Birthday Wrap-up (although technically I still have another week to go)!!

When you still feel 25... the only thing that can make 32 sting a little less is some fancy dancy cupcakes! PC brought these babies home from the Flour Shoppe on Bank Street in Ottawa.  They didn't just look amazing, they tasted amazing too!

E helped me put out the birthday fire... H couldn't be trusted to A. stay away from the flames B. keep his hands out of the fancy icing!

32 also stung a little less when PC and the boys surprised me with a brand new MacBook Pro. I was shocked to say the least - I guess all my belly aching about my current MacBook being maxed to capacity didn't go unnoticed!

My b-day itself was kinda of a flop... we wanted to go sledding with the boys but the it was so damn cold that day, we didn't risk it. I settled for a nice lunch out with the fam and a little bit of shopping. That's the breaks when your born in January!

Thanks for all of the birthday messages, tweets, and FB shout-outs... they did not go unnoticed! Now let's hope 32 is a great year!

Baking Christmas Cookies

Every year growing up, my Mom made a point of baking Christmas cookies with my sister and I. It was one of those festive occasions I always looked forward to... and something I have always wanted to do with my boys.

Last year, when my Mom was down patiently waiting for Hudson to make his entry, she and E baked some cookies together and he loved it.  This year, although she was down for H's first birthday, cookie baking was not on the agenda!  I decided awhile back that this was the year I was going to have to go it alone (and by alone I mean with some very detailed guidance for the master herself).

In the fall, on a separate visit, my Mom gave me a tutorial on her secret 'cross between sugar and shortbread' dough recipe. At the time, we made a batch of dough and froze it so I'd have it on hand and ready to roll (no pun intended) when the time came.

Last Friday was rainy and wet, and the perfect day to do it. E was eagerly awaiting this activity and as head decorator and official taste-tester, he did a great job. H on the other hand was also eager and as quality control for the pre-cooking side of things, he swiped up two mitt fulls of cookie dough before we had a chance to scream 'Stoooooooooop'! What a boy.

We had a fun afternoon carrying on an old tradition for me, and making it a new tradition for the boys and I in our household. As per usual, the dough was perfect Mom, and I had two happy cookie monsters at the end of it.

What about you... do you bake Christmas cookies or have any other special traditions you like to carry out with your families during this season?

A trip to the Sand Road Sugar Camp!

Recently, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law purchased the Sand Road Sugar Camp... (soon to be renamed Sand Road Maple Farms), and this was the first weekend they were in full operation! PC has been there a few times helping tap trees, but this weekend was the first time I had seen the property this time of year.

We packed E up, and went down for a late breakfast. The place was jammed full of pancake hungry families... and the food did not disappoint. It was by far the best pancake breakfast I have had in a very long time! We will be back many times I am sure!

We took a walk in the sugar bush... and all I can say is that times have changed. No longer do they tap the trees and hang the metal pales on the spouts, and then go around and collect all the sap to make maple syrup. Now... they tap the trees and have a direct line that all of the trees connect to... and this allows the sap to flow directly into these huge holding tanks... which then they can use to make syrup and all other maple goodness (probably not the best description, but its what I observed in my short visit)! Its really something to see.

We spent a good chunk of the morning there, and a bit of the afternoon too. We had to call it a day two hours past normal nap time - and I think we can thank the maple taffy and all the people for keeping E running well past his prime!

If your in the area... or even a little outside the area, I would highly recommend a trip to the Sand Road Sugar Camp... you won't be disappointed with the food, the atmosphere, or the fun and friendly staff (wink wink)!!!

Uh-oh...all GONE!

My least favourite foods...

I was in the grocery store earlier in the week, and stumbled upon some of the Blue Menu frozen meals section. While I normally enjoy Blue Menu anything... I was disgusted to see that they make a version of shepherd's pie.

I hate shepherd's pie.... if there is one thing that should be banned from being made and mass marketed ... it's this menu item. I am sure some of you are thinking 'shepherd's pie... that's one of my favourite meals', but to me its just WRONG WRONG WRONG.

Mashed potatoes and meat or vegetables should NOT be mixed together. I come from the school of thought that different main menu items on your plate should not touch... EVER. Mixing up your potatoes with corn and peas, and whatever other vegetable you are eating is a major faux-paux.

It really disgusts me to see anyone taking their potatoes and then pressing their fork into their vegetable letting the potatoes suck up the vegetable before driving the fork straight into their mouth. I could literally puke on command when this happens (and my husband seems to be a leader in the food-mixing cult).

To me... all these disgusting factors are what makes up shepherd's pie, thus making it a major menu no-no in my recipe book.

Cream corn is also right up there in the least favorite food department. I think I was scarred as a child by cream corn. I don't remember the pivotal moment but I do know my Mom made it and tried to make us eat it on a fairly regular basis... it was definitely in the meal rotation on Algoma Street. I like corn on its own, but the thought of corn in some kind of watery soup base is also barf-worthy in my books... cream corn will never have the pleasure of taking up space in my pantry for as long as I live.

I also hate Goulash... for much the same reasons as shepherd's pie. The name alone is enough to not eat it... but the look of it, with all of those major food groups mixed and melted together... get me a bucket!

