Move over Suzie!

So... Sunday was a big day of experimenting in the kitchen.

I say this because, I made two menu items that have NEVER been made at our house before.... and they both turned out rather well, so I feel as though it's just another notch on the ol' 'wife of the year' belt.

(*Pause for a moment... while my fellow ladies pipe down from hooting and hollering*).

On Saturday while grocery shopping, I came across baby back ribs on sale. Although I have never made ribs before of any type, I do enjoy the baby back ribs from places like Baton Rouge, Montana's, etc. I decided that for $8 I could take the chance and experiment with my culinary skills - if it didn't work out, we could always order pizza or Chinese!

Sunday afternoon, I started preparing the ribs, boiling the fat off of them, and then glazing them up with a sweet n' sassy sauce... I wrapped them up in foil tightly and began cooking them ... I re-glazed them up after about 45 minutes, and continued cooking them... they smelt delicious and to my surprise, turned out great! I added a little shrimp, some salad, and steamed veggies to our plates, and we had ourselves a very. good. meal!

However... obviously the meal wasn't overly satisfying as we were both wanting something sweet about an hour after supper. To this end, I got on the hunt for a (keyword:) simple Apple Crisp recipe, and thanks to Grandma Wilson's old church cookbook we were off and running. Within 25 minutes, PC had peeled and sliced up 6 apples, I mixed up the cinnamon and sugar, and the stuff for the topping, and by 9 pm we were happily eating apple crisp and ice cream while watching some Sunday night TV in our basement!

I have seen a lot of people make apple crisp over the years, but never paid any attention to exactly 'how' it was made. The fact that, in addition to my baby back ribs success, I took the notion to 'whip up' some apple crisp has me thinking I pretty much just stole the title of Suzie Homemaker right off of Suzie's back!

Yes... this post really has no logic behind it, other than to let me brag about my culinary excellence! But c'mon you have to agree you feel pretty darn good when you try out some new recipes and they turn out fantastic... please let me wallow in my success for just a few more moments!

Has anyone made anything they are extra proud of lately...? Please do share your success stories!

Turning over a new leaf

(CAUTION: Mom and Dad, do not choke when you read this... )

I am not sure what has gotten into me lately, but I have somehow managed to get my ass out of bed every morning for the past two weeks at 6 am.... in time to make lunches, brew coffee, and put dishes away or fold some laundry.

I know... little old me, known mostly for my accuracy of being late, grumpy, and down right ugly every morning of the year, but somehow... I've managed to turn over a new leaf and actually become responsible and productive 5 mornings of the week.

It seems, since my week of vacation at the cottage, I have been motivated to do something with my life in the mornings. PC is reaping all the benefits too... he basically doesn't have to lift a finger and his lunch and breakfast are starring him right in the face at 6:15 am.

I am surprised at how beneficial making and taking breakfasts and lunches are. I haven't been tracking it dollar for dollar, but I am convinced that between PC and I we are saving at least $40 a week. I don't buy anything from the cafeteria, unless it's a tea in the afternoon, and I am definitely not purchasing any binge snacks either.

And this may come as a shocker to everyone, but I haven't been stopping at Tim Horton's anymore. I've been early enough on my commute that I have time to stop if I wanted to, but I have no need to as I already have my home-brewed Timmy's in hand when I drive past my favourite morning establishment (trust me, it's hard not to go in just for my standard 2 Timbits... but I am surviving, so far!).

I am also finding that by eating breakfast, and the snacks I have packed for the day, I am less hungry at the those peak periods in the day, like 11 am, and 3 pm, when I normally will seek out some empty calories, from whomever is within the closest mile to me!

The other things that getting up early has also established for me is a brain single to take something out of the freezer for dinner. This is also become cost effective, because instead of loading up the freezer with meat that we never un-thaw, I am actually using it before it get freezer brunt (and trust me, I am very stringent about what constitutes as freezer brunt!).

Yes... this getting up early is definitely paying off for me (and PC too, although he likes to class my new routine as standard wifely duties - but that's a whole other post!). I am not sure how long I can keep up the 'new' me, as I am somewhat convinced that it's just an act - a short-term change in daily activities, and only a short-term change.... but one nevers knows. I at one point said that I didn't know how people got addicted to coffee, and look at me now... throwing punches if I don't get mine coffee first thing in the morning!

We are preparing to go on vacation Saturday, so I will get all of next week off from the 6 am schedule, but, if all goes well, this vacation should motivate me to continue with my early rising practices... and who knows, perhaps (perhaps being the key word here) perhaps make the changes permanent!

What's your prediction, do you think I can keep it up?

It's great being a WIFE!

Now this is the time of the year, that every wife says to herself 'it's great being a WIFE'.

I know many of you are probably thinking, yeah right... but well I was browsing some news articles on the web yesterday, and happen to come across two very interesting quick facts about Christmas shopping:

Canadian men spend an average of $216 on gifts for their spouse.
Canadian women spend about $158 on their spouse.

Gotta love those stats if your a WIFE. Your entitled to $58 more in gifts per Christmas.

You don't have to ponder very long to wonder why the numbers are seperated by the margin they are... but let's:

Is it because husbands love their wives more then wives love their husbands?
Is it because wives deserve more then husbands?
Or is it the simple fact that wives are pre-planning-purchasers when it comes to gift giving and husbands are last minute fools?

I think I will go with the latter.

Wives think in advance of what they will get their husbands... on the weekends they research, they shop around, they compare prices.... while men spend all of November watching NFL Football .... and when December rolls around, they have no clue what to get their wives, because while the wives were carefully dropping hints as to the gifts they would like to receive back in November... the husbands were on the couch, completely tuned out watching the game, but nodding as if they got the hints.

So... when December 20th finally arrives (and for some I know that is early) ... husbands across Canada ban together and hit the stores, buying luxurious, over priced gifts for their wives. Hence, the $58 seperation.

Really, in the grand scheme of things... who cares... if you're a wife these days you are making out pretty darn good, so let's not dwell on the logistics I guess. The best thing to do now is... start thinking of a gift that costs in the neighbourhood of $216 (that being the average which means its more like $250 for at least 35% of the population) ... and stop being subtle.... find a picture, draw a map of the store... and leave it next to the TV remote!!!

Good luck wives... !!!

Editor's note: I should confess that this post doesn't in anyway apply to PC. He's actually the exact opposite of the typical male shopper... he shops all year long (like his mother), and is rarely at a loss for ideas.... (thanks to my subtle hint dropping)... and being PC, he always finds a good deal... so even if he spends $216... he gets a lot for his $216... but the part about being tuned out on couch during the NFL games... COMPLETELY TRUE!).