Sunday Dinner - Chicken and peas and chow mein

Mmmm!  This picture makes me hungry to have this meal again soon.  We made David Lebovitz's Olympic Seoul Chicken and paired it with Classic Chow Mein and Kylie Kwong's Stir Fried Snow Peas with Garlic and some steamed broccoli.

Mango ice cream for dessert.

I did all the chopping and measuring ahead of time so the cooking was nice and easy.  

We have really ground to a halt cooking wise over here.  We've been busy and I've been working a lot, and the kids continue to be so super picky.  The few new things I've made have been met with mostly negative reception, with makes it even less fun to do menu planning and cooking.  

I am actively avoiding it now by writing this and soon moving on to yoga and some work I brought home, but it must be done eventually....

things don’t always go exactly as planned

A MESSAGE TO OUR VINYL CAFE COMMUNITY

It is with deep sadness that the Vinyl Cafe family announces that Stuart McLean passed away today, February 15th, 2017, at age 68.

We are heartbroken. 

But we are also finding comfort in memories of our dear friend. 

Stuart always emphasized that the world is a good place, full of good people, trying to do their best. He believed in people’s extraordinary capacity for love and generosity. And he had faith in our ability to work together for the common good. 

He was, in other words, firmly committed to celebrating the positive, joyful and funny side of life. Stuart assured us that even in difficult times, we can find things to be grateful for and ways to laugh. Now that he is gone, we will try hard to do just that. 

Stuart connected us – to our country and to each other. He entertained us, he made us think, he made us smile. Occasionally he made us cry. And, through all of that, he reminded us that life is made up of small moments. We never know which ones will be forgotten and which ones will stay with us forever. 

So today, and hopefully every day, we’re going to celebrate Stuart’s life by trying to make each moment count and by being grateful for all of them.

We are certainly grateful for each and every moment we shared with Stuart. 

We will miss him.

PUBLIC TRIBUTE

There will be a public tribute at a later date. The family requests privacy at this time.

DONATIONS

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to:

The Stuart McLean Camp Kanawana Fund  

Stuart worked at Camp Kanawana for five summers, and he often said that it changed his life. This fund will help children and teens without the financial means to attend Camp YMCA Kanawana, a community where they learn to care for themselves, each other and the environment.

_______________________________________________

How Stuart Mc Lean took care of Canadians 

Creator of the Vinyl Cafe wove beguiling tales 

Book Club - Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

"Family first, work second, revenge third."

"Men watch out; the ladies are coming for your toys."

Chocolate Peanut Butter Streusel Cake

We had 2 birthdays to celebrate at work, and you better believe I volunteered pretty fast to make a treat for all of us.  It was time for cake.  It should always be time for cake.

The problem was, I volunteered the day before we needed the cake, and we had an activity 

that night, and some errands, plus the usual dinner/hysterical playtime/PLEASE 

everyone go to bed now so I can too time, and so I had no time to go to the store; 

I needed to make something with whatever I had on hand.

I grabbed my Bon Appetit cookbook off the shelf because I remembered from my 

testing how many wonderful desserts there were.  My first two picks had to be no'ed 

because I didn't have all the ingredients.

I landed on this super easy kitchen staple ready Chocolate and Peanut Butter Streusel Cake.  

 I know!   

In less than an hour the cake was out of the oven and cooling, and because of the streusel 

topping I didn't have to ice it, another bonus.  I was a bit worried that the edges were going 

to be rock hard as I'd had to add some extra cooking time, but the cake stayed nice and

 moist, which was a real bonus as it was a huge cake that lasted a long time.

Recipe : here!

Sunday Dinner - Italian Wedding Soup, bread and brownies

My Mom had gone for lunch with some friends and had Italian Wedding Soup 

and really enjoyed it.  She eats a lot of soup, so they bought the canned 

variety and hated it (as I told them they would, but...), so I made some 

for Sunday Dinner for her.  

When we lived in Calgary we used to go to a restaurant that had very good 

IWS, and also gave you free bread when you sat down.  Neither of us can remember 

the name of it, and so I googled IWS and Calgary in case maybe the restaurant 

had been featured in a publication and it would jump out me, but no luck.  But, one from 

Toronto's Metro News showed up in the search, (?) so I went with it.

I never would have put carrots in IWS, but it worked, and it's extra veggies, 

so there you go.  The soup was easy to make and everyone liked it a lot. 

 The only thing I would change would be to make more meatballs.  You need lots.  

Recipe here.

I made a batch (2 loaves) of Cheddar and Onion Soda Bread.  Excellent.

We rounded out the above with some salad and sliced meat.  

All 3 in the titles were new recipes - the bread was cheese and onion soda bread from 

Paul Hollywood's very good book 100 Breads, and the chocolate peanut butter brownies 

were from Ships of the Great Lakes.

