Martini Momma

The small things

****My weigh in will be tomorrow***

It's funny how really small things can make your day.  Today Ivy and I ventured out to Polo Park to do some returns. She was so good while we were there that I was able to take the time to admire the fall fashion (and wish I had an endless supply of money to deck myself out in it). I absolutely love the Bay at Polo Park.  It's such a beautiful store with gorgeous clothes displayed everywhere you turn-some more affordable than others. Mollie told me that the new Dex line was super reasonable and really cute, that is in fact true.  Lots of beautiful sweaters, leggings, shirts all around the $25- $40 range if your getting tired of heading out to Joe for all things affordable. A nice relaxing day at the mall with Starbucks and baby.

After the mall we decided to take Daddy coffee and cookies to work.  He was surprised that we ventured to the other side of the city to see him. He always totes his daughter around proud as can be when we visit. He called me after we left to tell me that us showing up made his day.  It was just the afternoon pick-me-up that he needed to make it through the rest of his day. It makes me happy that he likes when we come visit.

When we got home from our adventure, Ivy went down seamlessly for her afternoon nap (you mom's know what a great feeling that is).  I was able to make dinner, tidy up, and I even managed to sit down with a cup of coffee and watch Oprah.  My husband walked in with the mail in hand, of course, bills bills bills. Is it just me or is getting the mail depressing? As I opened up our hydro bill I was pleasantly surprised- a $300 credit.  When do you ever get a credit?

Anyways, it made me think how the smallest things in life can make you the happiest.

How can you say no?

When I show you these pictures, you will know exactly why I am choosing to put out a little plug for these folks. 

 

These are the same breeders that we bought our Jasper from 8 summers ago.  I knew both John and Carolynne at the time as fellow teachers and have come to know them very closely as Jazzy's grandparents.  She spends at least a week with them every summer when our vacation plans are not so dog-friendly.  I adore them and I adore the puppies they keep breeding.  These are pure bred labs, English descent, so a bit of a smaller lab.  Our Jazzy weighs 56 pounds, which suits us just fine.  This summer, out of sheer luck or sheer craziness, all the litters ended up huge and there are a number of these darlings looking for homes.  There usual lengthy list of prospective families has been filled and a few sweeties still remain.  I almost left with one myself, I think hubby might have packed his bags at that point.  If you or someone you know is in the market, drop me a line and I'll give you the info.  I promise that these people are the real deal, no puppy mills here, they send a birthday card to our Jazzy every year! 

 
Last night all evening, I ate preservatives.  Sounds dirty hey?   It's so strange, I knew it was bad.  I knew that my personal trainer would have a cow.  But I kept eating.  I ate peanut butter by the scoopful.  The kind with added sugar.  I ate dill pickle chips.  I then switched to ripple chips and Helluva Good Dip.  Yes, I realize that Helluva is the nasty filled with crap dip.  But man was it good.  Sucks to felt guilty though after a good binge.

OK, today is Friday.  My man is leaving for Las Vegas on a work/business trip.  His office won a top performer vacation which of course had to be sin city.  Matters not to me as I have a good man.  The Hangover will not happen to me.  Lol.

Also this weekend, I am hanging out at Kath's house - which I am PUMPED about.  I miss her and don't get enough of her.  I only hope she steps up to the plate in the fun department seeing as she is eating basically nothing and is wine free.  Saturday night is dinner at our place to celebrate my momma's 60th birthday.  We are bbqing steak, complete with my delicious smashed potato casserole, greek salad, mushrooms and an ice cream cake.

I am pumped to be able to spend extra time snuggling between two little hunks.

Best of all, Gramps should be going home today.  He had good care in the observation deck at the hospital and is on big time meds to heal bronchitis.  He needs to exercise his lungs and get some rest.  Truth be told, we have had many hours of great conversation in the past few days.    Nothing better.

OK, it's go times, it's breakfast with Katie and Will, a way over due brow wax (NO THREADING), a lunch appointment and a week's worth of work in a wrap up report.  Time for a dark roast and a hearty breakfast, complete with Chia seeds - gotta love those crunchy little suckers.  Have a great weekend mommas.

Why limit happiness to an hour?

In true spring fashion, this weekend had many undertones of newness.  I can't believe it's mid March!@#  Firstly, can you say GRASS?  That's right, here in Winnipeg we have had a tremendous spell of warmth which means almost all of the snow has melted and I am thrilled about that.

