Friday Favourites

Linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favourites.  This time I'm combining it with Flashback Fridays.

With the weather being so cold, I have been dreaming of warmer climates.  One of my favourite things to do is to sit on a beach, in the sun shade (but still slathered sunscreen because I'm afraid of skin cancer now), listening to the waves, sipping a cocktail, and reading/falling asleep. This week I am flashing back to some of my favourite vacations where I got to do just that.

Cuba - The first time I went down South, I went to Cuba with a girlfriend.  We stayed in Cayo Coco, at Tryp (not sure if it is still there).  This was in 2003, before I had a digital camera, and before Facebook!

One of the best days when we got a hut

I am rocking a jean skirt, patterned tank, and some windswept hair

Dominican Republic - I travelled here with many of my friends that I graduated law school with, and Dave came too.  We stayed at the Bahia Principe in San Juan.  This was 2007.  It was really fun to travel with a big group of people. (Even though these are digital photos, you can really see that the quality isn't that good.)

That was my favourite shirt, I still think about it. 

St. Kitts and Nevis - We got to go here because Dave qualified for the club trip at his job, he's in sales.  We stayed at the Four Seasons in Nevis, so spoiled! This was also 2007, so we had back to back trips.

This was our first night there, and already into the wine

Beautiful views

Caribbean Cruise  - This wasn't exactly a beach vacation but we did enjoy some nice weather at the pool, and spent one afternoon on the beach in the Bahamas.  This was a trip we took with my mom and her husband, and my grandparents.  My grandfather died a year later, and my grandmother has also since died, so it was a really special trip.  This was 2011 when we celebrated my 30th (and Dave's 30th), my Mom's 60th and my Papa's 90th birthdays.

Our whole group

Exploring the ship one day and we run into Nana and Papa, may as well stop for a drink.

Nana, me and Mom

This was our actual beach day and Dave found a game of volleyball.

Punta Mita, Mexico - This was another club trip earned by Dave, so another stay the Four Seasons.  I was five months pregnant here (so also 2011), so no Coronas or margaritas for me, but I did enjoy a massage and a lot of virgin pina coladas. (By the way, I cannot say pina colada without then singing "I like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain"...anyone else?  hah, I bet you're doing it now!)

We've never taken E on a beach vacation, although he has visited a few Canadian beaches.  I don't know if a trip down South is in the budget this year, but we will look forward to introducing E to a tropical climate at some point (I'll still get to drink all day and read/fall asleep on the beach,  right?...err?).  If you have any tips for taking a toddler down South or destinations/hotels that you'd suggest for family vacations, leave a comment.

Happy Friday!

Recipe - Portobello, Kale and Gouda Paninis

After indulging over the holidays, we have been focusing on lighter suppers. I like eating a few meatless meals a week, and nothing is better to me than a grilled cheese.  This version kicks it up several notches, so although it is just a sandwich for supper, it is still a special meal.

Portobello, Kale and Gouda Panini

4 cups fresh kale
2 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt

4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
4 generous slices gouda
8 slices sturdy bread, like French, ciabatta, etc.
olive oil

Place kale, garlic, lemon juice and chili pepper flakes in a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth, drizzle oil in as you keep blending.  Season with sea salt to taste.

Grill mushrooms until soft, about four minutes per side.  Remove from heat and slice into thick slices.  (You may wish to place them on a paper towel to absorb some of their moisture.)

Spread the kale mixture on the bread, top with sliced mushrooms and cheese.  Cover with other slice of bread (repeat for all of the sandwiches).  Generously brush the bread with oil.  Grill until cheese is melted.

Media Wednesdays

Last week I provided a few thoughts on the season premiere of The Bachelor. I fully admit to being part of Bachelor Nation, and I thought I would share just how deep this "appreciation" goes.

First of all, I pretty much joined Twitter only so I could start following Bachelor people.   The second person I followed was Emily Maynard (update on her, she's married to someone she met at her church, and knew before gonig on The Bachelor, and expecting a baby in July), and the third person was Chris Harrison.  After every season (including Bachelor in Paradise) I follow more people.  I also follow a few of them on Instagram.