Life List - Bonfire Beach Party

Taking Stock - February

Making : bread has once again become a favorite of mine.  Years ago, documented here, I got into bread making courtesy of some blog people.  I never was as hard core as them, but I really enjoyed playing around with different breads.  The passion went away for a while, but it's come back thanks to a clearance table find of Paul Hollywood's 100 Great Breads.  I LOVE this book.  If you see it, buy it.
Cooking : ugh.  UGH.  I'm still tired of cooking and tired of having to come up with ideas. 
Drinking :  Ice tea.  Water.  More ice tea than water.  Need to change that.
Reading: not much these days.  I've become a bit obsessive about reading articles on Facebook and Instagram about how the US and the world are going to hell quite quickly.  This shit is blowing my mind.  So reading actual books has taken a back seat, which I'm hoping to remedy quite soon.  I'm currently reading two books and enjoying neither of them, so that makes it even harder.  I feel compelled to keep going with both, in case they get better, but I would like nothing better than to abandon them both and move on. 
Trawling: the internet for article on the silk worm for The Boys science homework.
Wanting:a re-do on the American election.  You guys really fucked up.
Looking: outside at all the snow falling.  I don't find it lovely or peaceful.  Because I have to shovel it. 
Deciding: what to do this weekend got easier Friday afternoon.  The Boy is sick, so this is a low key weekend.
Wishing: that my stress eating habits would go away. 
Enjoying: my family.
Waiting: for Spring!  I know, it's only the beginning of February, but I can't wait for green grass and warm breezes and walking outside because I want to, not have to.
Liking: this new coconut oil I bought - for your body.  I've had very bad dry skin on my hands this winter - it cracks almost daily - and this is helping a lot. 
Wondering: why people can't just be nice.
Loving:those who love me back.
Pondering: why people choose hate over love.  Why they hide behind masks and sayings and pretend to love and proclaim positivity but turn around and judge those who are not exactly like them.
Listening: to Prince and George Michael. Thank you Wal Mart for $5 cd's.
Considering: if we can do some needed home repairs ourselves, or if we are going to have to hire someone.
Buying: from the health food store adds up fast!  I went there the other night to get some chia seeds and vitamins and the brand of body lotion and soap we've started using.  I abandoned the vitamins and got some deodorant for myself, which I've been wanting to try a more "natural" one for a while now, but holy hell, what a price difference between the regular stuff and the natural!  I bit the bullet last night.  And nearly shrieked out loud when the cashier announced my total.  I also bought an empty spray bottle so I can make some natural body spray.  Any suggestions?
Watching: no tv lately.  I watched part of a Christmas special from the Great British Baking Show last weekend, but that was the first "grown up" show we've watched in weeks.  However, we recorded the new Ghostbusters to watch with the kids, and I am excited about that. 
Hoping: for change in the world.  Women are not second class.  Neither are Africans, Muslims, LGBTQ, the poor, the ill, refugees, immigrants.  We are all one. 
Marvelling: at the stars in the sky.
Cringing: at America.  Really, is there any other answer right now?
Needing: to read more.
Questioning: everything.
Smelling:  nothing,  This one is so weird.
Wearing: A few less options from my closet lately, thanks to this 10 pounds I gained last year that does not want to go anywhere.
Following: or leading?
Noticing: less of the people who are showing me how little they care.
Knowing: that you can't control the actions of other people. 
Thinking: that this is not the world that I want for my kids. 
Admiring:strong women, who hold themselves and other women UP.  We are in this together.
Getting: broker because we bought not one, not two, but three appliances/gadgets for the kitchen last weekend.  A new toaster oven, a new rice cooker, AND a new spiralizer to replace this one.  We are already in love with the toaster oven and hopefully the other two will be unboxed and used soon.
Bookmarking: recipes.  Yoga articles.  Same old.
Disliking: the news.
Opening: my first jar of Earth Balance Coconut Peanut butter yesterday.  I was the only one in the family who liked it. 
Giggling: at Hello, My Name is Doris. Oh, and then crying. 
Feeling: so much better with daily yoga.
Helping: myself with meditation didn't work.  I can't get my mind to stop.  Frustrating. 
Hearing: the sounds of silence.
Celebrating: some big things this year.  Big birthdays and stuff.  You know.
Pretending: everything is ok.
Embracing: life.

Childhood foods part one

It's pretty fun to watch the kids grow and change and develop their personalities.  

The Boy is thoughtful but silly.  Opinionated and kind.  

Our girl is independant but shy, adventurous but so sensitive and intuitive.  

