.  I didn't want to do dollar store cheap, and although my first idea was thrift store, I decided I wanted new, not vintage.  
And the price had to be right too.

I stopped by Pier One on a whim and found just what I was looking for 
in the corner - the clearance section!

We picked out 6 small and 6 large plates.  2 of the large and 2 of the small are the same patterns of each, because they were The Misters favorites, but the rest are all gloriously different.  

I love how great these look on the table, with our mismatched napkins and mismatched place-mats (when we use them).  (The place-mats, I mean.  We always use napkins.)

The other thing I love is how reasonably priced the 12 plates turned out to be.  They ranged in price from $1.98 to $9.95 for one of the large plates that I just couldn't resist.  The total for all 12 - $64.62!  Including tax!

Way less than buying boxed sets would be, especially since we didn't need bowls, and 
I didn't want mugs.  Don't get me started on matching mugs.

Instagram - 40 books reviewed

I've reviewed 40 cookbooks from my collection now over on Instagram, and 30 are back on the shelf.

5 additional books were sent packing untested - another kids cooking book that held no appeal to The Boy or myself, 2 diet cookbooks that I didn't see anything worth trying in.  A tofu cookbook went too - while I don't mind tofu, the few dishes I'd already tried didn't deliver.  Canadians may be familiar with the last book  - Looneyspoons.  I've cooked a few recipes out of it over the years but was never a fan.  I'm not sure why I held onto it for so long, but it's outie now.

Below - a peek at some of the books I'm cooking from/will be cooking from soon.

Farmers Market September 19

We braved the rain for a visit to the market on the weekend.  

Didn't find a ton that appealed to us, but got some potatoes, squash, zukes, leeks and peppers.

The leeks were used that afternoon for a batch of Potato Leek soup.  One of our all time favorites.  

Only just over a month until the markets are done for the year.  

While I am glad to see a break from the super hot summer weather, 

this time of year makes me sad for summer to be over, for the sunrise 

to be later and sunset to be earlier.

I can't believe tomorrow is the first day of Fall!  Where do they days go!?!?

Coconut Whipped Cream

I finally jumped on the bandwagon and tried homemade coconut whipped cream. 

It requires a bit of planning in advance - you need to refrigerate a can of full fat coconut milk overnight, so that the cream gets super thick and cold, and separates from the milk.

When you open the can, scoop the thick cream into your mixing bowl, and save 

the watery milk for a smoothie.

Beat the cream until soft peaks begin to form.  At this point I stopped and had a taste, and then added some vanilla and a spoonful of icing sugar.  I didn't want it super sweet, but just a bit more 

than it was.  Next time I would add just a bit more sugar.  

Just add a bit, beat, and taste again until you are happy.

When the cream is nice and thick, after 5 to 10 minutes of whipping, you're ready to go!

We had ours with fruit for breakfast.  Delicious.

My annoying family told me they liked it, but then no one wanted to have it again, on fruit, waffles, or ice cream.  I had it with fruit a couple more times, and then threw the rest into a smoothie.

The cream holds up very well once whipped.  

It should last a good few days in the fridge.

Penticton Farmers' Market

The Penticton Farmers' Market goes on for blocks and blocks.  It's huge and busy and you can find pretty much anything and everything you can think of.