I also seem to have retained way too many details about the lives of past contestants.  For example:

- Peyton (from Andy Baldwin's season) and Chris L. (from Ali's season) got married and have a show  on HGTV.
- DeAnna Pappas and Michael Stagliano's twin brother (Michael from Jillian's season and Bachelor Pad) got married a few years ago and now have a child.
- Jillian is on Love it or List it Vancouver.  A favourite show of mine. And yes, she did have plastic surgery.
- Jason and Molly Mesnick are best friends with Desiree and Chris now that they all live in Seattle. Plus Renee from Juan Pablo's season lives there now and hangs out with them. She got married shortly after that season and is expecting a baby soon.
- Lesley Murphy from Sean's season lives in Argentina and has a travel blog.  I love her posts and am inspired to visit South America again soon.
- I was legitimately upset when I heard that Gia had died last year.
- Juan Pablo and Nikki put in an admirable effort, but they have broken up, shocking.
- Andi and Josh have already broken up, just this past week after they appeared together at The Bachelor premiere. She has a blog that I follow semi-regularly.
- I went out of my way to meet Juan Pablo and stayed at a bar by myself in Vegas to get this picture:

what is more telling about this encounter with Juan Pablo is that I knew he was a Toronto Raptor fan because Greivis Vasquez is also from Venezuela.  When I mentioned to JP that I was from Toronto and followed the Raptors, he got out his phone to show me pictures of him with Greivis and wearing a Raptors jersey.

See, way too much information about these people!!

The Bachelor has had a true positive effect on my life, in the form of this blog.  After following Sean on Twitter during his season, I always saw him tweeting at his sister, Shay, and then she appeared on the season a few times.  So I saw that she has a couple of blogs - a foodie blog and her family blog - and started reading those daily, as well as some of her friends'.  After reading all of these, I was inspired to start this blog.  I also refer to Shay, Andrea, Erika, and Shaeffer as my "friends in Texas" and I get so many ideas from them for recipes, activities for kids, fashion choices, etc.  I feel like my life has been enriched since becoming involved in this blog world, and to think it all started with The Bachelor!

So although the show seems ridiculous, and it is, there have been a number of great things that have inspired me, so I don't think it's all bad.

Weekend Recap

Even though I didn't take a lot of time off over the holidays, and the longest stretch I was off was three consecutive business days (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day plus the weekend), I found it difficult to be back at work last week.  It felt like a long week and it took me a couple of days to get back into a good work routine and actually get something accomplished.  So needless to say Friday was a welcome sight.  I left work a little early on Friday so I could take some time to walk up the street and do some errands - I picked up some bread and buns at a bakery, some meat at the butcher, and some snacks.  Although it was still cold out, I enjoyed the walk.  We had burgers and salad for supper.  Then Dave and I watched "Seven Pyschopaths".  I had never heard of it, but it was pretty good. Christopher Walken and Colin Farrell's eyebrows can make any movie great.

On Saturday morning we got up early for swimming lessons.  This was E's first time in the pool with just the instructor and other kids, no parents.  He did great, and even though he fell off the side of the platform where it was over his head, he enjoyed himself.  I didn't take any pictures because I forgot you're not allowed to take pictures at the pool.

In the afternoon we visited with some new neighbours and E played with their kids while we enjoyed some coffee and cake in the kitchen.

We invited some friends over for supper on Saturday night and to watch the football playoffs.  I made a Moroccan lamb stew, and our friends brought a salad.

On Sunday we walked up the street to try a new restaurant for brunch, Good Fork.  I had the Nova Scotia Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, Dave had the Spanish Hash, and E had the mini pancakes (which were actually not that mini, just smaller than their regular pancakes).  It was all very tasty and we will definitely go back.

Our family rule is only two out of three people get to wear plaid at a time.  This time E had to change his shirt. 

Yummy breakfast.

We skipped church to go to Target and the grocery store.  And we made it home in time to watch the entire Green Bay Dallas game.  I am a Packers fan so I was obviously pleased with the outcome.  I think whoever wins next week between Green Bay and Seattle will win the Super Bowl.

We had popcorn for lunch

My view for the afternoon

After being lazy for the entire afternoon, E and I went for a little walk around the block.  It was so warm today (only minus one!!) so it was actually pleasant to be outside.

You can't really tell how big this tree is, but it is massive.

A slow walk home with a stick

Happy guy

Nothing fancy, but a great weekend nonetheless.

How does she do it?

Time Management.  One of my least favourite phrases.  I dislike this term because it doesn't really make sense when you think about it.  You can't manage time, it is a constant, it carries on regardless of your actions.  Instead, you need to manage yourself.  

At least once a week someone will say to me "I don't know where you find the time to [choose one - write your blog, sell Arbonne, exercise, read your book club books and other books, cook all those meals, and/or work full time]".