Food wise, The Boy is NOT an adventurous eater.  He hates mushrooms with a passion, and doesn't like pie of any kind.  He refuses to try spicy foods, and thinks cheese pizza is the height of gourmet dining (he may not be wrong....) yet LOVES sushi.  It's still pretty early for The Girl, however right now she is not a fan of meat of pretty much any sort.  She loves milk (Mooey is the word for both milk and music and she loves them both a lot) and cheese and cucumbers and tomatos.  Avocado is on the outs now, along with sweet potato, but regular potatos and peas are ok most of the time.

I like to think I wasn't a picky eater as a child, but I probably was.  I didn't like fish.  Spinach.  Refused to eat lamb - I had a stuffed lamb that I adored and was horrified my parents would want to EAT LAMBIE - and nothing they said could sway me.  I hated sweet potatos but my mom only served them at Christmas so that wasn't a big deal.  

Do you have a lot of favorite foods?  I do, and some I haven't eaten in years and years.

In Grade 2 - yes I can remember back that many years ago - we learned about the pioneer times and one day my teacher showed us how to make butter in a jar.  We all took turns helping the shake the jar and then we each got our own little plate of saltine crackers smeared with butter.  I don't know what it is about that combo but I still love it to this day.  Salty and rich and crunchy and comforting.

A friend likes to put buttered saltines in her chicken noodle soup.  I tried it on her recommendation, but I could take it or leave it.  There must be plenty of crackers around when it's chicken noodle soup time, however.  Just not buttered.

The Boy feels differently about CNS - he likes to dip and nibble on a cracker or two, but that's about it.  He's a fan of spooning up the broth first and eating the noodles later.  The first time I saw him do that it reminded me of how my cousins and I used to eat chicken noodle soup and my grandmothers house - she would give us straws to suck up the broth, and then we would chase the noodles around the bowls with our spoons.

My grandmother also used to serve us ham sandwiches with potato chips right inside.  

I haven't had that in years and years, but it still sounds so good, and comforting.

One final story about my grandmother - she made what I considered to be THE BEST lemon meringue pies.   For years, every time I went to visit her she would make one for me.  And then nag at me to eat the whole thing before my visit was up.  I was so loyal to her pie - no other LMP came close to hers.  When she passed away, the family was at her house to clean it out.  The grandkids were asked what sort of mementos we would want.  I tearfully replied that the only thing I wanted was her pie recipe.  My mom looked at me funny and said - she didn't have a pie recipe.  She used a box mix.  I never knew!  

More soon........

Good recipes to try

I don't often take photos of food - not that my photography was ever great, but I just can't be bothered, after rushing home from work to say hi to everyone, and heading into the kitchen to try to cook as fast as I can so we can have some time together before the bedtime routines start.  Who wants to waste time trying to make some chicken look ok on a plate?  Not me.

I made two really nice recipes in the last week or so - Bang Bang Shrimp and Japanese Chicken Meatballs.

The shrimp was a bit fussy - you are breading and frying shrimp, so of course it is, but it was so delicious.  And the sauce!  Spoon-worthy.  We didn't make the tacos, just the shrimp.  But this would be so good as tacos.

The meatballs were an unexpected hit - and both will be in rotation in the future.

Link - bang bang shrimp tacos

Link - japanese chicken meatballs 

Birthday cake

2!  Good gravy.  It's loud over here, y'all.

I was completely out of cake ideas for the big day, so I resorted to asking the (not yet 2) birthday girl what kind of cake she wanted.

"Strawby."

Ok, sure, it's December, but a strawberry cake you shall have!

I found the exact same recipe on Pinterest over and over, with differences in the method, and most of them didn't make sense, so this is what I did to end up with a pretty nice Strawby Cake.

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1½ T baking powder
¾ t salt
¾ cup vegetable oil
1½ cups pureeed strawberries
1 t vanilla
1 t lemon juice
4 eggs

Pureed strawberries - just throw your strawberries (thawed if using frozen) into a blender or food processor and whiz until smooth.

Note:  Even though your batter will be a pretty pink, your cake will not.  If that's important to you, add some food coloring.

Beat the sugar and oil together until thick and smooth.  Add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat again.  Add in the flour, baking powder and salt,and mix.  Add 2 eggs, mix again, then add the other 2 eggs.

Pour cake into pans - this is a lot of batter, so you'll need a big bundt pan, or square pan, or at least 3 9" cake pans.

Bake at 325' for 20-30 minutes, checking at 20 if you think the cake is getting close.

Remove from oven, let sit 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Delicious with whipped cream!

Book Club - Trans-Sister Radio by Chris Bohjalian

Nothing -- and I mean nothing, Carly Banks -- is crazy if you're in love.

Book Club - tiny beautiful things by Cheryl Strayed

"The best thing you can possibly do with your life is to tackle the motherfucking shit out of love."

"Addiction is a tunnel that wakes you up in the middle of the night.  Everything else happens out here in the light."