The presence of green was inspiring to me.  I laced up and ran outside for the first time since Hawaii.  Awesome.  Happy.  Brent bbqed homemade bison burgers, complete with sauteed mushrooms and melted cheddar.  More happy.  

Our home needs some sprucing up.  New curtains perhaps, throw cushions.  So, me and my gang did some purusing for new, fresh looks for our house.   I am on a budget which means that you have to be more creatvie.  I am thinking I may need to hit up Home Sense.  Anyone out there got ideas on where to find fresh looks in the drapery department?

We also had our last swimming lesson for this session and I hosted a Pampered Chef party.  It was pointed out to me that this was my 3rd.  That explains why so many of my kitchen items rock.  This time I bought a new garlic press - I have heard that PC's is the BOMB - I use a lot of garlic, a new sautee pan and a wine bottle opener (go figure!).  As per usual, the 'party" went until the wee hours.  It was a total hoot.  Happy, happy, happy.

And as the weekend wound down, I tore open a bag of Caramel Apple Black Tea.  I steeped a cup with warm melt and melted into the couch with my man.  Yes, my box of new Spring 2010 flavors of Sisters Leap Exceptional Tea ariveed!  Yippee - so, so happy.  Also in my box is Mystic Strawberry Green, Vanilla Bliss Chai and Oolong Orange Blossom Oolong!  As I sip, I will be sure to share my insights.

Today I get to meet Will, Katie's new baby.  Super happy.  I also have a coffee with Gramps and I am heading to the garage to get my winter tires removed.  Yes, I am thinking optimistically! 

Here I go!

  

Hot and Sour Soup

Here is the recipe from the other day - thank you Bonnie Stern - I love your cook books and my friend happens to have contributed a recipe in the new one:)

10 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

2T cornstarch

1/4C water

6C chicken stock

3 leeks or 1 onion thinly sliced

1C bamboo shoots

1/2 lb firm tofu cut into thin strips

3T balsamic vinegar

2T soy sauce

2T frsh ginger root

1t sesame oil

1/2t pepper

1/2t hot asian chili paste ( I think next time I would add a bit more)

2 egg whites, beaten

3 green onions, thinly sliced

I also added chicken (cut up into small pieces raw to boiling soup) and shrimp

In small bowl blend cornstarch and water.  Add stock, mushrooms, leeks, bamboo, tofu and other proteins.  bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, pepper and chili paste.  Stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened (stir to prevent lumps)

Remove from heat and add egg whites, stirring constantly so egg strands form.

Enjoy!

Addicted to Silence and Kale Chips

I think I am addicted to silence.  As soon as it gets too noisy, too loud, too busy, too crazy I start to go mental. Even as a teenager I always loved a good night home alone ON THE WEEKEND with time to putter, re-arrange, organize, putter and be with silence and a great sleep.

With children you just don't get much time for quiet, in your own space, deep in your own thoughts.  This is something I need to find a bit more of in my life.  I thinking maybe an hour of quiet time for the kids and I where they spend it quiently reading, drawing, playing....and I with my thoughts.  Any suggestions on how to make that happen without them kicking down doors and my blood boiling.

Today, they were great but it was usy and loud and yes, of course fun but now I am finally in quietland and I am falling asleep - not the quiet I imagined.  Hmmm.

Ps.  My abs thank you for he compliment - who knew - P90X I guess but I still don't think they are that great of abs....women  - we are our biggest critics.  We celebrated with a pound of chocolate!

Pss. THis is my new fave treat of all time but be forewarned Kirby has banned me from chowing down on it because I turn into Water the Farting Dog as so the same side effect might happen to you.  KALE CHIPS.  When I saw this in a clean eating magazine and the comments said 'taste like real potatoe chips' I cried BS to the rooftops.  Then I made it and now I am eating, dreaming and farting Kale chips - even the kids love it!

Bunch of Kale, chopped into potato chips size pieces

2tsp olive oil

Mix well so leaves are coated

Spread onto baking pan

Sprinkle with sea salt

Bake at 350C until the are turning black and crisping up like chips

Inhale and Fart away....so good SERIOUSLY so good and healthy!  Try Them.

Pss. I am off this morning to a spin class at my new gym  oh so yuppie puppie.

Get Your Green On...