Well I will let you in on my little secret, or my "philosophy", if you will - Do the things you enjoy and you'll find time to get them done.  That sounds almost too simple, but really that's it for me.  I could probably sleep more, or spend more time at work, or have a cleaner house, but I don't.  Instead I spend pretty much all of my time doing things I enjoy.  Even when I'm sitting around the house in the evening, I'm often working away on something.  And maybe I stay up too late watching TV, but at least I'm still doing something worthwhile, which is spending time with Dave.   And speaking of Dave, I am very fortunate to have a husband that picks up E from school, cooks dinner, cleans up, takes turns putting E to bed, and running errands.  That definitely helps me fit in all of the things I want to do.

I once heard someone say "Comparison is the thief of joy", and that is so true.  I compare myself to others on a daily basis, and I could name a million things that other people are doing that I'm not, but that's not really helpful.  Instead you should just focus on what you're doing, we are all different people with different priorities.

While we are on the topic, work life balance is another phrase I dislike. When you phrase it like that, it sounds as though work and life are separate, and the conclusion is therefore that your work is not part of your life.  I love being a lawyer (most days), and if I didn't consider my profession as part of my life, then I shouldn't be doing it.  

Seize the day!

Friday Favourites

Linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favourites.

1. One of my favourite meals.  Baby spinach, roasted potatoes, cheddar cheese and a fried egg with a runny yolk.  The original recipe was from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine, but it involved a dressing and special cheese.  This is simpler and so tasty.  

2. The Book of Negroes miniseries started this week.  Part of this book was set in my hometown of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, and they filmed part of the miniseries there too.  In Canada it's on CBC on Wednesdays, in the US it's on BET in February.

3. Last weekend E made a snowman but after it fell over (rain) we put the carrot in the backyard thinking the squirrels would like it.  It was gone the next day so I took E outside to try to figure out who took it.  We found the tracks and looked up what they could belong to.  I think it was a rabbit, the tracks looked like this.  Too big to be a squirrel, but not a raccoon because it was hopping and the tracks were smaller than a raccoon would be.  There are apparently wild rabbits in Toronto although I've never seen one. 

4. Two of my favourite shows started this week. I wrote down some thoughts about Downton Abbey and The Bachelor on Wednesday's Post.

5. I am a fan of podcasts, as I've mentioned on here before.  I found a couple of new ones and expanded my listening choices. 

Happy Friday Everyone!! Thanks for stopping by!

Favourite Kitchen Gadgets

Thursdays usually have a bit of a food theme, and today is no different.  I wanted to share some of my favourite kitchen gadgets with you.  I did a bit of a preview of our new kitchen here, but here are some of things you'll find inside the cupboards:

Mixmaster - We got this as a wedding present from my office and I don't know what I did without it.  I love whipping up cookies and cakes in here, along with pizza dough.  I'm sure I don't use it to its full potential, but I like the way it looks on the counter. 

Casserole Dishes - These were a gift this year and I love them already. They are so bright and make everything look amazing.

Silicone Baking Sheets - I have a set for French Fries and a set for baking.  I love not adding extra grease to the recipe in order to keep the things from sticking, and I love not having to use tin foil to protect the cookie sheet.

Rasp - The big one is perfect for parmesan cheese, or zesting citrus.  I got a little one for Christmas for nutmeg.

Wooden/Metal mixer - I've raved about this little guy before.  So great for mixing pancakes or muffin batter.  And if works as a pastry cutter for pie crusts or biscuits. 

Griddle - This was also a wedding present and we use it exclusively for pancakes.  Maybe you think it's crazy to have such a big contraption for one thing, but we do eat pancakes often, and it is so much easier to cook them no a griddle with no sides, and with consistent heat.  I've also used it for cooking burgers in the winter rather than BBQing them, and for grilled cheese sandwiches when I'm making more than two.

Slow Cooker - I love my slow cooker.  It gives me so much joy to come home to a meal that has been cooking away all day.  Or better yet being at home while it cooks and smelling it all day.

Prep Bowls - These are a must for any cook.  We use many recipes that have several ingredients (I love you Jamie Oliver) and it is easy to get everything ready ahead of time and just dump the stuff into the pot just like they do on the cooking shows.  The big ones are also good for collecting your peelings, stems, etc. while you're cutting up fruits and vegetables.

Cast Iron Frying Pan - I got this at Crate and Barrel a couple of years ago, and it wasn't even that expensive.  We use it several times a week so it has definitely been worth getting.  The best is that it transitions so well from stovetop to the oven.