"You cannot convince people to love you.  This is an absolute rule.  No one will ever give you love because you want him or her to give it.  Real love moves freely in both directions.  Don't waste your time on anything else."

Breakfast Tacos

We are a taco family, and that extends to breakfast time too - 

Breakfast Tacos! 

Super easy to make and to customize how you like. 

This meal we cooked up some sausage, scrambled some eggs, 

and piled them on the tortillas along with 

salsa, avocado, cheese and sour cream.

A fast meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner in minutes.  

And sometimes, the kids will eat some too!

Mighty Life List - Let's Get Crafty - Make a T Shirt Grocery Bag

This was a cheap T shirt that was not (ahem) fitting me well. 

Too short and very unflattering. 

So it was time to go! 

I cut the back of the neck off to match the front. 

Since the sleeves were very short, I left them. 

It makes for thicker handles, but I am ok with that.

Turn the shirt inside out and cut the bottom into strips.  

I discover that none of our scissors are very sharp.

Start tying the strips together, back to front.  

Then, side to side.  And doubled knotted. 

 It got pretty confusing to keep the strips in 

an orderly fashion, but I did the best I could.

 

A bag!

I turned it right side out and peeked inside.  

I could see light from two fairly big gaps, 

so I did some extra knots over those areas.

Here`s the bag loaded with some light bulbs.  

I wouldn`t load this up with anything heavy, 

but for light jobs, it`s perfect!

See the tutorial here at Hello Glow.

Our first attempt at zoodles

I jumped on the veggie noodle train back in 2015 by buying a handheld spiralizer, then 

going home and shoving it in a drawer and forgetting about it. Go me. 

But I really want to try all these interesting ideas for spiralized foods, so I hauled mine out, 

found a recipe for zucchini noodles with chicken and tomatos and went to work. 

Luckily for me, I changed my mind and didn't make it for family Sunday dinner, 

because good wasn't a word I would use to describe the end result. 

Here's some of the ingredients for our tasty sauce.

Here is the spiralizer.

Zuke noodles!

The problem is - the spiralizer I bought only has one setting and it is very, very thin.  

We managed to cook them to just tender-crisp, but adding the sauce weighed it down and 

turned the noodles to mush.  It tasted ok and was edible, but it didn't look good and

 wasn't what I wanted.

So my veggie noodle dream is on hold right now until I can find a reasonable replacement to buy and justify spending the bucks on it.

If you have a recommendation for me, drop me a line!

Sunday dinner - Swedish Meatballs and cookies

I made Swedish Meatballs out of my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook from the '90's - and what a winner. 

 Total comfort food, and pretty easy too. 

I had to bake some treats for a cookie exchange at work, 

so I made a double batch of Baci di Cioccolati and boom!  Dessert was done.

I found these bags at the back of a cupboard in the kitchen - they were a Target purchase.  RIP.  

I know I've said this before - but these are just the best cookies.  

Very rich and the dried fruits add a lovely chewiness.  

As the kids today say, 10/10, would recommend.

Mighty Life List - Make Towel Animals - Attempt Two - Monkey

Here`s where the instructions are for the crab and monkey (and more)  - Make Towel Animals

Salt Bae

There is not much funny and good out there in the world right now, 

so let's embrace what we can. 

 Have you heard of Salt Bae?  The chef from Turkey with lots of flair?  

I'd seen his photo in a couple of posts on Instagram, but didn't understand, and then I came across this article on Buzz Feed earlier this week.   

I actually laughed out loud, y'all.

This article  has some of my favorites.

Find laughter and happiness where you can.  Today for me, it's Salt Bae.  

Happy Thursday.

Sunday dinner - lasagne, bread and ice cream

Sausage, Cheese and Basil lasagne from The BonAppetit Cookbook was the entree for this dinner.  It was a big hit.  Between using sausage instead of beef, and having pureed basil in with the cheeses, how could it not be?  So good.  Recipe here.  I used Italian sausage instead of hot, and was a bit skimpy on the cheese - we had less in the fridge that I thought, but it was darn near perfect.

The bread was a wonderful loaf from Paul Hollywood's Bread,  a book I picked up for $5 a few months back. I've cooked about 5 recipes out of it and each has been better than the last, with the slight exception of the pizza dough.  It was fine, but I've made better.

This one is called Pain De Campaigne, and is made with rye flour and oregano.  

The Mister picked it out and I wasn't too excited about it, but it was a lovely bread.

The Grandfather was over the other day to spend some time with The Girl while we were 

out with The Boy, and he thumbed through the book and made his own 

list of recipes he wants me to make for him.  What a guy.  

The ice cream was store bought but delicious - Island Farms Coconut Ice Cream.  

We've hit a wall with all the cookies and cakes lately, so something light and refreshing 

and optional that didn't require any effort or cooking sounded perfect to me.

Life List - Sunrise at the Beach

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