One of my goals for this year is to be greener any way possible.  This means for the environment and for our family too. I have to admit that when the whole environmental movement surfaced I kind of balked at the ideas purely because I was so caught up in the world of ease and conveince.....seriously rice that cooks in a bag in 2 minutes in the microwave......

As I began, searching out clean eating I came to find that it is all related (again....go watch Food Inc - can you even believe that cows can travel 1500 miles to be made into ground beef AND that one pound of ground beef can contain meat from hundred of cows).  Too much convienince is costly the planet big time and while so many things are cheap and easy NOW what will happen in the future? 

I know, it is a huge movement and as one person we many seem insignificant but they do have a point everytime we shop we are making a point and let's face we all shop!

Back to basics is the way we are trying to more.....want less, waste less, recycle, reuse....

Here are a few things we are doing around here....

1.  Reducing our plastic consumption - out with plastic containers and ziplocs.....do you think that plastics have had any impact on our current world health? These glass dishes make it easy and affordable.  They come in all different sizes and have a great guaruntee.

2.  Eating everything in our fridge and NOT wasting as much....this means lots of interesting soups at the end of each week.  I am thinking about bringing back a meal plan so we plan better our purchases to be used up entirely at the week's end.  I used to do it religiously and it was a great way to save money and never be without an idea for dinner or an ingredient.  It also saves you time from all those last minute shopping trips.

3.  SIGG Bottles - We are all carrying one of these cool bottles.  Fun, green, and well, who can't stand to drink a bit more water.

4.  The 100 mile challenge....This website is not entirely up to date but it does still give you some great ideas of where to shop.  Add to the mix, some GOMPF Bison.  Winter is hard because of our climate but two of my favorite summer stops are Fort Whyte Farms and Cramptons Market....

If you can't do local, try at least in season foods so to avoid the engineering of ripe perfect fruit year round.

5.  A recycle party! Who would have thought but this year at our last retreat, we all brought good stuff that was just no longer of use to use but in need of a new home - seriously, there was Lululemon, Matt and Nat bags, jewellery.  We swapped it all around and to this day I have receved more compliments than I can count on my "new" (Nat's "old") orange purse.  I saw a really cool idea on this blog about a party for her MIL where there was an auction of used stuff and the monies raised went to charity- how cool is this?  Audrey - HELP - can you send me the link to that exact post?

6.  Shop with these bags.  I gave one to my Mom for Christmas and she gave one to me...can you say same wavelength?  So cool, so useful and fun!  They are so small they can fit into a jacket pocket or a few can fit in your purse.

7.  This is not Green but GREENS.We have started adding this our smoothie every morning....Greens Plus is a 100% natural blend of 29 nutrient-rich Superfoods, Sea Vegetables and High-Energy Herbal Extracts. One serving of Greens Plus delivers more essential vitamins, trace minerals, live enzymes and high-ORAC antioxidants than 5 full servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, and provides every vibrant color in the dietary food spectrum.

So I am nowhere near perfect but we are trying our best! Any other ideas?

Back to life. Back to re-ality. Oh and we have a new puppy.

 
Even though my heart is still singing, life is moving forward.  And so is this blog.  Welcome to all of the new readers who have stopped in and checked us out. 

I imagine you must be wondering how does a torch runner who did a radio interview on this cool station, just jump back into life?  S-l-o-w-l-y.  And that was how we spent our weekend.  Slowly crawling out of the afterglow and into reality.  At Headquarters Team Parnell, we spent the weekend getting back into life.  We got back into swimming.  We got back into nature.  We got back into shoveling and snow angels.  We got back into sleeping and we even managed to get back into healthy home cooking.

I am trying hard to eat smaller portions (admittedly I eat until I can't breath on a fairly regular basis), I am working hard at pushing myself to be stronger (Jillian Michaels is evil hard core).  Seriously I think after one workout video with the trainer from The Biggest Loser, I was calling her every name I could think of.  I am drinking as much water as possible without floating away.  And, I am working at adding Pilates back into my workouts. 

What else?  Our wee G is testing us beyond my thresh hold of what is considered *terrible twos*.  Almost daily he is a certified gremlin, I mean Gemini.  One minute he has your cheeks in his hands, whispering sweet nothings into your face and the next he is pinching, pushing or slapping Huddy for getting too close to his caravan of Hot Wheels.  I do Magic 1, 2, 3, I threaten him, I take things away from him, I send him to his room, but that cherub looking babe is resilient.  He always bounces back.  Just last Saturday, my niece Neveah celebrated her 3rd birthday.  After several episodes with G, I said:  "That is the end of my rope G, you are not going to Neveah's party."