I also really detest peameal bacon... yet I like ham, so not sure why this is, but the smell of it when its cooking is...well... vomit material. I think I could actually be tricked into eating it... yet if someone told me what it was, I would have a totally different opinion of it. Its mainly the name of it that turns me off... I mean PEAMEAL... does that sound yummy to you? In University, two of my roomies use to buy this as a 'treat' and cook it up as a meal... I would be on the third floor of our house cursing them for an entire evening because the smell brought back nasty childhood memories!

I also think ... due to my high dislike for the mixing of foods... that also cuts out any type of stew! And I have smelt some good stews over the years. I think if I was blind folded I could do it, but visually looking at a stew... and again the name STEW, doesn't make it a candidate for my recipe book.

Those are the major least favourite foods in my world... I am sure there are more (liver... which I have never tried, but again the name is what rules it out for me), but the ones listed above take the cake for me. Do any of you share my distaste for these foods, or do you have your own list of least favourites you'd like to share?

T.O isn't such a bad place afterall!

This weekend I travelled to Toronto to visit my BFF (Kristy).... she's been there since November, and has now settled into a place ... so I decided to hop on the train and reintroduce myself to T.O life.

I haven't been to the Ontario capital since I was fairly young.... to put it into perspective, the SkyDome wasn't built the last time I was there. I sort of remember T.O. as a bit of dirty hole to be honest. But this weekend I was surprise to find out that its not how I remember it all.

Friday night we headed downtown and out for dinner to a place called 'Fred's not here' on King street. We had a great meal... and just got caught up on everything that has been going on in our lives over the last little while.

Saturday we met up with two good friends from University (KL & Bee, former members of 130-O) and headed to Yorkville for some afternoon shopping. I loved Yorkville... the stores were quite big and roomie... and there was everything you could imagine. The only thing I purchased was some new M.A.C. makeup... but it was well worth the trip!

As you can see from some of the pics below, we had a great time in Holt Renfrew trying out some new styles!

We decided to stay in Saturday night (yes... we are old) and order in from Spring Rolls... so good. It was actually better than going out to a nightclub and screaming over the music to talk to one another, as we were able to get caught up ... and tell some funny stories!

Sunday.... KL took the GO train back to Burlington and Kristy and I headed to the CN Tower, as neither of us had ever been to the top before. 28 years of living in Canada and I hadn't done one of the most touristic things in the country. It was quite the experience... first of all I am not a fan of heights... I get a little bit of anxiety when I think about it, but nonetheless, I still wanted to do it. The elevator ride to the top was a bit much for me... some 5 year-old kid was saying 'I'm scared Mommy', and I said to myself 'I know exactly how you feel kid!'

When we got to the top I was relieved to see that it was fully enclosed, so I relaxed a little. The view was spectacular. It reminded me a lot of the look out PC and I did in Boston, at the Prudential Centre... but I know we were much higher in the CN Tower. Kristy and I made our way to the glass floor, which is where I had a mini freak out... I didn't think I could do it. Luckily for me there was another lady beside me (my mother's age) and she didn't want to do it either, but in a moment of weakness, I grabbed the lady's hand and said 'C'mon, let's go' and pulled her on to the floor with me.... all the while, Kristy and the lady's husband were dying laughing at us. If I am going down, I want to take another innocent bystander with me! Luckily, the floor held up... and we all made it out alive!!!

After the CN Tower we had time for a stop at Starbucks... and then I headed back to the train station to catch my ride home.

It was a great weekend... and I realized that T.O is a city that I actually like... its a nice getaway. I still don't think I would want to live there, but its definitely a place I want to go back and visit more, and with Kristy there - I definitely will.

Here are a few pictures from my weekend excursion.
Enjoy!

Spicing up salad

I have been on a bit of a salad kick lately... buying large amounts of lettuce (from Costco), and cutting up veggies, like it's my only profession.

I find that I can add a few different things to spice up my salads, but what really makes them unique is the dressing. A salad can just be a salad, but when you add in the dressing, it becomes a whole new ball game.

The only thing is.... there are sooooooo many dressings to choose from these days, I don't know where to start.

For instances, I have been in love with KRAFT's Sundried Tomato and Oregano for quite sometime, but now the taste feels old, and when I actually eat salad with that dressing, I find it kind of boring and blah. I seem to like to mix my vinaigrette dressing a lot with KRAFT's Three Cheese Ranch (TCR). PC swears by the TCR and Sundried combo... in fact today I tried to trick him with a no-name brand, and he was completely disgusted - he's hardcore about the Sundried.

I seem to enjoy KRAFT's Creamy Poppyseed light. I use to find the regular one a little too sweet and heavy for my liking, but the light version is so much better. I have also fell in love with PC's (President Choice's, not my PC) Sweet Thai dressing ... it's delicious... giving my salad's a whole other sweet/spicy taste. I love it. Not to mention my new romance with KRAFT's Mandarin Orange with Sesame. From time to time I also like to whip a lettuce-less greek salad... and love love love KRAFT's Greek Vinaigrette.

When you add these dressings, and some form of nuts, fruit, peppers, and onions... to a regular ol' bowl of lettuce, life is good, but I have to wonder if there is some secret dressings I am missing out on?

What is your favourite dressing, and what special ingredients do you put in your salad to spice it up?

If you haven't already guessed, this my attempt to nonchalantly get you share some salad recipes with me!

***NOTE*** Birthday wishes go out to Clapper, as in Erica D. Clapp, of the McMac-Clapp family. We celebrated her big day over the weekend, but couldn't let the actual day go unnoticed. As well Mrs. Alexis Riordan is celebrating her special day today too! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LADIES.