Instantly, H came up to me and begged, "Please mom, let him go.  Even though he shoved me, he would be so sad if he missed the party.  I am alright mom.  I'll talk to him."

And on that note, our potty training, in the last 4 days have gone straight down the toilet.  G is peeing his pants many times a day now.  And if that's not the worst of it, well than the shitty thing is.. he is also pooping in the morning, taking off his diaper and walking around the house dropping turds like a rabbit.  Now, the teacher in me is saying this a sign that he really isn't ready?  However, the mom in me is pressing on and trying hard to whip this boy into shape before we board a plan south.   I WELCOME your advice.

OK, today is a trip to Bernard Callebaut.  I NEED some really good chocolate. A trip to Cornelia Bean.  I need some White Rain tea.  And, a trip to Safeway.  I need more laundry soap.  Happy Monday, let's kick some January butt.

All aboard to a Merry Christmas!

 
OK, update at headquarters Team Parnell is really, really good.  Well, other than the fact that in a moment of madness (was madly wrapping and madly running to grab a drink of water) I madly slid on the hardwoods in my Smart Wool socks (LOVE THEM! so cozy) and crashed into the water cooler.  Ouch, and then I dropped a full glass of water on my big toe.  I guess there'll be no dancing for this momma.

Toe aside, yesterday was completely fantastic.  I am ALL DONE SHOPPING and WRAPPING.  I have all ingredients for dinner on Christmas Eve and I have one day left of work.  Yeah!!!  So, in honor of all of the prep work being DONE.  Brent and I (along with the outlaws) took the boys on the Assiniboine Valley Railway.  It was magical. It is a miniature train ride for a mere $2.00 and the hot coco at the end of the ride made my night.

It's even in Wikipedia if you want more info....Cool hey? 

Want more?  Brent laughed at me, but I had never heard of Susan Boyle.  So, I Googled her and watched this video...

 

Susan's story made me cry.  Sweet.  Dream big.

Now speaking of cool for kids, H, G & I have begun tracking Santa's arrival.  If you want to see when he'll be at your place, go here.  We have done this for the past few years.  This year however Hud was fascinated with the extras in the elf's workshop (especially the snowman skiing game).

Today is going to be easy, breezy considering the past, well month.  Cheers all you mommas and readers out there.  In case you get a few minutes to sneak away, stay tuned, there will be some blogging in between rum & eggnogs and The Griswold's.

Marry Christmas to everyone.  This has been a remarkable year as a Martini Momma and we are so excited to crank it up with a new year.  I hope Santa is extra good to you.

Pop, pop luck.

Last night Brent and I sat together drinking hot toddies...

• 1 cup of decaf tea
• 1 ounce spiced rum
• fresh squeezed lemon
• 1 dollop of honey

and while we sat, I chowed down 3/4 of a bag of Rocky Pop Carmel Corn.  It was so delicious.  Many times, I thought to myself: "Stop you little piggy."  But my inner demon said, "Shut it and eat."  These days I would have to run to Brandon and back daily to work off my Christmas calories.

Sadly I am not working out near enough to counter act the amount I have been eating and drinking.  Each morning when my alarm goes off, all I can do is reach over and hit SNOOZE,  But I am OK with that.  Yesterday I had a series of good things come my way...

To start, Gramps and I ventured out in the cold for a cup of joe at Timmies.  He treated and and in exchange I became his chauffeur.  Despite the chillies temps, it's always warm when I am with Gramps.  Also in my day of goodness, I received an Olympic Torch tshirt made from recycled plastic PET bottles - how cool is that?  Then, I was shopping at a local health food store and while catching up an old teacher on my life in vitamin water, I opened sold the manager on vw and opened the account.  Again, tres cool.

Finally, once the babes were in bed, I logged on and started reading blogs...only to discover I had won an online contest.  My first ever.  And at one of my fav spots, Tiber River Naturals.  Who couldn't use a little extra pampering this time of year.

I am thinking maybe my dear friend The Coach needs a little TLC this week... tomorrow she, Crys and I are off to get our cards read.  Maybe Ten Spa is in her future...